Penciling in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Prepare for an enthralling gridiron showdown as teams from North Carolina and West Virginia lock horns on December 27 at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. The teams have a bit of history at this bowl, last meeting here in 2008 under the event’s previous name.

Team Highlights

Boasting a 6-0 start and a peak at No. 10 in the AP Top 25, the Tar Heels of North Carolina experienced a late-season fade. However, the Mountaineers of West Virginia surpassed their previous high win total under Coach Neal Brown.

The Quarterback Showdown

The event features two exceptional quarterbacks. North Carolina’s Drake Maye, a potential high NFL draft prospect, and West Virginia’s quarterback Garrett Greene are both set to impress, although Maye’s participation in the game remains unclear.

The Breakdown

The game is scheduled for December 27 at 5:30 p.m. ET, with North Carolina (8-4, ACC) facing off against West Virginia (8-4, Big 12) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Key Players

North Carolina’s QB Drake Maye is certainly a player to watch. The NFL hopeful has thrown for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns, and also scored nine times on the run. However, it’s still not clear whether he will actually play in the bowl game. For West Virginia, QB Garrett Greene made headlines with 2,178 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions, along with 708 rushing yards and 13 scores.

Team Trivia

North Carolina started the year strong, going 6-0 and reaching No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before dropping four of their last six games. This repeats their late-season fade from last year. West Virginia, on the other hand, won four of their final five games after a mid-season loss to Oklahoma State. The team’s eight wins are a record under fifth-year coach Neal Brown.

Looking Back

In their previous encounter at the bowl in 2008, West Virginia defeated North Carolina 31-30 in a nail-biter.

Bowl History

This will be North Carolina’s 38th bowl game and fifth consecutive under Coach Mack Brown. West Virginia, in contrast, is marking their third bowl trip under Brown and the 40th in the program’s history, with a staggering 19 bowl appearances over the past 22 years.