College football: Tar Heels will play in Charlotte bowl game

Published 1:02 am Monday, December 4, 2023

By The Associated Press

North Carolina and West Virginia will meet in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina on Dec. 27. The teams’ last meeting came in this bowl under its former name to end the 2008 season. The Tar Heels started 6-0 and reached No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before fading. The Mountaineers have already surpassed their previous high win total under coach Neal Brown. The matchup features a pair of prolific quarterbacks. UNC has Drake Maye as a high NFL draft prospect, though it’s unclear if he’ll play in the game. West Virginia has quarterback Garrett Greene.

North Carolina (8-4, ACC) vs. West Virginia (8-4, Big 12), Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Charlotte, North Carolina

TOP PLAYERS

UNC: QB Drake Maye. The NFL prospect threw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns while also running for another nine scores, though it’s unclear if he will play in the bowl game.

West Virginia: QB Garrett Greene, He threw for 2,178 passing yards with 15 TDs and four interceptions. He also ran for 708 yards and 13 scores.

NOTABLE

UNC: The Tar Heels started the year 6-0 and reached No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before losing four of their last six. That marked the second straight season they had faded late, with last year’s team losing four straight after a 9-1 start.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers closed by winning four of five after sitting a 4-3 with an October loss to Oklahoma State. The eight wins are the best output under fifth-year coach Neal Brown, with the previous high being six wins.

LAST TIME

West Virginia 31, UNC 30 (Dec. 27, 2008 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl)

BOWL HISTORY

UNC: This will be the program’s 38th bowl game and fifth in as many seasons during the second tenure of coach Mack Brown. The last meeting against West Virginia came in this bowl under its previous name.

West Virginia: This marks the Mountaineers’ third bowl trip under Brown and 40th overall. West Virginia has been to 19 bowls in the past 22 years.

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