2023-12-24 05:52:52
WHO: WEST VIRGINIA (BIG 12, 8-4) VS. NORTH CAROLINA (ACC, 8-4)
WHERE: Duke’s Mayo Bowl- Bank of America Stadium- Charlotte, NC
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 5:30 PM
TV: ESPN
The West Virginia Mountaineers will get a regional matchup in a land not so far away on Wednesday, Dec. 27 when they take on the North Carolina Tarheels in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, NC.
The Mountaineers closed out the season with two critical victories—including a last drive win over Baylor—to reach eight wins and be placed in Charlotte, which is the closest bowl venue to WVU, so it worked out very well for the boys from Morgantown.
If ticket sales are any indication, the crowd may make it feel like a WVU home game in Morgantown even though the game is being played in the Tarheels home state. Mountaineer fans have gobbled up their allotment of tickets and little, if any, honestly, remain. Fans are eager to attend on the West Virginia side because the last five seasons under head coach Neal Brown have been subpar in most everyone’s eyes to say the least. Last year, WVU finished 5-7 and did not qualify for a bowl and Brown’s coaching seat has been getting hotter and hotter over the last couple of seasons. However, this year, things got a little better and whether or not it means Brown is all of a sudden a better coach than he’s been the previous four years, remains to be seen.
But when you study when things started rolling, look no further than the influx of young talent that started to see the field more as the season wore on. Players like Jahiem White (892 total yards, 5 TDs), Traylon Ray (15 rec, 230 yds, 2TDs) and Rodney Gallagher got more action with White garnering freshman All-American honors following the season following leading the nation in yards per carry, regardless of class. The speedster can take the ball and go with it, and he can also catch the ball out of the backfield and caught what was the game-winning TD pass once morest Baylor to close out the regular season. Couple those players with the run game overall and with the help of quarterback Garrett Greene (2,178 yds passing, 708 rush, 28 TDs), the Mountaineers just started dominating on the offensive side of the football, and currently hold the longest active streak in the country of at least 140 rushing yards in a game.
That offense, however, will be tested by the Tarheels, but UNC is going to be without several of their main weapons as most have opted out of the game to focus on preparing for the NFL, and others have suffered injuries in practice.
Drake Maye will not be playing quarterback for UNC as he’s one of the ones sitting out to prepare for the draft and some experts think he might potentially be the top overall pick in April. Tez Walker, their leading receiver, is also out. They are missing offensive linemen, their starting tight end, defensive linemen, linebackers and a couple secondary guys in the backend. One Tarheel fan on social media said he would not think twice regarding buying a ticket because half the team quit, and he feels WVU will win by 40 points. However, one player that will play for North Carolina is star running back Omarion Hampton. Hampton has 1,442 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Conner Harrell will start at quarterback and has thrown just six passes all season.
WVU will be without a few key players such as C.J. Donaldson and All-American Zach Frazier. Both are injured, plus Frazier must get healthy for the NFL Draft as well. Mike Lockhart, Hershey McLaurin, and Justin Johnson all entered the transfer portal and will not suit up for the Mountaineers, but following so many hits that most teams take, the Mountaineers should be in decent shape roster-wise.
The implications for WVU in this game are much bigger than one may think.
Not only do the Mountaineers have a chance to get nine wins for the first time under Brown which counts for this season, it is also a chance to elevate their reputation heading into the 2024 season which might be (Emphasis on COULD) special. One publication last week put together an early top 25 to start next season and had West Virginia at no. 20 with Greene a Big 12 preseason player of the year candidate. So, this game is much more than just going out, running around, and playing football one more time. It can have such a bigger impact on WVU especially with a new-look Big 12 Conference next year and the College Football Playoffs expanding to 12 teams. Also, the Mountaineers open next year at home once morest Penn State—who that same publication ranked 10th next year—so the Mayo Bowl means a lot and is extremely important on the WVU side.
One Crazy Fact:
North Carolina was going to welcome back receiver Kobe Paysour for the Mayo Bowl. Paysour missed seven games this year with a broken foot, and he has been practicing with the team but last week broke his other foot and will now miss the game following all.
Prediction:
I hate to predict a score when it comes to WVU. They typically do the complete opposite of what you think, and it has been that way for decades. However, this team has a lot of momentum right now, and when you add in the signing day they had last Wednesday with some good recruits they landed and transfers that gave them momentum as well, the Mountaineers FINALLY look to be getting back to where fans think they should be.
WVU- 37
UNC- 20
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#Dukes #Mayo #Bowl #Preview #West #Virginia #North #Carolina
