A Deep Dive Into The WVU vs. North Carolina Football Series
West Virginia will face North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl and we look back at the series through the years.
A Glimpse Through The Years
Despite the proximity and the fact the two often recruit against each other for the same football players, the pair have only played twice once in the 1997 Gator Bowl and then in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Overall Series Record - 1-1
The two teams have split the meetings with West Virginia winning the most recent 31-30 in 2008 and North Carolina taking the 1997 Gator Bowl 20-13.
Streaks and Numbers
The two teams have split the previous two bowl meetings.
WVU's largest and most narrow margin of victory was a single point in 2008.
For North Carolina the same can be said with their seven-point win in 1997.
The highest number of points scored by both teams was 61 points in the first game that the two squared off against each other.
Recent History
The most recent matchup was a victory for West Virginia in Pat White's final game in 2008.
Location Advantage?
The two teams have only played at neutral site locations in Jacksonville and Charlotte. But the Mountaineers do have the lone win in the same stadium that this edition of the matchup will be played.
Points Scored
The two teams have scored a total of 94 points over their 2 games, with West Virginia averaging 22 points and North Carolina at 25 points.
This Year's Matchup
This year's game is in Charlotte and will start at 5:30 p.m.
The Mountaineers are 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference. They're coming off a 34-31 win over Baylor to close the regular season. North Carolina was 8-4 and 4-4 in the ACC with their final game being a 39-20 loss to North Carolina State.
| Statistical Category | WVU | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Offense |
438.2 |
503.9 |
|
Rushing Offense |
234.3 |
197.1 |
|
Passing Offense |
203.8 |
306.83 |
|
Team Passing Efficiency |
134.27 |
149.60 |
|
Scoring Offense |
31.6 |
36.58 |
|
Total Defense |
384.3 |
405.4 |
|
Rushing Defense |
144.3 |
163.1 |
|
Passing Yards Allowed |
239.9 |
242.33 |
|
Team Passing Efficiency Defense |
138.29 |
132.10 |
|
Scoring Defense |
27.5 |
27.08 |
|
Turnover Margin |
0.00 |
0.02 |
|
3rd Down Conversion Pct |
0.40 |
0.48 |
|
4th Down Conversion Pct |
0.53 |
0.47 |
|
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense |
0.389 |
0.387 |
|
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense |
0.54 |
0.516 |
|
Red Zone Offense |
0.83 |
0.89 |
|
Red Zone Defense |
0.84 |
0.78 |
|
Net Punting |
41.0 |
35.84 |
|
Punt Returns |
7.2 |
13.88 |
|
Kickoff Returns |
18.94 |
16.89 |
|
First Downs Offense |
274 |
221 |
|
First Downs Defense |
238 |
218 |
|
Fewest Penalties Per Game |
4.82 |
7.08 |
|
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game |
44.33 |
66.83 |
|
Time of Possession |
33:18 |
28:06 |
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @zachanderson_11
