Carolina Returns To Charlotte For Duke's Mayo Bowl

Who:
North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4)

Where:
Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C.

When:
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 – 5:30 p.m. – ESPN

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The Lead: For the fifth year in a row and 38th time in program history, the North Carolina Tar Heels football team will play in a bowl game. This time, the Tar Heels will face West Virginia in the 2023 Duke's Mayo Bowl. This will be the third matchup between the Tar Heels and Mountaineers and their first meeting since the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

Storylines:

Following the regular season, 13 Tar Heels were named All-ACC. Omarion Hampton, Bryson Nesbit and Cedric Gray were named to the first team. Drake Maye, Kaimon Rucker and Noah Burnette were on the second team. Newcomers Tez Walker and Willie Lampkin were named to the third team along with Power Echols. Spencer Rolland, Corey Gaynor, Myles Murphy and Alijah Huzzie were named honorable mention All-ACC.
Since the end of the regular season, Omarion Hampton has garnered multiple All-America awards. Hampton was named a first-team Walter Camp All-American and a second-team All-American on the AFCA, AP, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports/247Sports and Sporting News lists. He was also named to the College Football News All-American Honorable Mention team.
Mack Brown's five bowl victories are the most by a head coach in North Carolina history.
UNC has scored 30 or more points in 14 of its last 20 games.

From The Notes:

UNC enters the postseason with the fourth ranked offense in the FBS. In 12 games, the Tar Heels averaged 503.9 yards per game.
The Tar Heel offense is currently averaging 36.6 points per game this season. UNC ranks 15th in the FBS in scoring.
North Carolina is one of 13 teams to average more than 300 yards passing per game. UNC currently ranks 8th in the FBS in passing offense.
North Carolina is one of four teams to eclipse 2,300 yards rushing and 3,600 passing this season (LSU, Oregon, Texas, UNC).
The North Carolina offense currently ranks 10th in the FBS in 3rd down conversions. Currently, UNC is 85/173 on 3rd down.
Power Echols is one of seven ACC defenders with 90 or more tackles this season. Currently, Echols has 92 tackles.
Noah Burnette currently holds the fourth-highest FG percentage in the FBS (94.7%).

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Players Mentioned

Noah Burnette

Power Echols

Corey Gaynor

Cedric Gray

Omarion Hampton

Alijah Huzzie

Willie Lampkin

Drake Maye

Myles Murphy

Bryson Nesbit

Spencer Rolland

Kaimon Rucker