CHAPEL HILL—Duke experienced a little déjà vu from the start of its Tobacco Road showdown with North Carolina.
After a half of play, the No. 21 Tar Heels lead the Blue Devils 38-10 at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill. Despite the billing as a showdown for the ACC Coastal Division lead, North Carolina came out strong against Duke from the opening kick, looking intent on keeping the Victory Bell in the lighter shade of blue.
On their first drive of the game, the Blue Devils moved the ball close to midfield before several dropped passes led to a punt, giving the Tar Heels their first chance on offense for the afternoon. The team did not wait long to find pay dirt, as an 89-yard flea flicker from quarterback Marquise Williams to wide receiver Ryan Switzer on the first play from scrimmage put North Carolina up 7-0 in just 12 seconds of offense.
Duke’s second drive of the game put it on the board. Running back Jela Duncan ran for 28 yards on five carries on the drive—which included a 34-yard pass from Thomas Sirk to Anthony Nash—and the Blue Devils’ Ross Martin kicked a 22-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.
Williams remained strong for the Tar Heels in the first half, though. The senior signal caller exceeded 200 yards through the air in the first quarter alone, and ended the first half of play with 404 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. Several explosive plays—including a 49-yard pass to T.J. Logan and 36-yard pass to Brandon Fritts on the second and third drives, respectively—provided a spark for Williams’ video-game first half stats.
Duke could not capitalize on opportunities or minimize mistakes to stay in the game early. Following a long drive down to the 27-yard line, running back Joseph Ajeigbe—filling in for the injured Shaun Wilson—fumbled at the 29-yard line.
Duncan had a strong first half for the Blue Devils, despite the slow start as a team. The Charlotte, N.C., native took a run up the left hash for a 52-yard touchdown in the second quarter to make the score 21-10. He ended the half with 83 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
A potential spark for Duke seemed to be a strong defensive stop at the one-yard line. Following an offside penalty that allowed North Carolina to continue marching down the field, the Blue Devil defense stuffed Tar Heel running back Elijah Hood at the goal line to prevent the touchdown. But on the next possession, two Duncan runs and Sirk pass over the head of Johnell Barnes stalled any momentum the Blue Devils may have stolen.
A field goal from North Carolina kicker Nick Weiler with less than five minutes in the second quarter added three points, then another long, 74-yard pass from Williams to Mack Hollins and a 49-yard touchdown catch by Bug Howard ended the scoring in the second quarter for both teams after a late pick by Dominique Green stalled a late Duke drive.
Here are some observations from the first half:
- Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was on point in his Tuesday press conference when he said that North Carolina could break out the explosive plays on offense. Three touchdown passes for more than 45 yards put the Tar Heels on top.
- The inability to capitalize on opportunities and minimize mistakes has left the Blue Devils scrambling in the first half. Several errant passes and overthrows, as well as the fumble by Ajeigbe, put Duke behind the eight ball.
- Despite their high billing on defense, the Blue Devils struggled to make stops. North Carolina did not punt in the first quarter, and averaged 10.6 yards per play for the first half.
- Duke’s running game began to show signs of progress at the end of the half. Aside from Duncan’s success, Shaquille Powell added 76 yards on nine carries to contribute to the 178 total yards on the ground for the Blue Devils.
- Marquise Williams is on his way to surpassing his four touchdown performance from a year ago in Durham. With a half to play, he was 18-for-28 for a school-record 404 yards in a half through the air.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.