The North Carolina Tar Heels are entering a pivotal Week 8 matchup against the Syracuse Orange on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium.
Syracuse isn't the most intimidating opponent, but that's the reason this game is so important for the Tar Heels. They must win as many of these "easy" contests as possible because multiple high-end opponents are waiting on the schedule. That said, here are predictions for North Carolina's top offensive players this week.
Billy Edwards Jr.
Stat Line Projection: 19-of-26 for 235 yards and two touchdowns
Edwards Jr. arguably had his best game of the season in last week's win over Duke. His stat line may say otherwise, but if you watched the game, it tells a different story. The Wisconsin transfer played with a level of confidence and assurance that hadn't been there for the majority of the season.
On Saturday, Edwards Jr. will operate in a much more comfortable home environment against a defense lacking any backbone. As long as the run game is clicking, which I expect to be the case, the sixth-year quarterback should have little to no problems dissecting Syracuse's secondary. This is a relatively good spot for Edwards Jr. to build on last week's performance.
Jaylen McGill
Benjamin Hall was upgraded to probable on the injury report for this weekend against the Orange, but McGill should earn some of the early-down work in the backfield. Against Duke, the sophomore running back struggled mightily in the first three quarters, which included a costly fumble in the Blue Devils' red zone. Despite that, the coaching staff still gave McGill opportunities on the game-winning drive. He capped off the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run.
In a game where the Tar Heels should have a substantial lead, McGill is in for a larger workload than usual.
Jordan Shipp
Stat Line Projection: eight receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown
"Mr. Carolina" has been unguardable lately, accumulating 20 receptions for 277 yards and one touchdown over the last three weeks. Shipp has separated himself as the clear go-to option for Edwards Jr. At the beginning of the season, tight end Jelani Thurman was the safety blanket for the veteran quarterback.
However, as the season has progressed and Edwards Jr. has acclimated to the scheme and weapons around him, he's turned to Shipp as that primary target. Shipp will command the lion's share of targets against a vulnerable Syracuse defense.
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