Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Football looking to capture ACC Championship

By Nick Delahanty

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels hugs head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers before their game at Kenan Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels hugs head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers before their game at Kenan Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The UNC football program will look to capture its first true ACC Championship in over 40 years on Saturday night against the Clemson Tigers.

It’s time for the ACC Championship, as the UNC football program looks to secure its first title since 1980.

After winning the ACC Coastal division, the Tar Heels have essentially backed their way into this contest. They’ve lost consecutive contests at the hands of Wake Forest and NC State, and hope to turn it around on Saturday night.

Their opponent, none other than the No. 9 ranked Clemson Tigers, winners of six of the last seven title games.

Clemson has owned the series, especially as of late, winning seven of the last eight meetings. In 2019, the Trevor Lawrence-led Tigers edged out a 21-20 victory in the latest matchup, which came back on September 28, 2019.

Can the UNC football program end the skid and bring the ACC title back to Chapel Hill?

Key To Victory for North Carolina

Let Drake Maye be great.

Phil Longo has to have his best play-calling week of the season, as he has to put Maye in a position to thrive. With that in mind, there are two players that must be involved early and often.

Josh Downs and Antoine Green.

The Tar Heels wide receiver duo must get involved throughout this game, as they have the ability to cause a lot of problems for the Tigers’ secondary. Especially in the red zone, the Tar Heels must not only stick with what’s working but must be creative, as the opportunities to score touchdowns can’t end up in field goal attempts.

Something to Watch For

Clemson comes in with more postseason experience, which could give them a bit of a boost in this one.

However, my main question is: how does the UNC football program respond after back-to-back losses?

Can this team regroup and get back to the early season form (especially offensively) or will this week be yet another disappointing outing from a group that possesses so much potential?

At this point, what happened in the regular season is irrelevant. The new season starts at 8:00 PM EST on Saturday night in Charlotte.

What You Need To Know

WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (9-3, 6-2 in ACC) vs. Clemson Tigers (10-2, 8-0 in ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, December 2, 2022, at 8:00 PM EST
WHERE? Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
TV? ABC
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
WEATHER? Cloudy with a few showers. High of 39F
LINE? Clemson -7.5
LAST MEETING? Clemson defeated North Carolina 21-20 on September 28, 2019
ALL-TIME SERIES?  Clemson leads the series 38-19-1
PREDICTION? Clemson 38, North Carolina 31

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