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North Carolina football player Kentwan Balmer is a guy who can really, really talk once he gets going. So maybe he wasn't even aware of what he was saying Monday when Balmer took on the topic of UNC vs. N.C. State.

"Both teams have got a lot on the line," said Balmer, a senior defensive end.

Really? Isn't this a matchup of two teams in the painful early stages of rebuilding? What else could be on the line aside from pride?

Actually, a bowl might be.

As crazy as it might have been to contemplate this a few weeks ago, the recent resurgence of the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels has put both teams in a position where, with a win today (noon, WXLV-45) at Carter-Finley Stadium, the postseason could be more than just a pipe dream.

"Guys have just stayed very positive and have kept that goal in mind," said UNC offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds. "It's never out until you have only have five games you can win."

Naturally, the coaches aren't into the bowl talk, preferring to maintain tunnel vision and continue to live by the one-game-at-a-time mantra. But players and fans from both schools know what's possible.

A win over the Tar Heels would even the Wolfpack's record at 5-5 and mean State would only need to win one of its two remaining games -- at Wake Forest or at home against struggling Maryland -- to reach the magic number of six wins and bowl eligibility. That's feasible.

At 3-6, UNC has no margin for error, but it also has a schedule conducive to a late-season bowl run. If the Tar Heels knock off State, they'll need to win at erratic Georgia Tech and at home against Duke to get to six wins. Again, that's feasible.

Even if neither team can get it done down the stretch, it says something about each that the word "bowl" can be brought up in casual conversation and not be accompanied by laughter.

State can easily trace its turnaround to the two-week period it had between its loss at Florida State and its momentum-changing victory at East Carolina.

"It was a wake-up call," said senior defensive end Martrel Brown. "It was like, 'Man, do you want to just sit around here and continue to lose, or do you want do something about it?' "

The Wolfpack did something about it. The coaching staff tinkered with personnel on defense and came up with a unit that is more suited to play coordinator Mike Archer's zone scheme. The result has been a revamped secondary that is picking off passes and a line that is racking up sacks.

Meanwhile, an offensive line that looked hopeless at midseason is giving quarterback Daniel Evans time to throw. Evans has responded by passing for 889 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions during State's three-game winning streak.

"When we can get him back there and have his feet set and get him a little bit of time, he'll make good decisions," said Tom O'Brien, the Wolfpack's head coach.

Sound decision-making also has been part of UNC's strong recent play. The Tar Heels haven't gone through a dramatic turnaround like the Wolfpack. Rather, they've been steadily improving, or, given the widespread youth on the team, growing up.

That's been most evident with the UNC defense, which has played freshmen extensively but has given up an average of 284 yards in its last four games, rising to 28th nationally in total defense.

"It wasn't that they weren't talented enough," said Butch Davis, the Tar Heels' coach. "They just didn't know what they were supposed to do when people moved the formation, flipped the tight end. Now those things don't seem to bother us as much because they've been in games. They've been under the pressure of having to make a play."

Now, though, the pressure rises to another level. As Balmer said, both teams have a lot on the line in today's game.

Maybe even a bowl berth.

Contact Jim Young at 373-7016 or jyoung@news-record.com