North Carolina looking to reclaim Victory Bell

by Sharon Thorsland

So, that game against Wake Forest last week didn’t turn out so well, as North Carolina failed to produce any offense and lost again. But the good news is, the Tar Heels (4-6, 2-4 ACC) have another rivalry game this Saturday, welcoming Duke to Kenan Stadium. The Blue Devils are 5-5 overall and 4-2 in the ACC, but have lost two straight and three of their last four. They do have possession of the Victory Bell though following last season’s 21-20 win over UNC, their first win against the Tar Heels since 2018. Kick-off is set for 3:30 on WBT.

These teams have the opposite problem on the football field. While UNC can’t get any offense going and relies on its defense, the Blue Devils have an excellent offense and an atrocious defense. Led by Tulane transfer Darian Mensah at quarterback, Duke averages more than 400 yards per game, with 302 of those coming through the air, that’s 7th in the nation. Mensah leads the ACC in just about every passing category, including touchdowns and completions. Pressuring him will be key, and the Tar Heels have just the guy to do it in defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude, who has 10 sacks. Linebacker Tyler Thompson has seven takedowns. Mensah’s top targets are receivers Cooper Barkate and Que’Sean Brown, who have combined for 98 catches and nine touchdowns.

The Blue Devils have a pair of excellent running backs in Nate Shepard and Anderson Castle. Shepard leads the way with 700 yards and seven touchdowns and is averaging a whopping 6.2 yards per carry. Castle has added six scores. Stopping the run has been a strength of the Tar Heels, at least before last week. They’ll need to tighten up again this week to have any hope of slowing this Duke offense.

The Duke defense is at the opposite end of the spectrum as its offense. The Blue Devils rank 117th out of 134 FBS teams in total defense – ouch. They’ve been hit hard by injuries, as several starters are out for the season. Several other guys are dinged up going into this one, including starting linebacker Tre Johnson and Cornerbacks Moussa Kane and Kimari Robinson. Duke’s run defense is particularly bad, allowing over 181 rushing yards per game in their last four matchups. Look for the Tar Heels to go to running back Demon June early in this one to try and get the run game going.

This is the 110th meeting of these teams, with UNC holding the series lead at 63-42-4 and winners of five of the last six. There is a lot riding on this one though, as Duke is trying to clinch bowl eligibility with a sixth win, while the Tar Heels must win this game and next week against NC State for a shot at the post-season. It’s also senior day in Chapel Hill, and no doubt guys would love to end their career in Kenan Stadium with a win over their arch rival. And revenge is certainly on their minds as well, as the Heels blew a 20-point third quarter lead last season in the loss to Duke. That should all add up to a UNC win – go Tar Heels!