A mouth-watering showdown is in the cards this coming Tuesday as the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Baylor Bears lock horns in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Tar Heels will look to cap what has been one of the best seasons in program history against a Baylor side that has been ravaged by injuries of late.
Who will emerge victorious in this showdown between two high-powered offenses? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Russell Athletic Bowl matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of the Arizona Bowl and the Texas Bowl.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Russell Athletic Bowl Preview
Where: Orlando Citrus Bowl, Orlando
When: Tuesday, December 29, 5:30 PM ET
Line: Baylor Bears (+2.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (-2.5); total: 68.5 – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Baylor Bears (9-3, 6-3 Big 12)
A season that started with so much promise turned into a major disappointment for the Bears as a string of injuries wrecked their championship dreams. Baylor won its first eight games and was even ranked sixth in the first College Football Playoff poll but things suddenly fell apart as quarterback Seth Russell, then the top-rated passer in the FBS, suffered a season-ending neck injury on October 24.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Just when it seemed freshman Jarrett Stidham will carry the offensive load for the Bears (419 yards and three touchdowns in his first start), he too was hit with the injury bug, breaking a bone in his left ankle in his third start. To make matters worse for the Bears, their top receiver Corey Coleman will also miss next week’s clash with North Carolina after undergoing hernia surgery the week of Christmas. He led the FBS in touchdown receptions with 20 to his name this season. He also racked up 1,363 receiving yards this campaign, fourth-best in the FBS.
Another player who’s bound to miss out on next week’s Bowl game is Shock Linwood. He broke a bone in his foot in mid-December. He was a beast for the Bears on the ground this season, posting a whopping 1,329 rushing yards, fourth-best in the Big 12.
With all these marquee players manning the sidelines for Baylor, the odds are definitely stacked against the Bears from grabbing the win this coming Tuesday. We can’t count out the Bears, though, from pulling off a major surprise as they still have plenty of weapons on the offensive end. Expected to lead the charge for the Bears are running back Johnny Jefferson (710 rushing yards) and receivers KD Cannon (46 catches for 828 yards) and Jay Lee (36 for 726).
The onus then is on quarterback Chris Johnson to utilize these weapons against the Tar Heels. He suffered a concussion in Baylor’s regular-season finale but has been cleared to start against North Carolina. He was far from impressive in his last two starts, though, averaging just 19.0 points and 407.0 yards with only 73.0 of those coming through the air.
The Bears are 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games.
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Betting on the North Carolina Tar Heels (11-2, 8-0 ACC)
North Carolina may have fallen short in its bid to win the ACC title but there’s no question the Tar Heels have far exceeded expectations this 2015 NCAA season. Picked to finish fifth in the Coastal Division, North Carolina won all eight of its conference contests en route to posting a solid 11-2 record this season.
The Tar Heels will finish the season ranked for the first time since they were No. 6 following the 1997 campaign. They can create more history against Baylor this coming Tuesday as they have an opportunity to set a program single-season record with 12 victories. The Tar Heels will fancy their chances of pulling off that feat against the Bears as they possess one of the league’s best offenses this season.
The Tar Heels are tied for 19th in total offense at 486.9 yards and ranked 10th in scoring with an average of 40.9 points. Leading the way for North Carolina’s offensive onslaught this campaign are Marquise Williams and Elijah Hood. Williams displayed his dual-threat ways, throwing for 2,829 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in addition to running for 867 yards with another 11 scores. Only Deshaun Watson has thrown for more yards while also rushing for at least 800 this season.
Hood, on the other hand, ran for 1,345 yards to rank second in the ACC as he scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. He only needs two rushing touchdowns to tie the single-season mark set by Don McCauley for the Tar Heels back in 1970. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Baylor defensive line that is 51st in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing 156.3 yards per game this season.
The Tar Heels are 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
North Carolina (-2.5) wins, 42-34.
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