Extra Point: Duke football vs. North Carolina

No. 25 Duke was hyped up before its Tobacco Road showdown with North Carolina Thursday night at Wallace Wade Stadium but fell flat after two early turnovers, falling 45-20. The Blue Devils have now lost two games in a row and have to bounce back quickly after seeing the Coastal Division title slip away.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Contain Tar Heel quarterback Marquise Williams: The North Carolina signal caller had 21 rushes for 98 yards and two touchdowns against Duke. Needless to say, the Blue Devils failed to contain the quarterback. The junior dual-threat quarterback moved the chains for the Tar Heels several times with quarterback scrambles, but was especially effective on designed run plays. Both of Williams’ scores were on designed quarterback runs.
• Re-establish Boone’s rhythm: Senior quarterback Anthony Boone completed 55 percent of his passes for 262 yards, and added two touchdowns and one interception. He performed better than he did last week against Virginia Tech, but Duke never was able to establish an offensive rhythm after his fumble on the Blue Devils' second possession gave North Carolina an early 14-0 lead. Head coach David Cutcliffe was hesitant to call Boone’s number all game through the air, and the Weddington, N.C., native seem rattled. He averaged a measly 6.6 yards per completion, and was sacked three times, fumbling the ball once. He ended the game with a weak 38.2 quarterback rating in what could have been a big game for Boone against North Carolina’s defense, which ranked as the fourth-worst defense in the FBS coming into the game.
• Play Smart Duke football: The Blue Devils only gave up five penalties for 35 yards, which is a more than acceptable statistic, but their three turnovers were not characteristic of “smart Duke football.” In addition to Boone’s first-quarter fumble and third-quarter interception, backup quarterback Thomas Sirk also had a fumble. Turnovers, off which the Tar Heels scored 21 points, doomed the Blue Devils.

Three Key Plays:

• On Duke’s opening drive, the Blue Devils drove 55 yards to the North Carolina 21-yard line; however, Sirk fumbled the ball on a quarterback draw just before Duke reached the red zone. This play completely changed the momentum of the game, as what looked like an efficient and capable Duke offense turned into one riddled with error, foreshadowing its performance for the rest of the night, right before the eyes of the near-34,000 fans in attendance. North Carolina scored a touchdown and took the early lead on the resulting drive, as the tables turned completely for the Blue Devils.
• On Duke’s second offensive possession, Boone was sacked, and fumbled the ball. His fumble was picked up, and returned ten yards for a North Carolina touchdown by safety Tim Scott. Duke committed its second turnover of the game and the Tar Heels extended extended the lead to two scores in less than seven minutes of play. If the first turnover and consequent score hadn’t silenced the raucous Duke crowd, this surely did.
• On North Carolina’s first second half possession, the Tar Heels put the ball in the end zone. The 15-play, 68-yard drive culminated in a T.J. Logan touchdown run on fourth down. Logan’s run was North Carolina’s second fourth-down score from the one-yard line after Duke had managed to hold for three downs at the goal line, the other being a Mack Hollins reception. Logan’s score put North Carolina up by four touchdowns and the Blue Devils were not able to complete the comeback.

Three Key Stats

• North Carolina has 316 rushing yards: North Carolina dominated Duke on the ground, and as a result was able to keep the Blue Devils’ offense off the field, while limiting their potential for turnovers. The Tar Heels also averaged a sturdy 5.5 yards per rush en route to a season-high 316 yards on the ground.
• North Carolina has 100 percent efficiency on fourth down: In football, few things are more deflating than when a defense holds strong for three downs only to be beaten on the fourth. Not only did North Carolina beat Duke on fourth down twice, but the Tar Heels scored twice in doing so. A reception by Hollins and a rush by Logan, each after three stops at the goal line by Duke, exhausted the Blue Devils defense, and demoralized the crowd.
• Punter Will Monday averages 36.4 yards per punt: Senior punter Will Monday has played great all year, but under-performed against North Carolina. The Ray Guy Award nominee was never able to force the Tar Heels as far back as he usually forces the opponent’s offense. His net punt yardage summed only to 182 on five punts, and he had several “ducks,” including a punt that only went 13 yards, which he himself downed.

And the Duke game ball goes to… wide receiver Jamison Crowder

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