The 5-1 North Carolina Tar Heels will face the 4-2 Duke Blue Devils for more than just the Victory Bell this season.
Both teams got a hot start, racing for the top seed of the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, after this past weekend, UNC broke the first-place tie with Duke losing in overtime against Georgia Tech, while they defeated Miami 27-24.
This game is vital for North Carolina as the win will give a significant gap in standings and boost their respect level for the Associated Press Poll top 25. The timing couldn’t be any better, with UNC’s defense clicking on all cylinders and Dukes’ offense getting exposed by Georgia Tech this weekend.
North Carolina’s biggest strength is its offense, led by quarterback Drake Maye. The redshirt freshman QB has already thrown 21 touchdowns in the six games. The Mahomes-Esque passes have earned Maye national recognition as one of the top quarterbacks to watch.
This game is a rare opportunity to see both football programs striving in the same year for the top spot of the standings. So, the Victory Bell would be excellent for North Carolina to bring back. However, the real prize is getting closer to a spot in the ACC championship game.
North Carolina is 63-40-4 all-time against Duke and currently on a three-game win streak against the Blue Devils.
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