This week, the North Carolina Tar Heels will have the pleasure of playing spoiler against their archrivals, the Duke Blue Devils. While Basketball is usually the focus when these two schools get together in high profile matchups, this time the focus is on the gridiron, where the fate of the ACC Coastal Division hangs in the balance.
North Carolina is 6-5 (4-3) and are in 3rd place in the ACC Coastal. Duke is 9-2 (5-2) and in 1st place in the ACC Coastal. The Blue Devils can clinch the division, and a spot in the ACC Championship game. However, lurking on the outside are Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami, who all could win the division with a combination of a Duke loss and the results falling their way in other games. Suffice it to say though, that if Duke loses this game their division hopes are gone.
As a Carolina fan myself, I have full confidence in the Tar Heels and their abilities. The team is riding a five-game win streak, and this is the hottest the Tar Heel football team has been in recent memory. North Carolina has a great chance to beat what is a vastly improved Duke team. However, this Carolina team is special. They’ve come a long way from a 1-5 start. The offense just scored 80 points this weekend. That’s incredible, even against an FCS team. The Tar Heel offense is potent with Marquise Williams under center; and the possibility for a huge play is possible with every snap. Williams was especially hot Saturday, throwing for 400+ yards, and 5 touchdowns. I’m confident that Williams will continue this hot-streak.
Ryan Switzer will need to have himself a game if the upset is to happen. The freshman wide receiver/punt returner is having a great stretch. He has four punt returns for touchdowns in the last three games, including two in a win against Pittsburgh last week. Switzer also had two receiving touchdowns in Saturday’s 80-20 win over Old Dominion. I am very excited in Switzer’s progression and I feel he’ll be a top receiver in College Football in the coming years.
A Tar Heel who has been rather silent in the last few weeks, is Junior Tight End Eric Ebron. The junior had only 1 catch for 11 yards in Saturday’s rout. One factor in this performance was Ebron’s limited status due to injury concerns. This game will probably be Ebron’s last game at Kennan Allen, and I sure hope he has a “John Mackey” type performance. It may be what he needs to win the Mackey this year.
The Carolina defense has also been also been spectacular during this 5-game ride, allowing just 18 points. They do however have a tough task at hand in containing an excellent Anthony Boone and the Duke offense. With the way the Heels have been playing on defense, this should be an excellent matchup.
All in, this should be a pretty an even contest; two great teams grinding it out. Duke has a better record, but North Carolina is hot and is riding a 5-game win-streak. My prediction is a 38-30 win for Carolina, but anything can happen when these two teams get together.
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Main Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox, Getty
