Every year is a struggle for the ACC to gain respect nationally football. Each bowl season though is an opportunity for the conference to prove the detractors wrong. Unfortunately when a performance like the one Monday occurs in North Carolina’s 41-24 loss to Missouri all UNC and ACC fans can do is shrug their shoulders.
I really don’t know what to say about the Tar Heels play other than it looked like they would rather be anywhere else than playing a bowl game in Shreveport, Louisiana. I don’t want to take anything away from Missouri they wanted it more, and executed offensively at extremely high level. They were certainly the better team, but were they a 31-10 halftime lead better? No this wasn’t about a talent level difference this was about a UNC team that embarrassed itself today from the soon to be ex-head coach Everett Withers down to the last guy on roster.
Withers said the upcoming coaching change to Larry Fedora didn’t have anything to do with the listless performance. Yikes I wouldn’t admit that, because if that’s a focused team I’d hate to see if they cared less. I have a feeling after Fedora reviews the tape, just about every position will be up for grabs. Back to the ACC…
It’s only the first bowl game of the ACC season, but this was an awful start for a conference that was already getting hammered for Virginia Tech’s invitation to the Sugar Bowl. I’m not worried just yet though.
North Carolina State gets pseudo-home game with Louisville Tuesday in Charlotte. I’d expect a 70-30 or better Wolfpack to Cardinal fan split. With NC State’s strong finish to the season and partisan crowd, I think\hope you see a better effort in the Belk Bowl from the Wolfpack than their in-state rival North Carolina. If the Wolfpack loses it could be a really long Bowl season for ACC fans.
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