Nick Weiler vs. Thomas Moore: Who will it be for UNC football?

For six months, Larry Fedora stayed quiet, keeping his lips tight between Feb. 20 and Aug. 30 about who his starting quarterback might be.

Marquise Williams. Mitch Trubisky.

Now, Fedora is in the midst of making another decision regarding an open competition that began two weeks ago after the Tar Heels lost to Miami 47-20.

Nick Weiler. Thomas Moore. A battle for the kicking job.

Moore, the veteran senior, entered the season as the expected starter after he registered a team-high 90 points in his junior campaign, making 14 of 19 field goals and 46 of 48 extra points. Yet to date in his final season with the Tar Heels, he has attempted a mere two field goals and missed them both.

Weiler, who didn’t attempt a field goal at all his freshman year, made his first career field goal against San Diego State — a 23-yarder that is still his longest of the season. The sophomore has taken over primary kicking duties for the Tar Heels, but after Weiler missed a simple extra point attempt in the Miami loss, Fedora reopened the competition in practice for the Pittsburgh game Saturday.

“They’re out there in front of the whole team competing, and they’re going head-to-head, one after another in live situations,” Fedora said.

“We’ve had quite a few kicks in front of the team, and it’s been a good competition.”

The team’s job is to provide the background noise and the distractions that inevitably have the potential to distract a kicker in a typical game, said sophomore wide receiver Ryan Switzer.

For the majority of the season, Weiler and Moore had been isolated, working on their craft alone until Fedora decided it was necessary to make the environment more realistic.

“Noise, yelling — some people even throw stuff or run in front of them,” Switzer said. “It may be taken over the top a little bit, but at least we’re getting some distractions and some noises in there as well.”

Fedora said he typically isn’t concerned about his kickers executing until game time. Even then, he still tries to trust that whoever it is kicking will go out with confidence.

“It doesn’t really weigh on me until we get in the game,” he said. “Not something that I really sit around and worry about. I feel like we put a guy out there, and he’ll knock it in, I really do. That position, you’ve just got to have some confidence. That’s all there is to it.”

With just three games remaining in UNC’s season — against Pittsburgh, Duke and N.C. State — the Tar Heels (4-5, 2-3 ACC) must win at least two to become bowl eligible.

With tight games typically coming down to kicking, whoever wins UNC’s job will be an integral part of the team’s success.

“We’re definitely trying to build confidence in them,” sophomore running back Khris Francis said.

“That’s definitely the difference between a win or a loss.”

sports@dailytarheel.com