Tar Heels need to avoid turnovers to beat Duke

Matchup to watch

RG Landon Turner vs. DTs Mike Ramsay and Carlos Wray: Turner is arguably the best lineman in the ACC, as he is having an all-American caliber year for the Tar Heels. Duke has a few options as to whom to line up against him.

Carlos Wray spent the majority of the year at his traditional DT spot, but he has played on the outside as a defensive lineman in the past two games to fill in for the injured Kyler Brown. For this game, though, Brown will be back, so expect a rotation of Wray and Ramsay to try and penetrate behind Turner. Success on offense starts up front for the Tar Heels, as the line has been opening up holes for running backs and allowing quarterback Marquise Williams the time to complete passes.

How UNC can win

If the Tar Heels, winners of seven straight, can play a clean game and avoid turnovers, they have a great shot to take full control of the Coastal Division. In the 26-19 win at Pitt last week, the Tar Heels were flagged just three times for 15 yards, all toward the end of the game. That was quite the turnaround from the sloppy, 13-penalty affair against Virginia two weeks ago, costing them 135 yards. Turnovers shrunk from two to zero as well.

Number to know

31: UNC pass plays that have gone for 20 or more yards, the third-most in the ACC behind Miami and Clemson

Laura Keeley

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Tar Heels need to avoid turnovers to beat Duke."