Week 2 – North Carolina at Wake Forest

Week 2 CFN Fearless Prediction - North Carolina at Wake Forest

North Carolina (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0) Sept. 8, 3:00, RSN

Here’s The Deal: After starting the season with wins over FCS visitors, North Carolina and Wake Forest will kick off their conference schedules in Winston-Salem. The Tar Heels played well in the first game of the Larry Fedora era, routing outmanned Elon, 62-0. The offense was crisp running a new system, while the D pitched its first shutout since 1999. Carolina wants to find out whether its crisp effort will translate against markedly better opponents, especially those from the ACC. The Demon Deacons share the same record as this week’s visitor, but not the same mindset or feeling of confidence. Wake Forest needed all 60 minutes before finally getting past Liberty, 20-17. Jim Grobe’s kids will either use the game as a wake-up call or got exposed on its home field by a team with far less raw talent.

Why North Carolina Might Win: Fedora inherited a lot of talent when he came over from Southern Miss, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Tar Heels sport one of the ACC’s better backfield, comprised of sharp-shooting QB Bryn Renner and dynamic RB Giovani Bernard. And not to be overlooked, the offensive line is terrific, with multiple blockers capable of going on to play in the NFL. Aside from NG Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest is soft and vulnerable in run defense. Plus, the Deacons are short on proven pass rushers, which will ensure Renner the time he needs to survey the field and target the open man.

Why Wake Forest Might Win: Although Elon and elite WR Aaron Mellette couldn’t put a dent in the Carolina pass defense, the Demon Deacons might be a different story. Tanner Price is a left-handed version of Renner, clutch, poised and often precise with his throws. The presence of an in-state rival ought to be enough motivation to prevent a repeat of last week’s dreadful effort against Liberty. On the outside, Michael Campanaro is a special receiver, who has an ideal connection with his battery mate. After getting reamed out by Grobe during the week, Wake Forest will be fired up to reverse the malaise of the opener.

What To Watch Out For: It shapes up as a very interesting game for the Tar Heels secondary, the supposed weakest link of the defense. The unit had problems a year ago, yielding too many long balls, but returns a year older and a little wiser. Juniors Tre Boston and Jabari Price are the veterans at safety and cornerback, respectively. One of them will need to send a message to Campanaro in the early stages, or else he’s the kind of player who can take over a game with his energy and sudden moves.

What Will Happen: With Renner and Price duking it out for four quarters, Carolina and Wake are liable to stage a shootout that keeps the locals on the edge of their seats throughout. Don’t dismiss the Deacons based on one game, especially when playing in Winston-Salem. They’ll go stride-for-stride with the Heels behind the passing of Price. However, matching Carolina’s balance will be a different story. Wake lacks a back like Bernard, who’ll go over 100 yards and wind up being the difference in a very close, hard-fought league game.

CFN Prediction: North Carolina 34 … Wake Forest 28
ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) North Carolina -8 O/U: 54
Must Watch Rating (5 – Phineas & Ferb, 1 – Steve Harvey): 2