By Doc Kennedy
It’s said that there are no original movies made in Hollywood anymore, and UNC fans had seen this movie before. In fact, UNC fans had seen this movie already this season, and in this rivalry.
The Tar Heels get out to a big first-half lead on the road. The offense gets stuck in neutral, the mistakes pile up, and Carolina gives up the lead on the way to a disappointing loss. Two years ago in Durham, UNC jumped out to a 20–0 lead before falling to Duke, 21–20.
Last month, Carolina went up 17–3 on Clemson but gagged up the lead and lost 28–20. On Saturday, the Tar Heels were cruising on their way to another 17–0 advantage over Duke early in the second quarter. Then, like watching on one of those old-timey handheld Super 8 cameras, you could watch Lucy starting to pull the football away.
The Tar Heels made huge mistakes. Receivers dropped passes. Defensive backs dropped potential interceptions. The Blue Devils scored 10 of their 17 of their points off UNC miscues. The feeling of dread wasn’t coming like a flood but with the sharpness of a water-pik. UNC fans were prepared to be hurt again.
But the Carolina offense got off the mat, and after a go-ahead touchdown, the Tar Heels defense finally started getting backside pressure on Duke quarterback Walker Eget. UNC sealed a 24–20 win by finally securing the interception that had eluded defenders earlier in the game, returning the Victory Bell to Chapel Hill.
It was the kind of game we’ve become used to seeing in year two under Bill Belichick: low possessions, some great play, bend-but-don’t-break defense, and the offense doing just enough to win. That last word is key, as UNC seems to have learned how to win, moving to 3–1 on the season in one-score games.
With that in mind, here is the Victory Bell-winning edition of the Good, Bad, and Ugly Report:
Good
Jaylen McGill
Pressed into service after starter Benjamin Hall was sidelined early, McGill rushed for 75 yards and the game-winning score on 12 carries. After being dormant the past two games, UNC sought to re-establish the running game and ran for 135 yards on 39 carries (a figure skewed by the fumbled punt).
Goal-line defense
The Carolina defense did an incredible job of keeping the Blue Devils’ offense out of the end zone for 55 minutes. UNC forced a turnover on downs and two field goals on goal-to-go situations before Duke finally converted a touchdown off a short field late on the botched punt in the game. Keeping Duke from paydirt was the difference in the game.
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Bad
Defensive pressure
Coming into the game, Duke had allowed only one sack on Eget all season. Meanwhile, UNC ranked 138th in FBS — that’s dead last — in tackles for loss. That had the recipe for a bad combination, particularly in facing one of the ACC’s best offensive weapons in Nate Sheppard. Carolina played true to form, notching a single TFL and being credited for a sack on an intentional grounding call on Duke’s final drive. UNC has to find a way to start getting pressure up front.
Drops and ball security
Carolina’s gritty comeback kept the story of the game from being drops and ball security. UNC defensive backs had decent shots at three interceptions, including one in the end zone that would have prevented a Duke field goal. Receivers had key drops, and Jordan Shipp’s fumble and a fumbled punt snap led to 10 points, and McGill’s fumble kept UNC off the scoreboard when the ball was inside the Blue Devil 10.
Ugly
Special teams
Yes, Carolina was able to block Duke’s first punt of the game on a mishandled snap, but the rest of the day was an adventure on special teams. Aeron Burrell, who had been effective earlier in the season punting, had another middling day, averaging only 41 yards and putting no punts inside the 20. Burrell’s back stiffened up, so Adam McCann-Gibbs came on late in the game and the Tar Heels punting from midfield. But the freshman dropped the snap and was unable to get off the kick. Duke took advantage of the short field to score their only offensive touchdown. And though veteran Rece Verhoff has resumed place-kicking duties, there was another issue on the final PAT, though it fortunately went through. Special teams have regressed since the beginning of the season.
At the halfway point of the season, the Tar Heels are a somewhat surprising 4–2 overall, and 2–1 in the ACC. An argument can be made that this is the best win of Bill Belichick’s eight victories in Chapel Hill, given that Duke had its normal starting quarterback and, although he wasn’t 100%, one of the league’s best players in Sheppard.
Bowl talk is definitely warranted at this point, particularly given that the back half of the schedule is not as formidable as it appeared in August. A win next week, and could College GameDay be back in the conversation for Miami on Halloween? I don’t think anyone would say UNC is a very good football team, but they are good enough and that is a step forward.
Doc Kennedy is an alum, longtime UNC fan, and former high school and college basketball coach who wrote this report for years on Tar Heel Blog.
Photo via @UNCFootball
