Missouri vs. North Carolina: Spread Info, Line and More for Independence Bowl

The AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl may have a lame name, but it features a pretty sweet matchup between the Missouri Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels.

This is a matchup that will call for Missouri to change up its offense, and its high-powered rush offense will likely be limited against North Carolina's stingy defense. You can expect a hard-fought battle in the trenches.

Beyond that, there are a few things riding on this game as well. Let's discuss the specifics.

Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA

When: Monday, Dec. 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN2 and streaming online at ESPN3.com

Listen: Tiger Network for Missouri radio, Tar Heel Sports Network for North Carolina

Betting Line: Missouri -5, according to Bovada

North Carolina was dominant at times during the regular season, but Missouri is coming from a much stronger conference and finished the season very strong. You have to give the edge to Missouri's defense; James Franklin can be great on a good day.

Key Storyline

The Tar Heels snapped a bowl losing streak with their win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl last year, and the Tigers will be looking to snap their own bowl losing streak in this game. The Tigers have lost their last two bowl appearances. They last won a bowl in the 2008 Alamo Bowl against Northwestern.

Who Might Not Play for Missouri

According to USA Today, defensive back Braylon Webb and offensive lineman Travis Ruth are both probable for the Independence Bowl. Webb missed Missouri's last three games with a knee injury, and Ruth has been battling foot and ankle injuries all season.

Another injured player of note is star running back Henry Josey, who is out for the season after rupturing a tendon in his knee in Week 11.

Who Might Not Play for North Carolina

Tackle T.J. Leifheit is expected to miss the Independence Bowl with a knee injury. Wide receiver Joshua Adams is listed as doubtful with an illness.

Wide receiver Reggie Wilkins (ankle), linebacker Norkeithus Otis (thigh) and safety Jonathan Smith (hamstring) are all probable.

What It Means for Missouri

The Tigers are off to join the SEC in 2012, and they would no doubt love to enter the nation's best conference coming off a bowl win. They need to show the big boys of college football that they belong in their midst.

What It Means for North Carolina

The news came out on Wednesday that North Carolina interim head coach Everett Withers will be heading to Ohio State to be an assistant under Urban Meyer. You obviously have to question how hard the Tar Heels are going to play because of that, but the team can salvage some dignity by coming out and playing hard.

What They're Saying

Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune wrote about the problems North Carolina's top-shelf rush defense poses for the Tigers, but he did make it clear that there is hope for the Tigers:

"

The hope for Missouri's running game is the element of unfamiliarity: North Carolina isn't accustomed to seeing as many shotgun spread formations in the ACC that Missouri will throw at the Tar Heels. Also, other than Georgia Tech's triple-option attack, UNC didn't face an ACC offense this year that has a prolific running quarterback like [James] Franklin.

"

Franklin, for the record, rushed for 839 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

Per Andrew Carter of NewsObserver.com, the Tar Heels are approaching the Independence Bowl as an audition of sorts for new head coach Larry Fedora, who is currently the head coach of Southern Mississippi.

"The past couple, two weeks, we've been practicing hard, you know - [Fedora is] going to come in and watch, and see who's who and what they can do," said junior wide receiver Erik Highsmith. "Of course, this bowl game is really our audition for him."

Fedora's Golden Eagles won the Conference USA championship this year, beating then-No. 6 Houston in the conference championship game.

Missouri Player to Watch: QB James Franklin

The Tigers are going to need Franklin to step up in this game. They really don't have any other playmakers to turn to with Henry Josey out.

Franklin's main priority will be to not turn the football over. He was efficient for the most part during the regular season, but interceptions tended to come in bunches. In Missouri's regular season finale against Kansas, Franklin threw three of them. 

Against North Carolina, a similar performance won't cut it.

North Carolina Player to Watch: OLB Zach Brown

Zach Brown is a beast. He's one of the fastest linebackers in the country, able to cover the entire field in the blink of an eye. But don't blink. If you do, you might miss him.

Against Missouri, Brown could very well be used as a spy to keep James Franklin in check. If he is successful, the Tigers will have to resort to passing the football the majority of the time, and that could lead to a turnover or two.

And those, in turn, could lead to a win.

Key Matchup: James Franklin vs. North Carolina's Secondary

I have a feeling North Carolina's rush defense isn't going to disappoint in this game, in which case the Tar Heels are going to be able to keep this game close.

The pressure will be on Franklin to move the ball through the air, and he could very well be successful against a Tar Heels secondary that isn't quite as strong as its front seven.

It helps that North Carolina doesn't specialize in picking the ball off. The Tar Heels only had 13 interceptions all season.

Prediction

I'm going to go with Missouri to win this game, but it's not going to be pretty. We're likely looking at a sloppy game that is going to be won on a late score, and I think the Tigers are going to get it.

Missouri 23, North Carolina 16