A 6-0 start by the UNC football team had Chapel Hill buzzing like the midst of March Madness.
Outside of an almost slip-up to App State, Carolina won most of those games with ease. Drake Maye stayed in contention for the Heisman Trophy, while Tar Heel fans learned about the sudden superstardom of Omarion Hampton.
This was supposed to be the year UNC proved it belonged atop the ACC. It returned Maye, snatched wide receivers Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum from the transfer portal and returned its few defensive stars, including Cedric Gray and Kaimon Rucker.
Another epic collapse, which started with a loss to then-1-win UVA and ended with an embarrassment at N.C. State in the regular-season finale, crushed all hopes of an ACC Championship.
Despite this troubling trend of late-season collapses, Carolina continues to find ways to make bowl games. UNC isn’t very good in these games, compiling just a 3-7 record in its last 10 appearances, but it’s made a bowl game in all but two years since 2013.
The Tar Heels have a chance to pick up a rare bowl win on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. ET, as it takes on the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. UNC last played in this bowl during 2021, when it lost to South Carolina.
Let’s take an extended look back in the Heel’s past 10 bowl appearances, starting with last year against Oregon.