The Tar Heels are going with their not-so-powerful, powder blue.
Almost suddenly, the Carolina-State game has become a very big deal. It was moved up in the revised ACC schedule, and the Wolfpack has climbed into the rankings by winning four of its first five games.
The oddsmakers don’t believe it will be close, installing the Heels as a two-touchdown favorite. Mack Brown isn’t buying it, pointing to State’s new offensive and defensive coordinators who indeed have the Pack playing harder and better than last year’s West Raleigh dud.
Dave Doeren has beaten Carolina four out of seven, including three straight at Kenan Stadium. His favorite of those was in 2016, when State beat Mitch Trubisky and the Heels 28-21, an upset that Doeren admits probably saved his job. State went to three straight bowls after that to keep Doeren, who now lives in Brown’s shadow.
I think the game comes down to the quarterback position, and the Heels have a stud in Sam Howell while the Pack has rotated starters and must go with Bailey Hockman since Devin Leary is out for 4-8 weeks with a broken fibula. Hockman did lead State to its opening night upset over Wake Forest, but could be in for a tough afternoon.
The last time Carolina beat State at home was way back in 2012, Larry Fedora’s first season at UNC and, as it turned out, Tom O’Brien’s last at State. Fedora upset some alumni and traditionalists who were used to powder blue jerseys and white pants at home by allowing his seniors to opt for full Navy blue.
Beyond that, the players went back into the locker room after warm-ups and returned to the field wearing chrome helmets. Of course, the game ended when Giovanni Bernard broke a 35-35 tie in the closing minutes with his electrifying punt return to the house.
Honestly, I would have rather see the Navy blue look. As you know I think it makes the Tar Heels seem tougher and more physical, which they would need to be to stop State’s improved running game and score on a tough red zone defense. Let’s see how powder blue does.
The home field edge is all but gone, but I still like the Heels, big.
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