After a 13-year losing streak, the Blue Devils finally wrested the Victory Bell from its hallowed place in the North Carolina locker room with last year's 30-22 win over the Tar Heels. The Blue Devils will put the bell on the line at Wallace Wade Stadium at noon Saturday.
After a 13-year losing streak, the Blue Devils finally wrested the Victory Bell from its hallowed place in the North Carolina locker room with last year’s 30-22 win over the Tar Heels.
The Blue Devils (2-8, 1-6 in the ACC) will put the bell, their pride and Tobacco Road bragging rights on the line Saturday as they take on North Carolina (5-5, 4-3) at Wallace Wade Stadium at noon in the season finale.
“When you look at all the great coaches and all the great players who have participated in this game, it’s an honor and a privilege for our players and our staff to participate in this rivalry,” Duke head coach Ted Roof said.
The Blue Devils have the additional chance to earn the unofficial title of spoiler this weekend. If Duke defeats the Tar Heels, it will have prevented its opponent from becoming bowl-eligible for the second week in a row.
“We’re not trying to let too much hype get around this and affect the way we prepare for games,” linebacker Giuseppe Aguanno said.
Saturday will mark Aguanno and the other seniors’ last game as Blue Devils. The members of the graduating class hope to end their Duke football careers by defeating the Tar Heels, but in order to do so, the Blue Devils will have to take on a strong North Carolina offense, led by star seniors quarterback Darian Durante and center Jason Brown, fighting to potentially prolong their college careers.
“It’s very important for them to close this season out, finish the right way,” said Tar Heels head coach John Bunting, who was thought to be in the hot seat at season’s start but may have saved his job with several big wins.
Durante, a dark horse candidate for ACC Player of the Year, has had an impressive second half to his season after a getting off to a shaky start. The quarterback, who has a 2-1 career record against the Blue Devils, threw for 225 yards last week at Wake Forest and racked up 266 yards in the Tar Heels’ shocking Oct. 30 upset over Miami.
The running game, however, has been the centerpiece of the North Carolina offense. Brown, widely regarded as one of the top centers in the country, has been the anchor of a solid offensive line. Strong blocking has resulted in a season during which three different tailbacks have had games of 100-plus yards rushing. The versatile nature of the UNC rushing attack has made it difficult for defenders to contain.
“We’ve got to play excellent on defense,” Roof said. “We’ve got to stop the run.”
Earlier in the season, the Blue Devils had difficulty containing the ground game, notably allowing 348 yards rushing Oct. 23 against Virginia.
Duke, however, restricted Clemson to 250 total offensive yards, allowing only one third-down conversion in 12 attempts last week. The Blue Devil defense also forced four turnovers and currently leads the ACC in total takeaways.
“That’s something we’re really proud of,” Aguanno said. “Coach Roof emphasizes effort and hustle to the ball, and I think [the statistics] are a direct result of that.”
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, have struggled defensively this season. Ranked last in the ACC, North Carolina’s defense has allowed opponents to gain an average of 465 yards per game, although the team has lately shown gradual improvement in pass defense.
The Blue Devils consistently strung positive plays together late in the game last week, culminating in a 54-yard scoring drive fueled by the arm of quarterback Mike Schneider. Duke gained 213 yards through the air last week, but Clemson managed to limit the team to a mere 21 yards rushing.
While the Blue Devils can look to improve upon their running game against the less-potent North Carolina defense, they will likely rely on Schneider’s passing skills and the accuracy of kicker Matt Brooks to put points on the scoreboard.
The interplay of the strengths and weaknesses of the rival teams and the enthusiasm of the capacity crowd expected at Wallace Wade, could invigorate an often-silent stadium, and a Duke victory could bring the goal posts crashing down for the second-straight week.
“It will be a great day to be a college football fan Saturday in Wallace Wade,” Roof said.
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