BY BRIANA GORMAN

bgorman@heraldsun.com; 419-6668

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina's bye week couldn't have come at a better time. The Tar Heels are halfway through their season and enter their off week sitting at a 4-2 overall, thanks to a 42-12 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday.

But while UNC boasts an winning record overall, it sits at the bottom of the conference with a 0-2 mark against ACC opponents.

The Tar Heels have a chance to climb back into the Coastal Division title race, however, as they close out their season with six consecutive ACC games -- starting with a Thursday night matchup against Florida State on Oct. 22.

"We're not so much satisfied with the 4-2," junior cornerback Kendric Burney said. "We definitely wanted to be 6-0 going into [the FSU] game, but things didn't work out that way. But we're still in a good position.

"This stretch right here is going to be as tough as it gets. We've got to get together, and we've definitely got to become a better team."

Here's a look at the Tar Heels' year so far and what they face in the second half of the season.

How they got here

UNC might boast a winning record through the first half of the season, but two of the wins were against Football Championship Subdivision teams and both losses were against ACC opponents.

UNC started the season 3-0 for the first time since 1997, thanks to a blowout over The Citadel and victories over Connecticut and East Carolina, but stumbled after that.

The offense failed to show up in the ACC opener at Georgia Tech and again at home the following week against a previously winless Virginia squad. UNC scored a combined 10 points in the back-to-back losses and managed just 56 yards rushing combined.

The Tar Heels, however, ended the first half of the season on a high note with another rout of an FCS team.

Where they are now

The Tar Heels began the year with aspirations of an ACC title, but six weeks into the schedule, they are still looking for consistent production from their offense and a conference victory.

The offense got a shot of confidence from a blowout win over Georgia Southern, but it still looked shaky at times. There is no question the offense has been hurt by a slew of injuries, but it will need to improve if the Tar Heels hope to win any more games.

The defense, on the other hand, has been impressive through the first six games. They are ranked No. 5 in the nation and kept UNC in the games against Georgia Tech and Virginia when the offense struggled. The defense also seems to have solved their turnover woes as they forced six against Georgia Southern.

Where they're headed

The Tar Heels need to finish 7-5 for a shot at a bowl game, which means they'll need to win at least three more games in the rest of their suddenly daunting ACC schedule.

After hosting Florida State next Thursday, UNC travels to Blacksburg, Va., for a Thursday night matchup with Virginia Tech. The Hokies are ranked No. 4 in the nation and have looked better and better each week.

UNC then returns to Chapel Hill for games against Duke and Miami. A win over the Blue Devils isn't a guarantee anymore, as they put on a strong showing in a win over N.C. State on Saturday. Miami -- Coach Butch Davis' former team -- is ranked ninth in the latest AP poll. The Tar Heels then end the year with trips to Boston College and N.C. State.

UNC has a difficult road the rest of the way, and while three more wins may be tough, it's not impossible.