North Carolina vs South Carolina: Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction, Game Preview
North Carolina vs South Carolina: Duke’s Mayo Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch
North Carolina vs South Carolina: Duke’s Mayo Bowl How To Watch
Date: Thursday, December 30
Game Time: 11:30 am ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
How To Watch: ESPN, Live stream on ESPN+
Records: North Carolina (6-6), South Carolina (6-6)
CFN Predictions | Bowl Schedule
North Carolina vs South Carolina Duke’s Mayo Bowl Preview
– 6-6 is in the eye of the beholder.
North Carolina came in to the season thinking ACC Championship, but instead it’s here after not stringing together back-to-back wins since mid-September.
– It’s a maddeningly inconsistent Tar Heel team with way too many strange early season losses. The ground game picked it up late in the year – the Tar Heels led the ACC in rushing offense – but it wasn’t enough agains the good teams on the back half of the schedule.
– The offensive line is shaky – there’s NO pass protection – and there were way too many penalties overall, but the team should catch a break against a Gamecock team with a questionable offense and with massive third down problems on both sides of the ball.
– North Carolina might have been disappointed with its season, but 6-6 was a great run for South Carolina in head coach Shane Beamer’s first year.
– The Gamecocks pulled off stunning wins over Florida and Auburn – overcoming an attack that didn’t get more than 250 yards in three of its last give games – thanks to a defense that forces a slew of takeaways and with just enough of a rushing attack to get by.
Why North Carolina, South Carolina Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Top Players To Know
NEXT: Why North Carolina Will Win, Why South Carolina Will Win, Duke’s Mayo Bowl Prediction
Why South Carolina Will Win The Duke’s Mayo Bowl
So what were the Gamecocks doing right over the second half of the season? 1) They were able to adjust – they flipped a switch after losses with decent performances in wins. And 2) defense was solid.
This isn’t a highly-explosive team – Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler is on the way for next year – and it needs to keep there other side from controlling games.
South Carolina isn’t amazing when it comes to time of possession, but North Carolina doesn’t do anything at all with the clock. On the plus side, the Tar Heels strike quickly and like to keep up the tempo.
But the offensive line gives up a ton of sacks, and it all comes down to this …
Can North Carolina run the ball?
CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule
Bowl Season Players To Watch & Know
Why North Carolina Will Win The Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Coming up with a win isn’t always a given when everything works offensively for the Tar Heels, but if the ground game is good and Sam Howell is great, there’s a problem for South Carolina to keep up.
There’s a big, big problem for South Carolina against teams that can run.
South Carolina allowed over 200 rushing yards five times in the last nine games and went 0-5. It went 4-0 when it allowed fewer, and on the year went 1-6 when allowing 180 rushing yards or more.
Can North Carolina run? It cranked up 300 yards or more in three of the last four games and 220 or more in six of the last seven.
Again, this isn’t a Gamecock team that’s about to rise up and start winging it around the yard. It hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards in any of the last five games.
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, North Carolina vs South Carolina Prediction, Duke’s Mayo Bowl History
North Carolina vs South Carolina: Duke’s Mayo Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
Can the North Carolina offensive line do its job?
Sam Howell is a big part of the ground attack, but he needs to be the conductor through the air – and he needs time to operate. He’ll get it.
The South Carolina pass rush isn’t good enough to bother Howell, but the D as a whole will hold up well. It won’t be able to do enough, though, after a quick burst of Tar Heel points takes over the game early in the second half.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs South Carolina Prediction, Lines
North Carolina 34, South Carolina 23
Line: North Carolina -9, o/u: 58.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
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Must See Rating: 3.5
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CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule
Duke’s Mayo Bowl History
Dec. 31, 2020 Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28
Belk Bowl
Dec. 31, 2019 Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30
Dec. 29, 2018 Virginia 28, South Carolina 0
Dec. 29, 2017 Wake Forest 55, Texas A&M 52
Dec. 29, 2016 Virginia Tech 35, Arkansas 24
Dec. 30, 2015 Mississippi State 51 NC State 28
Dec. 30, 2014 Georgia 37 Louisville 14
Dec. 28, 2013 North Carolina 39 Cincinnati 17
Dec. 27, 2012 Cincinnati 48 Duke 34
Dec. 27, 2011 NC State 31 Louisville 24
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Dec. 31, 2010 USF 31 Clemson 26
Dec. 26, 2009 Pittsburgh 19 North Carolina 17
Dec. 27, 2008 West Virginia 31 North Carolina 30
Dec. 29, 2007 Wake Forest 24 UConn 10
Dec. 30, 2006 Boston College 25 Navy 24
Dec. 31, 2005 NC State 14 USF 0
Continental Tire Bowl
Dec. 30, 2004 Boston College 37 North Carolina 24
Dec. 27, 2003 Virginia 23 Pittsburgh 16
Dec. 28, 2002 Virginia 48 West Virginia 22
Why North Carolina, South Carolina Will Win
Bowl Season Players To Watch & Know
