Georgia Tech @ North Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2011 ) North Carolina 28, Georgia Tech 35

North Carolina's postseason ban because of NCAA sanctions came at an especially bad time for the Tar Heels, who host Georgia Tech on Saturday. North Carolina would have been controlling its own destiny in the ACC Coastal Division with games at Virginia and against Maryland also left on its schedule. But the Tar Heels are only playing for pride and a nine-win season. The Tar Heels were off last week following their 43-35 victory over North Carolina State on Oct. 27. In that game, Giovani Bernard broke a 35-35 tie when he returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown with 13 seconds left. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 33-13 victory at Maryland last week and have two quarterbacks playing well.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: North Carolina -9

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (4-5, 3-3 ACC): Redshirt freshman Vad Lee and senior Tevin Washington split time at quarterback against Maryland and combined for three rushing touchdowns, with Lee providing a pair of 2-yard scores. The Yellow Jackets' option offense, which is fourth in the nation in rushing at 318.2 yards per game, recorded 370 against the Terrapins. Orwin Smith leads the way with 523 yards while Washington has 511 and 16 touchdowns. Georgia Tech's much-maligned defense got a breather last week when Maryland was forced to play a freshman linebacker at quarterback after four signal-callers went down with season-ending injuries, but will face a stiff challenge from the talented Tar Heels' offense.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (6-3, 3-2): The Tar Heels trailed 35-25 with 39 seconds left in the third quarter last week before scoring the game's final 18 points. Bernard doesn't usually return punts, but coach Larry Fedora put him back there and North Carolina State obliged by kicking the ball to him. Bernard also rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns and caught eight passes for a career-high 95 yards. He leads the ACC in rushing with 930 yards, 150 better than Clemson's Andre Ellington, and has four straight 100-yard games (179.3 average). The Tar Heels, who are 5-0 at home, have the nation's No. 19 rushing defense at 111.0 yards per game, but haven't seen anything resembling Georgia Tech's ground attack.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Washington needs one rushing touchdown to tie Joshua Nesbitt's school and ACC career record of 35 set in 2010.

2. North Carolina's six victories have come by a combined 175 points; its three losses by nine.

3. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 26-18-3 and have won 12 of the last 14 meetings, including a 35-28 victory last season.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 34, Georgia Tech 24