A year after falling 31-13 at North Carolina, Minnesota gets a chance at redemption when the Gophers host UNC in Thursday night’s only game between power-conference teams. The Tar Heels enter as a slight favorite in a battle between teams that bring some unknowns at quarterback into the 2024 season.
UNC has benefitted from two NFL Draft pick quarterbacks in the first five seasons of coach Mack Brown’s second stint at the school. But with Drake Maye gone to the New England Patriots, the Tar Heels must find his replacement. Brown has been noncommittal thus far about who is leading a race between Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and sophomore Conner Harrell.
Minnesota knows who its quarterback will be — New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer — but it doesn’t know for sure how his game will translate to the FBS level. Brosmer was prolific in his five seasons of FCS football but faces a big task in recharging a Gophers offense that finished No. 122 nationally in total offense last season.
While the quarterbacks will be new, a pair of star running backs are returning to anchor each squad. Read on below for more analysis and a prediction on North Carolina vs. Minnesota, whose start time has been pushed back due to a weather delay.
How to watch North Carolina vs. Minnesota live
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium — Minneapolis
TV: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
North Carolina vs. Minnesota: Need to know
Backfield stars: The return of Minnesota running back Darius Taylor will be a significant help for the Gophers after he amassed 799 yards in just six games last season while fighting injuries. Just a sophomore, Taylor is primed for a prolific season after ranking as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2023. UNC counters with an elite back of its own in Omarion Hampton for what should be a compelling battle between a couple of the nation’s best runners. Hampton is the country’s No. 3 returning rusher after amassing 1,504 yards on the ground last season. He’s also a reliable dump-off target in the passing game.
Breaking in new coordinators: Both teams are breaking in new defensive coordinators as Corey Hetherman steps in at Minnesota and Geoff Collins takes over at North Carolina. Collins, the former Georgia Tech coach, was away from the sidelines last season. He replaces Gene Chizik, who struggled to unlock the unit’s talent over the last two seasons. Hetherman arrives from Rutgers, where he served as linebackers coach for the last two seasons. He helped Scarlet Knights develop a reputation for sound defense during that time.
Last time out: When UNC last year’s meeting, it did so behind 414 yards passing from Maye, who hit Nate McCollum 15 times for 165 yards. Hampton averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, finishing with 46 yards on 13 attempts. This time around, the Tar Heels will likely need more from their run game as they break in a new quarterback. Minnesota will definitely need more from its passing game as Gophers quarterbacks completed just 11 of 30 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in last year’s meeting.
North Carolina vs. Minnesota prediction, pick
Last year, North Carolina had a future first-round NFL Draft pick at quarterback and both teams already had two games under their belt. They still only combined to score 44 points. Now, both teams are breaking in new quarterbacks — the Tar Heels haven’t even named a starter yet — and will likely rely on their run games as they get their feet underneath them in a new season. Points should be at a premium. Pick: Under 50.5
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