Sep 273 min read

Duke Poised to Snatch Victory Bell From Tar Heels

The Duke Blue Devils take on rival North Carolina Saturday, Sep. 28 — © Jaylynn Nash Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1) and the Duke Blue Devils (4-0) open Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend vs. one another. This rivalry game has a lot more at stake than the Victory Bell, as both teams are eyeing a spot in the ACC title game and an early loss could prove detrimental in an evenly-matched ACC. Will UNC keep the trophy in Chapel Hill or will Duke snatch the Victory Bell and return it to the trophy case in Durham? Find out at 4 p.m. EST on Sept. 28 on ESPN2.

Victory Bell History

This classic rivalry is separated by a 10-mile stretch of pavement that is commonly referred to as Tobacco Road. The rivalry dates back to 1888 when both teams first met on the football field, but it was in 1922 when the series became an annual occurrence. UNC leads the series over Duke 65-40 and has won the last five games. The series has been dominated by UNC, who won 13 straight from 1990-2002. Despite the recent results, the rivalry is as exciting as ever, and both teams show promise in a year when the ACC title is up for grabs.

Duke’s Dominance

The Blue Devils have started the 2024 season on a hot streak. Duke is led by a dominating defense that ranks 17th in college football in yards allowed per game. The Duke defense is also second in the ACC, only allowing 259 yards per game, and has not given up more than 21 points all season. Senior linebacker Alex Howard leads a confident defensive unit that has pressured opposing quarterbacks and recorded 15 sacks, tying them for second in the NCAA.

The Duke Blue Devils celebrate a touchdown v UConn — © Jaylynn Nash Imagn Images

Duke’s offense has been complementary to a dominating defense. Sophomore quarterback Maalik Murphy and senior wide receiver Jordan Moore have kept opposing secondaries on their heels. Murphy is spreading the ball around the WR room, and the results have Duke closing in on its first 5-0 start since 1994.

Duke's Key Players

QB Maalik Murphy: Murphy has been a surgeon with the football this season. Murphy has thrown for 1,017 yards and 11 TDs. He is currently the No. 24 QB in college football and will continue to dominate the skies against a porous UNC secondary.

WR Jordan Moore: Moore is Murphy’s top target and will use his experience to find holes in the UNC secondary to add to his 14-yard average and 3 touchdowns.

Tar Heels Turn the Page

Last week James Madison University (3-0) walked all over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. It was UNC’s turn to be the butt of all of college football. They snatched that title away from No. 16 Notre Dame (3-1) who lost to a lesser opponent the week prior. Last week’s loss was a blow to UNC and even coach Mack Brown had rumors swirling about his retirement. The UNC defense was gashed by JMU, giving up 612 yards in a 70-50 route where the game got out of hand quickly.

Despite last week’s outcome, UNC is still formidable on the offensive side of the ball. Especially behind the dynamic legs of Junior running back Omarion Hampton. Hampton has 555 yards and 6 TDs this season. Expect a heavy run game this week from the Tar Heels.

UNC’s Key Players

Offensive Line: UNC’s OL has been one of the bright spots on offense as they have consistently created holes for the Tar Heels running backs and only allowed 4 sacks in as many games.

RB Omarion Hampton: Hampton is running all over the field behind a talented OL. His 555 yards rank him third in the NCAA and the Duke defense will have its hands full stopping Hampton from adding to his video game-like numbers.

UNC vs. Duke

Any time this rivalry game takes place records do not matter. That will be the case in this game as well. Duke is riding the waves of great defense and a steady performing offense while UNC is all go with no way to apply brakes to opposing offenses.

UNC's RB Omarion Hampton is the No. 3 rusher in the NCAA — © Bob Donnan Imagn Images

UNC needs to run the ball and control the clock to keep its defense on the sideline as much as possible. Duke needs to attack the UNC secondary often and capitalize on mismatches. The Duke defense will pressure the QB and use that disruption to gain field position for the offense. Duke will win this game in an exciting and hard-fought game.

Prediction: Duke 38, North Carolina 33