The North Carolina Tar Heels are preparing to battle rival Duke Blue Devils in a critical Atlantic Coast Conference meeting.
Unlike years prior, both teams head into the matchup with more to play for than just the Victory Bell, as UNC holds a one-game lead over Duke in the ACC standings. The timing couldn’t be better for North Carolina, with their defense finding its identity as of late, dominating Virginia Tech 41-10 and containing the Hurricanes in Miami 27-24 in back-to-back weeks.
Neither team has cracked the Associated Press Poll top 25, but UNC is knocking on the door after receiving the most votes this past weekend to be the next team in. A win to gain distance in the race for a shot at the ACC championship game is the key; bringing the Victory Bell back to UNC is just the icing on the cake.
We look at five things to watch for in this Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.