UNC football vs Minnesota: Scouting report, prediction for Tar Heels opener
UNC football opens |A|
the 2024 season with |B|
an opportunity to end |C|
a drought that has |D|
lasted nearly 39 years. |E|
UNC, which lost |O| five such games from |P| 1988-2021, beat Southern Cal |Q| in 1993 as part |R| of the Disneyland Pigskin |S| Classic. But that game |U| was played at Anaheim |V| Stadium, not Los Angeles |Y| Memorial Coliseum, the site |Z| of the Trojans home |A| games since the stadium |B| was built in 1923. |C| That means if head |D| coach Mack Browns Tar |E| Heels can knock off |F| the Golden Gophers in |G| Minneapolis, itll be UNCs |H| first nonconference road win |J| in a season opener |K| since a 21-19 win |L| at Navy in 1985.
|M| dir="ltr">The Heels and Minnesota |O| met for the first |P| time last season, with |Q| UNC earning a 31-13 |R| victory at Kenan Stadium. |S| The Gophers are 21-2 |U| in nonconference games under |V| eighth-year coach PJ Fleck.
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Heres a look |Z| at things to watch |A| and a score prediction |B| for the latest meeting |C| and UNCs first game |D| of the 2024 college |E| football season.
Will UNC |F| wide receiver Nate McCollum |G| go wild against Minnesota?
|H| dir="ltr">Nate McCollum was the |J| star for UNC in |K| its rout of the |L| Golden Gophers last season. |M| The senior wide receiver |O| caught 15 passes — |P| the fourth-most in a |Q| single game in UNC |R| history — for 165 |S| yards and a touchdown. |U| McCollum wont have Drake |V| Maye throwing to him, |Y| but the speedy wideout |Z| will certainly carry plenty |A| of confidence into the |B| latest matchup after last |C| years performance.
UNC quarterbacks |D| Max Johnson, Conner Harrell |E| vs Minnesota QB Max |F| Brosmer
Itll be Max |G| Johnson and/or Conner Harrell |H| for the Tar Heels |J| and Max Brosmer for |K| the Golden Gophers in |L| the spotlight at quarterback. |M| Brosmer, a sixth-year transfer |O| from New Hampshire, led |P| the FCS in passing |Q| yards per game (313.55) |R| and total offense per |S| game (325). As for |U| the Tar Heels, Mack |V| Brown said we could |Y| see both Johnson and |Z| Harrell get action. The |A| quarterbacks in last seasons |B| meeting combined for four |C| interceptions, but the offensive |D| lines look a lot |E| different this year. Minnesota |F| returns four starters and |G| UNC is replacing four |H| starters up front. Protection, |J| as always, will be |K| a key.
New defensive |L| coordinators for Tar Heels, |M| Golden Gophers
Former Rutgers |O| assistant coach Corey Hetherman |P| is the new defensive |Q| coordinator at Minnesota and |R| former Georgia Tech coach |S| Geoff Collins is calling |U| the defense for the |V| Tar Heels. Both coaches |Y| arrive with the reputation |Z| for fielding aggressive defenses. |A| Minnesota was 54th in |B| total defense last season, |C| 40 spots better than |D| UNC (94th). The unit |E| that builds confidence early |F| will likely be celebrating |G| at the end of |H| the fourth quarter.
UNC |J| vs Minnesota score prediction
|K| dir="ltr">UNC 24, Minnesota 20: |L| The Tar Heels history |M| in nonconference road openers |O| is troubling, but the |P| Golden Gophers arent world-beaters. |Q| In a game that |R| will likely be decided |S| late, Ill roll with |U| the best player on |V| the field — UNC |Y| running back Omarion Hampton |Z| — to be the |A| difference. Hampton, who had |B| 46 rushing yards against |C| Minnesota in 2023, will |D| help the Heels win |E| on the road.
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