The North Carolina Tar Heels will travel 164 miles to battle Appalachian State this Saturday in a huge game for both teams.
UNC comes into the match fresh off the 56-24 victory over Florida A&M. Despite an impressive offensive outing, North Carolina will be +0.5 underdogs against Appalachian, with the expected hostile environment playing a factor.
The Mountaineers have sold out Saturday’s game, with ticket prices being the second highest among all college football games in week 1. The other advantage is that Appalachian has an experienced roster, rolling out five sixth-year players on the roster, including quarterback Chase Brice.
In 2021, Brice threw for 3,337 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Fifth-year linebacker Nick Hampton could cause havoc in North Carolina’s game plan on defense for the Mountaineers. Hampton tied for 10th most sacks(11)in the NCAA and second in the Sun Belt conference for tackles loss(18) last season.
Appalachian State’s defense is no joke, and even with a good offensive showing against FAMU last weekend, UNC will need to step it up another notch.
UNC winning this game would not only serve as a momentum boost for the remaining of the season, but it would also end their road losing streak. North Carolina’s biggest knock has been their play on neutral and away games, failing to muster up a victory outside Kenan Stadium last season. Meanwhile, Appalachian was able to defend Kidd Brewer Stadium with an undefeated record at home.