CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – With a bye week under its belt and a home game under the lights against Virginia Tech on Saturday, North Carolina returns to game prep with questions lingering at its quarterback position.

UNC’s quarterback duo of Nathan Elliott and Chazz Surratt left Hard Rock Stadium following a 47-10 loss to No. 16 Miami 11 days ago with six turnovers and one touchdown between them, highlighting a troubling trend of poor play at the most important position on the field for Larry Fedora.

In his first nine years as a head coach, Fedora’s quarterbacks ranked top-25 nationally in passer rating four times with a low of 52nd in 2008 at Southern Miss (128.6). In 2017, UNC ranked 103rd nationally in passer rating (119.30) and is currently sitting at 125th (99.95) through four games this fall despite the offensive line ranking T-15th nationally in sacks allowed per game (1.0).

Last season, Elliott and Surratt competed with LSU grad transfer Brandon Harris for playing time, while true freshmen Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder have entered the mix this year. Reps for all while trying to determine a primary option carries the unintended consequence of limiting reps for the eventual one.

“I think part of it is we haven’t had anybody separate,” Fedora told reporters on Monday. “When you have somebody that will really separate themselves, they’re going to get more reps. When you try to get more guys ready, that’s fewer reps for each guy. I think it’s important at that position, basically in the style of offense we run, that the whole thing is in his hands. He has to be able to process, he has to be able to make good decisions and he needs more reps.”

Despite Elliott being in his fourth season and Surratt in his third, Fedora spent time detailing the basics of quarterback evaluation with his team sitting at 1-3 and few, if any, easy wins on the schedule to come.

“You’re looking at everything,” the seventh-year UNC head coach said. “We evaluate each and everything, how they carry themselves off the field, what they do leadership wise, obviously taking care of the football is the most important thing they can do, and then just the decision-making process, understanding situational football. The game is situational and you need to understand when do I need to pick this first down up and when is it okay to punt? All of those things have to be understood.”

Surratt’s suspension for the first three games of the season due to selling team-issued shoes in January clouded the position even further as he worked with the scout team in order for Fortin to take reps with the twos. In Surratt’s first game back in Miami, the sophomore ran for 69 yards and a touchdown. Those positive rushing stats were overshadowed by a 4-of-10 passing effort for 10 yards and three interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes.

Fedora attributed Surratt’s issues to decision-making miscues and disagreed when asked if his quarterback’s struggles were due to lingering effects from his suspension.

“Well, I hope not,” Fedora said. “I hope it hasn’t, because you understand what the situation is and you know what you’re fixing to be going through, so you have to prepare yourself. Whether you’re getting the rep or you’re watching the rep, we expect you to be getting a mental rep. And you have to always.

“It’s just like if you’re the No. 2 quarterback, you have to prepare yourself to be the starter. You’re an ankle away from being out on the field. I think when that happens, you find out a lot of times if a guy has prepared himself. And I’m not saying that Chazz hasn’t, I’m saying that he didn’t handle the situation that night very well and just didn’t process things very well.”

The poor quarterback play has the fan base clamoring for Fortin or Ruder to see the field, if only to provide a glimpse of potential for better days to come. Fedora, per usual, is not offering any hints to how playing time will be dispersed against Bud Foster’s defense this weekend.

When asked if he would rotate quarterbacks or stick with one option, Fedora replied: “There’s a chance anything could happen.”