Something’s got to give this Saturday, when the UNC football team hosts Western Carolina at Kenan Stadium, as two squads that are struggling mightily will do battle to see which one can snap their long losing streak.

The Tar Heels enter the game at 1-8 overall having lost six games in a row, while the Catamounts have dropped seven straight outings after opening the year 3-0.

Working in UNC’s favor, however, is the obvious fact that Western Carolina is part of the lower-level Football Championship Subdivision of schools.

This means that the Catamounts have lost games to powerhouse programs such as Wofford, Samford, Mercer and East Tennessee State.

UNC, on the other hand, has dropped close games to teams like Syracuse, Duke and Virginia Tech—schools that have each spent time in the AP Top 25 at some point during the season.

Despite the difference in competition level, Tar Heel head coach Larry Fedora said he believes his team will take the steps necessary to try and prevent a major letdown.

“I don’t expect that to happen,” Fedora told reporters at his weekly press conference on Monday. “I believe that our leadership will do a great job in that locker room. And if we do a great job of preparing all week, there won’t be a letdown.”

Fedora has also spent all year preaching to anyone who will listen about how close UNC is to earning a second victory and getting things turned around.

Excuses have been far and few between, even with injuries to three different quarterbacks forcing the Tar Heels to stick with embattled junior quarterback Nathan Elliott on offense–and early-season suspensions leaving the team shorthanded on defense for much of the year.

Player morale has been another common speaking point for Fedora, who would like nothing more than for his team to get the elusive second win that he feels they have earned and then some.

“We need a win,” Fedora said. “Everybody knows that. And our guys, they deserve it more than anybody.

“It’s not gonna be something that just happens,” the coach added. “We’re gonna have to do a great job of preparing this week—preparing for Western Carolina—and we’re gonna have to outplay them on Saturday.”

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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