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(All odds via PointsBet Sportsbook)
You could call it somewhat of a rivalry -- or maybe an emerging one now that South Carolina has shown an upward trend, even though the Gamecocks and the North Carolina Tar Heels aren’t even in the same conference. This year’s Mayo Bowl is an interesting matchup with Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell expected to go relatively early in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and the Gamecocks as a whole showing some serious reason for optimism for the first time in years under head coach Shane Beamer.
What: Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Who: North Carolina (6-6, 3-5 ACC) vs South Carolina (6-6, 3-5 SEC)
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC
When: December 30th at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN)
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Opening line: North Carolina -5 (O/U 58.5)
Current line: North Carolina -9.5 (O/U 57)
Most recent bowl result: North Carolina lost to Texas A&M in the 2021 Orange Bowl, South Carolina beat Michigan in the 2018 Outback Bowl.
UNC at a glance: It seems like just last year many were questioning just how talented Sam Howell was in his own right and if his supporting cast should be given more credit -- but the tables have been turned in 2021. Howell has been one of the few bright spots within an overall lacking UNC offense that has fixing to do within its supporting cast and an offensive line that hasn’t always been reliable. Even with some of the issues, this unit did finish the season third in the ACC and has a bear of a running back to deal with in ball carrier Ty Chandler, who recorded 1,063 yards on the ground. Defensively, UNC is competent but has had some issues against the run.
South Carolina at a glance: South Carolina has been a team to almost automatically count out in recent history, but that changed this season as the Gamecocks pulled off impressive wins like their 21-17 win over Auburn and their 40-17 triumph over Florida. The Gamecocks have had some troubles, though, especially at the quarterback position with injury. But they seemed to have found one with a solid foundation in Jason Brown before he entered the transfer portal and most recently acquired former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler from the portal. For this game, they’ll turn to former graduate assistant Zeb Noland, who did show flashes in his time at the helm. One of South Carolina’s soft spots is its rushing defense, which has allowed over 190 yards on the ground in four of its last five appearances. Its passing defense, however, is a force to be reckoned with at seventh in the nation, allowing a measly average of 179 passing yards to its opponents this season.
Key to the matchup: South Carolina is going to have to be on its best game against the ground approach South Carolina seems likely to take going into this one. The UNC offense has been at its best when Howell is involved both in the air and on the ground and he’s got wheels, finishing multiple games in his UNC carer as the team’s leading rusher and totaling 825 rushing yards in 2021.
Best Bet (South Carolina +9.5): The Gamecocks have been a sneaky team this season and it’s easy to get the sense they’ll only be more solid next year. Noland shouldn’t be counted out despite the way he sort of “re-entered” football. If the Gamecocks defense can force Howell into passing situations where UNC is frequently forced to go up against one of the best pass defenses in the country, this one could be much closer than many are expecting.
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