University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Meets Missouri In I-Bowl Monday
December 25, 2011 | Football
Dec. 25, 2011
SHREVEPORT, La. --- North Carolina will make its fourth consecutive bowl appearance and first in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl when the Tar Heels take on Big 12 opponent Missouri on Monday, Dec. 26, in Shreveport, La. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m. ET from Independence Stadium and it will be nationally televised by ESPN2.
The AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, the nation's 11th-oldest bowl game, is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year. The I-Bowl is the only game being played on Dec. 26, marking the fourth year in a row that it is the lone bowl of the day. This is the first matchup between the ACC and Big 12 in I-Bowl history.
Carolina's four-game bowl streak is the school's longest since going to seven straight bowl games from 1992-98. Offensively, the Tar Heels are led by a trio of outstanding offensive playmakers, including wide receiver Dwight Jones, tailback Giovani Bernard and quarterback Bryn Renner.
Bernard rushed for a UNC freshman record 1,222 yards and became the first Tar Heel since 1997 to run for more than 1,000 yards. He had 13 rushing touchdowns on the season and needs just one more to tie the UNC freshman rushing touchdown record. Jones established a school record with 79 receptions and has 11 touchdown catches, which is just one shy of the single-season school record. Renner, a sophomore in his first year as the starter, enters the bowl game tied for the school record with 23 touchdown passes.
Defensively, Carolina is 16th in the nation against the run and features a pair of first-team All-ACC performers in defensive end Quinton Coples and linebacker Zach Brown. Coples ranks fourth among active college players with 24 career sacks. Brown led the Tar Heels with 91 tackles, including 11.5 for losses and 5.5 sacks.
Missouri/Big 12 Series Notes
• Carolina and Missouri have met just twice on the gridiron with the Tigers taking both meetings in 1973 (27-14 in Chapel Hill) and 1976 (24-3 in Columbia). This is Carolina's first game against a member of the Big 12 conference since a 52-21 loss to Texas in Chapel Hill in 2002.
A Win Over Missouri Would...
• Be Carolina's second consecutive bowl win. The Tar Heels defeated Tennessee in the Music City Bowl in 2010.
• Improve Carolina's overall bowl record to 14-15.
• Be Carolina's first win over Missouri and first against a current Big 12 member since a 20-0 win over Kansas in 1986.
• Give the Tar Heels eight wins for the fourth consecutive season. The 32 wins would be the most victories in a four year stretch since UNC won 36 games from 1994-97.
Carolina Making 29th Overall Bowl Appearance
• Carolina is appearing in a postseason bowl game for the 29th time in school history and the fourth consecutive year. This is the first time Carolina has appeared in four straight bowl games since playing in seven straight from 1992-98. The Tar Heels are 13-15 all-time in bowl games and are looking to win their second in a row after last year's victory over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Carolina also played in five straight bowl games from 1979-83.
