UNC FACES HUGE CHALLENGE, PITTSBURGH, IN THE CAR CARE BOWL

UNC FACES HUGE CHALLENGE, PITTSBURGH, IN THE CAR CARE BOWL
By William Queen for Football Reporters Online
 
This year’s Car Care Bowl features two very underestimated forces. UNC, coming out of the ACC, has one of the most unappreciated defenses in the nation. As Pittsburgh, coming out of the Big East, would like to be in a more respectable bowl after losing their last two games in the final seconds.
 
Needless to say, UNC has something to prove, while Pitt could have hoped for a better bowl bid.
 Two very prestigious defenses will be battling it out this Saturday; meaning that whoever can take advantage and convert off turnovers will most likely come out on top. Allowing 16.9 points per game, the Tarheels are ranked 13th in the nation defensively, while the Panthers finished not too far behind, ranking 21st with only 20 points per game.
 Though, statistics can sometimes be misleading. If you count the Panthers season finale vs. Cincinnati as a mulligan for their defense, then they’ve only allowed 17.7 points per game, cutting their statistical defensive deficit to less than one.
 My key match-up this game will be the UNC offense vs. the Pittsburgh defense. Though the Tarheels are stellar up front, I think that the Panthers, led by freshman running back Dion Lewis, will be able to move the ball just enough to put points up on the board. So this leaves UNC quarterback TJ Yates in a showdown with a tough Pittsburgh defense.
 TJ Yates has maintained a sub-par TD-INT ratio of 12-14 and hasn’t played many challenging defenses through the course of the season. So, most are assuming that he will be overpowered during the course of this game. But on the other hand, Yates may not struggle nearly as much as people think. Though the Panthers have an exceptionally tough defense, defending the pass may be their sole weakness. Ranking behind schools such as Buffalo, Louisiana Tech, and Middle Tennessee State in defending the pass, Yates may actually have a shot.
 UNC’s offense relies very heavily on the play of Yates, as they don’t have an all-purpose back that they can trust giving 20-30 carries a game. Below is a chart explaining just how much the Offense is affected by number of interceptions by TJ Yates.
 

Now for a prediction. I say that Pittsburgh maintains a low scoring one-possession lead through the first three quarters, but turns the ball over and gives the Tarheels a short field to work with, sending it into overtime at 17-17. There, Pitt will prove to be the more well rounded team and win 20-23.