Every day as he walks from the team's locker room in the Yoh Football Center to the turf practice field behind Wallace Wade Stadium, senior safety Brian Greene is reminded of last year's season-ending 40-17 loss to North Carolina.
On the track surrounding the stadium are remnants of the Carolina Blue spray paint that the Tar Heels used to color the base of the Victory Bell after their resounding victory.
One spot in particular bugs Greene. It is in the shape of a 'T'-for Tar Heel, he said.
"I walk by that ugly blue every day going to practice," Greene said. "I definitely remember it, and I'll use that as some kind of fuel for the fire Saturday."
North Carolina's celebration in Durham last year may be Duke's most recent memory of its nemesis, but it is not its only sour one. A season before the Blue Devils' surprising 30-22 upset win in Chapel Hill in 2003, the Tar Heels celebrated their last-second 23-21 victory at Duke by running into a 25-foot inflatable Blue Devil helmet at the open end of the stadium. The helmet deflated, and Duke players cried foul about the disrespect their rivals had shown them.
"Both times that they've beat us there's been some type of in-your-face, disrespectful show," Greene said. "It's definitely something that I don't see as respectful, and it's going to be our job to gain some respect on Saturday."
In 2003, then-interim head coach Ted Roof began film sessions leading up to the UNC game with a clip of the Tar Heels' stomping down the helmet. In the past, Roof has used other motivational tactics, such as T-shirts emblazoned with a motto, to sharpen his team's mindset entering into the rivalry game.
With a bye week in between the Nov. 5 loss at Clemson and this Saturday's matchup in Chapel Hill, Roof said he has yet to employ a bold motivational symbol for this year's game but has not ruled one out.
Instead of just building up emotions for the North Carolina game, the Blue Devils spent their bye week getting injured players much-needed rest and returning the rest of the team to hard-hitting drills. Last week the team also began some strategic preparation for the Tar Heels, who lost to Maryland by a field goal in overtime Saturday. But it saved the crux of the rivalry-game hype for this week.
For Duke's players-especially the seniors-the inspiration for this week's practice and game is more personal. Saturday will be the final game for Greene and his classmates, who have a chance to finish 2-2 in their careers against North Carolina. In doing so, Blue Devil players and coaches know they could provide themselves with one final memory to take out of disappointing careers and a lost 2005 season.
"When you're playing a rivalry game and it's the last game of the season, it can give you momentum going into the offseason-momentum into the offseason program, momentum into recruiting," Roof said. "I just want everyone to put everything they have into playing a great football game against North Carolina."
Duke is hoping to return the Victory Bell to Durham and show the Tar Heels the pain they felt watching North Carolina celebrate its two victories. Greene said that if the Blue Devils were to win Saturday, the celebration could help relieve the anger about the past.
"If that situation presents itself, I'm sure we'll have something for them," Greene said. "I don't have any friends on that football team."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.