By R.L. Bynum

With bowl announcements set for later Sunday, there is increasing agreement that the North Carolina team interim coach Freddie Kitchens will direct is headed to the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Half of the 10 projections have the Tar Heels heading to Conway, S.C., for the 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, game (ESPN) to face Coastal Carolina (6–6). The game is set for Brooks Stadium, the Chanticleers’ home facility, which seats 21,000.

Projecting that matchup are Athlon Sports’ Seve Lassan, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford, ESPN’s Mark Schabach and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm, as well as Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic.

Carolina and Coastal have two common opponents. Both lost to James Madison, with the Chanticleers falling 39–7 in a road game on Oct. 10 while the Heels lost 70–50 at home on Sept. 21. Carolina won at Virginia 41–14 on Oct. 26 while Coastal lost to the Cavaliers at home 43–24 on Sept. 21.

Coastal lost two of its last three games, falling at Marshall 31–19 on Nov. 16 and at home 26–6 to Georgia Southern on Nov. 23 before winning 48–27 at Georgia State on Nov. 30.

Chanticleers running back Braydon Bennett, a 6–2, 215-pound redshirt senior, has run for 727 yards and 11 touchdowns, while running back Christian Washington, a 5–10, 200-pound redshirt sophomore, has 537 yards and five touchdowns.

Quarterback Ethan Vasko, a 6–3, 202-pound redshirt sophomore transfer from Kansas, has completed 148 of 271 passes for 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The top receiver is Jameson Tucker, a 6–2, 190-pound redshirt junior, with 31 catches for 540 yards and six touchdowns.

Coastal finished tied for fifth in the seven-team Sun Belt Conference East Division at 3–5.

The other five projections each have the Tar Heels in different bowls, three against service academies.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura sees UNC facing Navy (8–3) at noon or 3:30 on Friday, Dec. 27, (ESPN) in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. The Midshipmen play Army at Northwest Stadium (the home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders) in Landover, Md., at 3 p.m. Saturday (CBS).

College Football News predicts a matchup with Army (11–1) in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md., at 5:45 Saturday, Dec. 28 (ESPN). Army beat Tulane 35–14 Friday for the American Conference title ahead of Saturday’s clash with Navy.

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy has UNC facing Army in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., at 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 28 (ESPN).

USA Today’s Erick Smith predicts Carolina will play Florida (7–6) in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 20 (ESPN).

The Sporting News’ Bill Bender has the Heels playing Oklahoma (6–6) in the Birmingham Bowl at noon or 3:30 Friday, Dec. 27 (ESPN).

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Bowl projections

Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports, Brad Crawford of 247Sports, Mark Schlabach of ESPN, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports and Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic
vs. Coastal Carolina (6–6) in Myrtle Beach Bowl at Conway, S.C., 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, ESPN

Brett McMurphy of Action Network
vs. Army (11-1) in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., at 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 28 (ESPN)

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN
vs. Navy (8–3) in Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, at noon or 3:30 Friday, Dec. 27, ESPN

Erick Smith, USA Today
vs. Florida (7–6) in Gasparilla Bowl in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., 3:30 p.m., Dec. 20 (ESPN)

Bill Bender, The Sporting News
vs. Oklahoma (6–6) in Birmingham Bowl, noon or 3:30 Friday, Dec. 27, ESPN

College Football News
vs. Army (11-1) in Military Bowl, Annapolis, Md., 5:45 Saturday, Dec. 28, ESPN

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UNC schedule

Month/ date	Time, TV	Opponent
September
1 (Monday)	8 p.m., ESPN	vs. TCU
6	7 p.m., ESPN+	at Charlotte
13	3:30 p.m., ACCN	vs. Richmond
20		at Central Florida
October
4		vs. Clemson
17 (Friday)	10:30, ESPN	at California
25		vs. Virginia
31 (Friday)	7:30, ESPN	at Syracuse
November
8		vs. Stanford
15		at Wake Forest
22		vs. Duke
29		at N.C. State

Photo via @UNCFootball

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