North Carolina vs. Wake Forest fearless prediction and game preview.
North Carolina vs. Wake Forest Broadcast
Date: Friday, September 13
Game Time: 6:00 ET
Venue: BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC
Network: ESPN
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North Carolina (2-0) vs. Wake Forest (2-0) Game Preview
Why North Carolina Will Win
Are you sure this Sam Howell guy really is a freshman?
The UNC starting quarterback has a Jake Fromm-like unflappability side to him in tough situations, hitting 65% of his passes with four scores and no picks so far. He might not be consistent quite yet, but he’s been great at coming up with the big plays at the right times.
More than that, he’s hitting the downfield throws. He’s not afraid to push the ball deep to his big veteran receivers, and he’s stretching the field to make up for the lack of a running game.
The Wake Forest secondary is more than happy to help the cause, giving up an ACC-worst 335 passing yards per game and almost 13 yards per pass. However …
Why Wake Forest Will Win
Howell and the Tar Heels can’t seem to keep the chains moving.
It was a problem until late against South Carolina, and it was a problem after the first quarter against Miami. On the flip side, the well-oiled Wake Forest machine is rolling on third downs.
What’s the problem for the Tar Heels on the money down? The pass protection has turtled. The Wake Forest pass rush hasn’t been great, but this is the game to sell out a bit to get to Howell.
Wake Forest has the ability to keep the offense going for a full four quarters, while North Carolina has been way too streaky. This is going to be a shootout, and the ACC’s No. 1 offense is ready for it.
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What’s Going To Happen
North Carolina has invented ways to win over the first two games after looking for ways to lose close battles all throughout last season. The problem this week will be Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman – he’s going to pick the Tar Heel secondary clean. The Demon Deacons will pull off a thriller by being just a little bit sharper late.
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North Carolina vs. Wake Forest Prediction, Line
Wake Forest 34, North Carolina 30
Line: Wake Forest -3, o/u: 66.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3
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