Duke football welcomes rival North Carolina to Wallace Wade Stadium to open the ACC slate for both squads. The Blue Devils will need a stellar second half to emerge victorious, as they currently trail 17-0 after one half of play:
Five observations
Running woes: After leaving Duke’s contest against Northwestern with a lower body injury, running back Jaquez Moore remained out of the starting lineup against North Carolina, but did appear in the game. Graduate Star Thomas had performed admirably in his stead, with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against UConn and Middle Tennessee, respectively. But the rushing attack was not able to provide the same spark against North Carolina, as all of the running backs only totalled 48 yards.
Flip the script: After giving up 70 points to James Madison last week, the North Carolina defense was a laughingstock in the college football world. However, Geoff Collins’ unit came to play against Duke, pitching a shutout and demonstrating stingy defense in all three levels of the game. Antavious Lane led the way with six total tackles, and Power Echols broke up two passes. Quarterback Maalik Murphy and the Blue Devil offense will have to make significant halftime adjustments against that defense to get back in the contest.
Transfer quarterback battle: Murphy struggled out of the gate, and Duke didn’t get a first down until its fourth possession of the game. The lack of rhythm from Murphy and his receivers defined the start of the game, as the Texas transfer recorded one completion in the first quarter. In his second start of the season, Jacolby Criswell was serviceable both through the air and on the ground, keeping the Blue Devil defense off-balance with his bootleg action.
Tar Heel ground attack: North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton rushed for 71 yards in the half; the nation’s fourth-leading rusher was impressive against a stout Duke front seven. He showcased his ability to fight for extra yards on a key third-down conversion in the first quarter when he was hit in the backfield. But perhaps his biggest utility was as a decoy, as Criswell capitalized in the play-action on North Carolina's touchdown pass. Criswell and other Tar Heel backs also picked up significant yards on the ground, as their squad amassed 110 rushing yards.
Lack of pressure: The Blue Devils came into the game leading the country in tackles for loss and third in sacks per game. However, they recorded none of either in the first quarter. Duke’s linebackers were forced to respect the rushing attack from Hampton and the big-play capabilities from Criswell. The defense was on the field for 39 plays, which led to multiple ill-advised offsides penalties by the line late in the half.
By the numbers
34,000: For the first time this season, Wallace Wade Stadium was a sellout. Fans in both shades of blue gathered for the Tobacco Road Rivalry as each side looked to kick off its ACC slate with a win. The new Devils’ Deck also was filled throughout, as students and fans enjoyed DJ Jonas Blue and additional concessions. However, North Carolina’s success in the first half kept most of the Blue Devil faithful quiet and neutralized the tough environment.
Time of possession: North Carolina definitively won the time-of-possession battle in the first quarter, a result of its strong ground game and Duke’s lack of mobility on offense. Quarterback Maalik Murphy struggled to find his targets early, missing his first four passing attempts and taking a sack. The Blue Devils did not cross midfield in their 14 first-quarter plays, not reaching Tar Heel territory until under four minutes left in the half.
Average yards per play: Time of possession sometimes does not tell the whole story for this version of Duke’s offense, which speeds teams up and can score in a hurry under offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer. But in this contest, the time of possession was also reflected in the yards per play discrepancy; North Carolina had 5.2 and Duke recorded roughly three. Until the Blue Devils’ last possession of the game, it had not crossed midfield or developed any sort of ground game, limiting the playbook for Brewer. To make matters worse for Duke, Murphy was not able to connect on one of his signature deep shots.
A play that mattered
Duke’s offense was stagnant, giving North Carolina good field position throughout the contest. With 4:40 remaining in the first quarter, the Tar Heels opted to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Blue Devil 24-yard line. Criswell faked the handoff to Hampton, and rolled to his right for a strike over the top of the defense to J.J. Jones for the first touchdown of the game. In the low-scoring affair of the first half, that play provided North Carolina an important stiff-arm early.
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Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.