Duke Takes Back Victory Bell in Exciting Fashion

© Jaylynn Nash Imagn Images

On Sept. 28, The North Carolina (3-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast conference) traveled the 10 miles down Tobacco Road to Duke (5-0, 1-0) but took the trip back to Chapel Hill, N.C., without the Victory Bell in tow. Duke rebounded from a dismal first-half performance, scoring 21 unanswered and beating the Tar Heels 21-20.

Tar Heels Dominate First Half

The Tar Heels entered Wallace Wade Stadium with two major goals in mind. One, beat Duke and retain the Victory Bell for a sixth straight year. Two, beat Duke and get the James Madison (4-0) loss off their backs. The Tar Heels immediately began working on those goals in the first half. The game began slowly as each team tried to figure one another out and find any advantages they could. Tar Heels kicker Noah Burnette put the first points on the board with a 40-yard field goal to put the Tar Heels up 3-0. The first major advantage went to the Tar Heels' running back Omarion Hampton. The No. 3 back in college football wasted little time running through Duke’s defense. Hampton ran with power and grace throughout the first half finishing with 71 yards. Hampton’s big run came late in the second quarter when he broke for 17 yards, setting up an eventual touchdown for the Tar Heels.

Hampton was a problem for the Duke defense all half but it was senior quarterback Jacolby Criswell that stole the heart from Duke and a talented defense. Criswell threw darts in the first half and Duke had no answers for the gunslinger who found holes in the secondary with his arms and legs. Criswell passed for 115 yards and 2 TDs in the first half. He and senior wide receiver JJ Jones connected on a 24-yard strike for the first TD of the game and senior TE Bryson Nesbit hauled in a 10-yard pass from Criswell to put the Tar Heels up 17-0 entering halftime.

Duke was behind the eight ball early in the first half. They could not set the edge of their defense in time to keep Hampton from creating positive plays and causing fits for the front seven. The secondary did not fare any better, often leaving passing windows and running lanes open. There was an upside for Duke’s defense as they stood stout numerous times in the first half, but a lackluster performance on offense kept Duke’s defense on the field.

Duke Digs Deep

The second half began with Duke finally taking command in the game. It started with Duke’s special teams blocking a Tar Heels punt. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils touched the ball after it crossed the line of scrimmage, and the Tar Heels were able to recover with a fresh set of downs. The Tar Heels capitalized on the extra possession with a 38-yard FG by Burnette. Duke’s next possession finally ended with points as RB Star Thomas took a swing pass from QB Maalik Murphy. The pass went for 29 yards for Duke’s first touchdown.

It was immediately three-and-out for the Tar Heels as Duke’s defense seemed rejuvenated and even former basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was on the sideline cheering the Duke comeback. The next offensive possession was all Duke again as Murphy connected with his favorite target Jordan Moore for a 43-yard pass that would put Duke in scoring position again. Thomas finished the drive with a 2-yard run to close in on the Tar Heels 20-14.

Duke’s defense stood stout again in the second half behind solid tackling and hustle. Duke kept the ball in the hands of a hot offense led by Thomas. Thomas’ game was nothing short of spectacular as he rushed for 166 yards with the majority of those yards coming in the second half. Duke continued to pound the run game, running the clock and closing a 20-point Tar Heel lead. Behind the legs of sophomore RB Peyton Jones, Duke scored for the third time in the second half taking a 1-point late in the fourth quarter.

© Jaylynn Nash Imagn Images

In the second half, Duke’s defense held the Tar Heels offense to less than 200 yards and did not allow the Tar Heels to convert on third down. This helped spark Duke’s comeback and bring the Victory Bell back to Durham, N.C.

Players of Game

Duke RB Star Thomas

Thomas had the Tar Heels’ defense looking in the wrong direction and gasping for air. Thomas was essential in  Duke’s comeback and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.

Duke Defense

The defense entered this game as the No. 17-ranked unit in the country. Despite the first-half woes, Duke’s defense showed the nation why they are among the best in the nation. They held the Tar Heel offense to 187 total yards and no TDs in the second half.

Looking Ahead

Duke now enters ACC play 1-0 and has the talent to compete for the title game. Led by a stingy defense and an offense with just enough firepower to be dangerous. Expect Duke to be the dark horse of the ACC.

The Tar Heels started the season off 3-0 and have lost their last two behind poor defensive play. As they enter conference play they will need to tighten up on defense to give themselves a chance to compete. The ACC is wide open but it seems the Tar Heel defense is not ready to compete at a championship level right now.