Five things to watch in UNC footballs rivalry game against Duke
The Carolina-Duke rivalry is finally here.
No, not the highly-anticipated men’s basketball clash, but the annual football battle.
Both teams have winning records, which hasn’t always been the case.
Duke is a significantly-improved program with head coach Mike Elko, including an upset of former Top-10 ranked Clemson in its opener, that gave Duke its first ranking of the year.
UNC looked like a fringe College Football Playoff Team through six weeks, winning all six games, including its fifth-straight victory over a ranked Miami squad. After losses to UVA and Georgia Tech knocked them out of the rankings, the Tar Heels responded with a 59-7 smashing of Campbell that put them at 24th in the second CFP rankings.
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils, despite losing standout quarterback Riley Leonard for likely the remainder of 2023, are hanging onto slim hopes of an ACC Championship. Both rivals sit at 3-2 in the ACC, which is a half-game behind Georgia Tech and 1.5 games behind second-place Louisville. If the Cardinals win tonight and FSU beats Miami Saturday, both UNC and Duke are officially eliminated.
Sadly, the likelihood of UNC making the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte is very grim. Louisville could very well lose at Miami next weekend, but there’s no shot that 2-win UVA beats Louisville tomorrow.
Wait, you mean the same UVA team that upset UNC in Chapel Hill?
Yeah, that team.
Regardless of where both teams sit now in the ACC, UNC-Duke is going to be a fun game to watch. Let’s see exactly what you should be looking out for.
How will Carolina move the ball against Duke's stout defense?
Carolina offense, meet Duke’s defense.
UNC’s offense ranks third in the country with 518.8 yards per game, plus it averages 39.1 points per game. Outside of the Florida State loss, the Blue Devils haven’t allowed an opponent more than 23 points per game.
Carolina torched a stout Minnesota pass defense when the two teams faced off in Week 3, plus it dominated Miami’s strong run defense on Saturday, Oct. 14.
A good Duke defense can only do so much to contain the Tar Heels. I fully expect UNC’s offense to continue at its historic pace.
How will Carolina's defense fare against Grayson Loftis?
If you’re on social media, you’ve probably heard the jokes from Duke and State fans all the time – UNC can’t beat a backup quarterback.
Well…there’s some truth to that statement.
Last year, the Tar Heels let Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Gibson and Taisun Phommachanh take them down in a 21-17, Yellow Jackets victory. Against N.C. State on Senior Day, Ryan Finley struck disappointment into the hearts of the Tar Heel faithful in a 30-27, Wolfpack win.
Duke will send its top backup quarterback, Grayson Loftis, under center when it battles UNC for the Victory Bell.
Loftis has not performed well at all in two games (one start) this year, combining for 116 passing yards while throwing a touchdown and interception each.
Will he play like a starter on Saturday night, or will the Tar Heel defense finally corral a reserve gunslinger?
How far would a win move UNC up the CFP rankings?
The Tar Heels currently sit at 24th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
They’re a 2-loss team, so their chances of making the CFP are virtually non-existent. Every team in front of UNC would have to lose their remaining games. Even then, the SEC bias would probably prevent Carolina from a CFP spot.
If Carolina hadn’t messed around and lost to 2-win UVA and Georgia Tech, it would likely be in the CFP’s Top 10.
Not only is UNC going to miss out on the CFP, it’s also likely to miss the ACC Championship.
Beating Duke on Saturday night would make the impossible that much more likely, but it wouldn’t boost Carolina’s rankings that much.
Will this be Drake Maye's final game in Kenan Stadium?
Seeing Drake Maye return to UNC for another year, after the eye-popping season he’s enjoyed in 2023 so far, would certainly be shocking.
It’d put the Tar Heels in the 2024 ACC Championship conversation and, if they don’t screw up again, makes it a fringe CFP contender.
Maye sits fourth among FBS quarterbacks with 2,803 passing yards – one spot ahead of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, plus one behind USC gunslinger Caleb Williams.
Maye has already announced he won’t be walking for Senior Day against Duke, saying that tradition should be just for seniors. A classy move on his part, particularly when he likely won’t be playing in Kenan Stadium after Saturday.
Will UNC keep the victory Bell for another year?
Last year in Durham was a close call.
Thanks to an Antoine Green touchdown reception with 16 seconds left, UNC escaped Wallace Wade Stadium with a 38-35 win.
That touchdown catch helped the Tar Heels take the Victory Bell for a fourth-straight year. Carolina’s currently on its longest active winning streak in the rivalry series, last winning eight consecutive matchups from 2004-2011.
This year’s Duke team is better, while UNC is the same offensive juggernaut fans have become accustomed to seeing.
Something will have to give. Where does the Victory Bell go?
