CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina looks for its second win in what has been a frustrating season as it hosts FCS foe Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels were competitive in an upset bid last weekend but came up just short, as rival Duke retained the Victory Bell with a 42-35 win.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: None.
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There was no questioning North Carolina’s effort but. in the end, it just didn’t have an answer for Blue Devils quarterback Daniel Jones, who posted a school-record 547 total yards and four touchdowns. “Our guys continue to fight. There's no question about that, who they are and what they're made up of. I'm proud of them for that fact," Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora told reporters after the game. Western Carolina began the season 3-0 but has since lost seven straight, including a 38-23 home loss to Wofford last week. The Catamounts will finish the season eighth out of nine teams in the Southern Conference with a 1-7 record and have surrendered at least 38 points six times during their skid.
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA (3-7)
Quarterback Tyrie Adams had a big game with 396 yards of total offense against Wofford and has 2,127 passing yards to go along with a 16:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The junior also leads the Catamounts with 902 rushing yards and has added eight more scores on the ground. The defense had one of its best games of the season last week, holding Wofford’s triple-option 80 yards below its season average, and was led by Michael Murphy and Mitchell Chancey’s game-high 12 tackles apiece.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (1-8)
Duke's 629 yards of total offense were the most the Tar Heels have allowed since Lamar Jackson and Louisville piled up 705 total yards against them early last season. North Carolina is allowing opponents 453.9 yards of total offense per game, the third-highest total in the ACC to Louisville (468.3) and Wake Forest (486.3). Offensively, running back Michael Carter ran for 148 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against Duke and is one of two Tar Heels running backs (along with Antonio Williams) with 500 or more rushing yards on the season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Six of North Carolina’s losses have been by 10 or fewer points.
2. The Tar Heels took 10 penalties for 115 yards against Duke.
3. Adams holds the record for most passing touchdowns in Western Carolina history with 53.
PREDICTION: North Carolina 45, Western Carolina 20