2 min read • December 23, 2022
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The Oregon Ducks and the North Carolina Tar Heels will face off in the Holiday Bowl. The Ducks finished the regular season as the 15th-ranked team, and the Tar Heels finished first in the ACC Coastal. Both teams have a litany of opt-outs, but two-star players are scheduled to play.
The Tar Heels finished 9-4 in Mack Brown’s third year back with the program. The team lost in the ACC championship game to Clemson. But, the catalyst of one of the best seasons the program has had in the last decade is quarterback Drake Maye.
The projected first-round pick got some Heisman Trophy mentions during the season. The star quarterback led North Carolina in passing yards and rushing yards.
Maye went 324 of 482 for 4,115 and 35 passing touchdowns with only seven interceptions. The redshirt freshman also ran for 653 yards and seven touchdowns.
Maye is playing in the Holiday Bowl. But his offensive coordinator, Phil Longo, has accepted a job at Wisconsin. The Tar Heels had a top-25 offense this year, with Longo calling the plays.
Projected first-round wide receiver Josh Downs has declared for the draft. He led North Carolina in receiving with 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Mack Brown is 1-2 against the spread in bowl games as head coach at North Carolina. The Tar Heels went 3-1 against the spread of an underdog this season.
Oregon is favored by 14.5 points against North Carolina, and the over/under is 73.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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