The 20th edition of the Duke's Mayo Bowl, and the second under its current name, the contest featured the North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference.

South Carolina kicker Parker White became the program’s all-time leader in points.

[9] North Carolina finished their regular season with an overall 6–6 record, 3–5 in ACC games.

The Tar Heels played four ranked teams, losing to Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and NC State while defeating Wake Forest.

South Carolina also finished their regular season with an overall 6–6 record, 3–5 in SEC games.