UNC football program prepares for the final leg of the season with Wake Forest next

The UNC football program just finished their second bye week, and now they must embark on the last portion of the season. The first one is a night home game against Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons have had an underwhelming season at 4-5 but have been a reliable thorn in UNC's side for more years than I care to count. In their last four match-ups, UNC is 3-1 against Wake Forest, and a single possession won all those contests.

This season, Dave Clawson's team has beaten bad teams (and UConn), lost to good teams, and gotten stomped by ranked teams. Where does North Carolina fit in that shot pattern? Probably somewhere in the middle.

Something to like? Quarterback Hank Bachmeier has been a little loose with the football, throwing nine interceptions on the season and at least one for the last six games straight. He also had three picks against Cal last weekend, but he was throwing into some pretty tough spots with Wake Forest chasing the game. Plus, Cal leads the FBS with 17 team interceptions. Bachmeier has also been sacked 13 times in the last three games, with seven coming against the Golden Bears. Geoff Collins's men should have their ears pinned back.

Something not to like? Wake Forest still runs that infernal slow-mesh rushing game, and Demond Claiborne has picked up steam in the last two games. He's running for more than five yards per rush in wins over Stanford and Cal. He compiled 240 rushing yards in those two games.

Can the Tar Heels contain Claiborne and keep Bachmeier under duress? He has shown he can be sacked and if pressured, throw picks. This is a game for North Carolina to show they are a serious football team and can close out the season on a winning streak to overtake the midseason losing streak.