CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Fresh off bringing the Victory Bell back from Durham, North Carolina returns home Saturday night looking to stretch its winning streak against a Syracuse team still hunting for its first ACC victory.
Kickoff at Kenan Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m., with UNC at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play and Syracuse at 2-4 and 0-4. UNC has already matched last season’s win total after road wins over Pittsburgh, 21-17, and Duke, 24-20. The year opened with UNC edging TCU 15-10, and one of the two defeats was an 11-point loss to then-No. 3 Notre Dame.
Close games have been the difference in Bill Belichick’s second year. North Carolina is 3-1 in one-score games after going 1-3 in them last season. Belichick told reporters this week that most ACC games come down to the final possession and that teams that execute in those moments win. He also said his team needs its best game of the year and must protect the ball against a pressure-heavy Syracuse defense.
Syracuse is in a tough spot. The Orange have lost two straight by one score, to Virginia and Louisville, and have dropped 11 consecutive conference games. Quarterbacks Malachi Nelson and Amari Odom are out with injuries and Steve Angeli is questionable, leaving either Angeli or fourth-stringer Danny Lauter to start. Running back Umari Hatcher leads the ACC with 784 rushing yards.
North Carolina’s offense remains a work in progress. The Tar Heels rank last in the ACC at 329.8 yards per game, and their longest run of the season is 25 yards. Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. has thrown for 1,260 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. The defense carries more weight, led by sophomore Xavier Lewis and his seven sacks and linebacker Derek McDonald’s 56 tackles.
UNC won last year’s meeting 27-10 on Halloween night.
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