It didn’t hit Cade Fortin until he crawled out of bed Saturday morning.
The true first-year quarterback was told earlier in the week that he’d get his second-ever collegiate start in North Carolina’s season finale against rival N.C. State. But Fortin’s nerves didn’t flutter until just hours before kickoff.
When he stepped onto the field at Kenan Memorial Stadium for the first time in the Tar Heels’ (2-9, 1-7 ACC) 34-28 overtime loss to the Wolfpack (8-3, 5-3 ACC), the first-year’s jitters became evident.
Fortin started the game with just two completions on nine pass attempts in the first quarter. Soon enough, though, the Suwanee, Ga. native collected himself and put together a performance that should provide optimism for the future to a program very much in need of it.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound four-star recruit threw for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also added one rushing touchdown.
Fortin’s roommate, true first-year running back Javonte Williams, asked him the same question all week: “Are you nervous for the game?”
But Williams knew better than anyone that Fortin was more than prepared to be the starter. The two often study the playbook together and talk through hypothetical in-game situations in their room.
“There’s just something about him,” Williams said. “He’s just got an extra drive — an extra gear — that he can go to that other players can’t.”
That extra drive was on display when Fortin scrambled for 19 yards to get his team into field goal range to cut its deficit to one point at halftime. It was also shown when he threw a 37-yard bomb right into the hands of sophomore receiver Beau Corrales for a touchdown in the third quarter.
