UNC football hits reset as Tar Heels enter ACC championship matchup against Clemson

Since solidifying its second ACC Coastal Division title three weeks ago, and knowing the ACC championship matchup with Clemson was forthcoming, North Carolina lost its final two games of the regular season.

Yet the Tar Heels are not harboring those losses during their week of preparation to meet the Tigers. UNC coach Mack Brown said their focus was on being positioned to win the school’s first conference title since 1980.

“None of these kids have ever been in this championship game, so they’ll be really excited about it,” Brown said. “We haven’t played Clemson since four years ago. Next year, we play in Death Valley. Playing Clemson is an exciting thing. It’s a great challenge. And they know that they’re playing as good a group of athletes as anybody has in the country. So it’ll be a fun challenge for us.”

The Heels’ only other appearance in the ACC championship game was in 2015, when a controversial penalty nullified an onside kick recovery and they lost to Clemson, 45-37.

Battle on fourth

Carolina is tied for eighth nationally with 32 fourth down conversion attempts. It’s as much a part of the Heels offensive identity at this point as quarterback Drake Maye is. In a game where Brown will likely operate as if they need touchdowns to win the game and not field goals, expect the Heels to continue to do what got them to the title game.

UNC ranks 15th in the nation with a conversion rate of 65.6 percent.

What makes things a bit riskier on Saturday though, is that Clemson is just as adept at stopping its opponents on fourth down. The Tigers rank 17th nationally, one spot behind N.C. State, having allowed just nine conversions all season for a percentage of 39.1.

Three Clemson players to watch

D.J. Uiagalelei, QB: The embattled junior is coming off his worst performance this season, completing just eight passes for 99 yards in the Tigers’ loss to South Carolina. He’s still very much a threat. He threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns against Wake Forest.

Will Shipley, RB: The Weddington, N.C., native was second in the ACC in rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns. He is the only player in the nation with more than 950 yards rushing, 150 or more yards receiving and more than 200 yards in kickoff returns this season.

Tyler Davis, DT: It’s really hard to single out one player from Clemson’s defensive line. K.J. Henry has 22 quarterback pressures. Myles Murphy leads the team with 6.5 sacks. Davis, despite missing two games, has four sacks and 15 quarterback pressures, but plays the run better than anyone else.

Three UNC players to watch

Drake Maye, QB: Maye seemed impervious to hitting the proverbial freshman wall, but the past two weeks Georgia Tech and N.C. State have made him look like a regular redshirt freshman by taking away the deep throws and making him be patient.

Elijah Green, RB: He doesn’t need a lot of room to be effective, which is why that and his speed might make him a factor against the Tigers. The Heels probably won’t have many open lanes to run and Green is decisive enough and quick enough to make the most of his chances.

Cedric Gray, LB: Between Shipley and Uiagalelei, Gray will be on a collision course throughout the game. Gray continues to lead the ACC in tackles per game with a 10.8 average.

UNC vs Clemson game and TV info

Who: UNC (9-3, 6-2) vs. Clemson (10-2, 8-0)

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

When: 8 p.m., Saturday

TV: ABC

Stream: ESPN+

Vegas betting odds

The Tigers are a 7.5-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com.