North Carolina faces rival Duke in a mid-October matchup in Wallace Wade Stadium. The last time these teams met was 2021, when the Tar Heels put on arguably their best performance of the season beating the Blue Devils 38-7.
Each year, the programs play for the Victory Bell, a trophy given to the winner of the annual contest. Since Mack Brown returned to Chapel Hill for his second stint with the program, the bell has spent every season with the Tar Heels.
Brown is 22-3 over his last 25 games against NC State, Duke, and Wake Forest, which includes a loss to State in 1999 when he was at Texas. Brown's emphasis on beating in-state schools is getting through to his team.
"I always talk to them about the importance of winning state games," said Brown in a previous press conference. "The fans work together. They hang out together. They go to church together. They go to the grocery store together. Fans love to pick at the other side. That's what makes the rivalry."
Today, we preview UNC's game with Duke:
Duke Blue Devils
**************************************************************************************
Remember, for just $8.33 a month, YOU CAN BE A TAR HEELS INSIDER, TOO!!!
***************************************************************************************
Oct. 15, @ Wallace Wade Stadium (40,0040
Head Coach:
Mike Elko, a former defensive coordinator at Notre Dame and the last three seasons at Texas A&M, takes over for David Cutcliffe, who spent 14 seasons with the program. Elko faced Duke when he served as defensive coordinator for Wake Forest from 2014-16.
During his time with the Demon Deacons, Duke win 17 games combined in 2014 and 2015, which came after a 10-win campaign the year before Elko arrived in Winston-Salem. So he is well aware the Blue Devils can excel on the football field.
"I came here in 2014," said Elko. "And played a Duke team that was extremely talented, extremely physical, and beat us all over the field. So my experience of Duke is just that."
Returning starters:
Duke is returning five starters on offense and three starters on defense.
Stars:
Duke's defensive front stars 6-foot-3, 300-pound disruptor DeWayne Carter. Carter registered 7.5 tackles for loss, including 4.5 quarterback sacks.
Rushing off the edge, the Blue Devils have RJ Oben, who finished last season with five sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Offensively, the Blue Devils return wide receiver Jalon Calhoun. The South Carolina native caught 56 balls for 718 yards and found the endzone three times.
Key Stats:
Duke's defense ranked last in FBS allowing 517 yards per game.
My thoughts:
A new coach implementing his scheme can be demanding with previous staff's personnel on the roster, especially when the cupboard was left almost bare. This process takes time. With Elko's defensive background, he will have the Blue Devils playing disciplined football. The program has a recruiting ceiling that most likely won't break through, but Cutcliffe showed the fans in Durham what Duke football is capable of when things are going well.
For this season, however, the talent difference will likely be too much for Duke to overcome. Fortunately for Elko, the bar of success is low right now, and only a few upset victories in 2022 can lead to optimism within the fanbase. North Carolina should win this game comfortably, but there is a lot of unknown when playing rivalry games.
