Tag: Duke UNC Rivalry

Andy Katz names Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry as his best game of the week

The North Carolina Tar Heels come to Cameron Indoor Stadium this weekend, and one analyst said Duke-UNC is always the game of the week.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz released his list of the 10 best games of the week on Monday, and with the North Carolina Tar Heels coming to Durham, there should be no surprise who is atop the list.

The Blue Devils should be heavily favored in the rivalry battle, even with two straight upset scares. Duke has won 14 consecutive games, undefeated since November 26, while the Tar Heels are 13-8 for the season and 6-3 in conference play.

The team from Chapel Hill has won seven of its last 10 games, however, with a pair of freshmen coming on strong. Ian Jackson has averaged 15.0 points while Drake Powell has put up 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. But the last three games have been a bit suspect for UNC. The Tar Heels lost to Stanford and Wake Forest, both games by a single point, before needing overtime to beat the 9-10 Boston College Eagles.

Saturday’s game will assuredly fly by, too. The Tar Heels are No. 14 in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric while the Blue Devils absolutely thrive in transition.

The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.

No. 14 Duke women’s basketball falls to No. 18 UNC in overtime after defensive battle

Duke women’s basketball erased a 16-point UNC lead in Chapel Hill on Thursday night but couldn’t prevail in overtime.

The No. 14 Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team faced the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels in a top-20 matchup Thursday. The game delivered on its expectations, reaching overtime after Duke overcame a late UNC lead, but the Blue Devils eventually fell 53-46 in extra time.

The game was very much a defensive battle as neither team scored more than 40 points in regulation. The Blue Devils got the early lead, leaving the first quarter up 8-6, but things ended up tied 16-16 at the halfway point.

The script flipped in the second half. The Tar Heels surged well ahead, holding Duke scoreless for eight minutes to build a 32-16 advantage, but a pair of Jadyn Donovan buckets and two Blue Devils 3-pointers sparked a quick 10-0 run to carve the lead to six.

Duke spent the entire fourth quarter in chase mode, but a Reigan Richardson triple tied it up with 3:38 left on the clock. Two Ashlon Jackson free throws in the final minute ensured extra basketball would be needed.

The story of the game was overtime, though. A game that was very split from start to finish was dominated by the Tar Heels after regulation. North Carolina more than doubled the Blue Devils, winning with a 13-6 period despite Duke scoring the first three points of additional time.

Jackson finished led with a team-leading 10 points in 28 minutes, and Donovan and Delaney Thomas combined to secure 21 rebounds between them. The Blue Devils finished with more steals (16 to UNC’s nine) and fewer turnovers (21 to UNC’s 26), but they shot just 23.5% from both the field and 3-point range.

North Carolina didn’t far much better as the Tar Heels shot just 32.1% from the floor, but guard Alyssa Ustby took over for the home team. She put together a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, adding two steals and two blocks defensively, while teammate Indya Nivar contributed seven points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

With the loss, Duke falls to 12-4 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. The Tar Heels, now 2-2 against ACC opponents, improve to 14-3 for the season. The Blue Devils return to the court with a road game against Virginia on Sunday.

Duke and North Carolina women’s basketball set for ranked showdown in Chapel Hill

Duke women’s basketball travels to Chapel Hill on Thursday for a top-25 showdown with the Blue Devils’ most heated rival.

The Duke women’s basketball team already notched multiple ranked victories this season, but the biggest game of the year thus far awaits in Chapel Hill on Thursday evening.

The No. 14 Blue Devils (12-3, 3-0) visit the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels (13-3, 1-2) for a top-25 showdown on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, and the winner gets both early bragging rights along Tobacco Road and a boost in the conference standings.

Duke ended the 2024 calendar year with a surprise low point, getting upset 65-56 by South Florida on the road, but the Blue Devils rebounded with two of the best defensive performances of the season. Head coach Kara Lawson’s squad held Boston College to two second-quarter points last Thursday in an 86-59 win before holding Pittsburgh to 31 points at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

The Tar Heels won 10 of their first 11 games this season, only dropping a neutral-site game to the Connecticut Huskies before December 15, but an 82-76 home loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets that night gave UNC an early conference loss. North Carolina lost again to Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday, although it’s worth pointing out that UConn and the Irish are second and third in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll.

The Blue Devils split the season series with UNC in 2023-24, dropping a March game in Chapel Hill but winning in overtime 68-60 in Durham a month earlier.

Duke’s 20-point comeback over North Carolina was the second-largest in school history

The Duke Blue Devils erased a 20-point North Carolina lead on Saturday, the second-biggest comeback in program history.

The Duke Blue Devils found a way on Saturday, scoring three second-half touchdowns to outlast the North Carolina Tar Heels in front of a sold-out home crowd.

The most notable pieces of school history attached to the win stemmed from the rivalry and the record, as Duke beat UNC for the first time since 2018 and improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1994. However, the comeback itself also found its place in the annals of Blue Devils history.

Duke trailed North Carolina by 20 points midway through the third quarter on Saturday, making the victory tied for the second-largest comeback in program history. The only larger recovery came against the Florida Gators in 1962 when the Blue Devils trailed 21-0 at halftime before winning 28-21.

Head coach Manny Diaz spoke after the game about his team’s confidence in the fourth quarter, which Duke calls “The Sewer.” So far this season, the Blue Devils have outscored their opponents 40-6 over the last 15 minutes of the game, a statistic helped by Saturday’s final two touchdowns.

https://twitter.com/DukeFOOTBALL/status/1840187100253065346

Duke’s next opponent, Georgia Tech, also fell victim to a major Blue Devils surge. Duke erased a 20-point deficit against the Yellow Jackets in 1954, the only other 20-point comeback in program history.

Maalik Murphy and Chandler Rivers post victory cigar photo after Duke football win over UNC

Duke beat North Carolina for the first time in six years on Saturday. Maalik Murphy and Chandler Rivers celebrated accordingly.

The Duke Blue Devils beat the North Carolina Tar Heels for the first time since 2018 on Saturday, and the locker room made sure to properly celebrate the achievement.

Duke fell behind 20-0 early in the third quarter, but the Blue Devils scored three touchdowns in the final 21 minutes to storm all the way back and reclaim the Victory Bell.

Star cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag] posted a photo after the game of himself with quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag], both smoking a victory cigar as the Blue Devils picked up bragging rights over the Tar Heels again.

Rivers made four tackles and broke up three passes on Saturday, nearly coming up with the game-ending interception on the final drive when he got in the way of a throw from UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell. Luckily, linebacker Tre Freeman picked Criswell off just a few plays later to make sure that didn’t matter.

Murphy completed 15 of his 34 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, Despite the low completion percentage, the first-year starter went on a six-for-six heater in the third quarter that picked up 106 yards to power two touchdown drives.

The Blue Devils improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1994 with the win.

The best photos from the Duke football comeback victory over UNC

Check out the best photos from Duke’s 20-point comeback over the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday.

The Duke football team made some history on Saturday in Durham.

The Blue Devils beat the North Carolina Tar Heels for the first time in six years, bringing the Victory Bell back to campus after it had stayed in Chapel Hill since 2018. They overcame a 20-point deficit in the third quarter, the second-largest comeback in school history, and reached 5-0 for the first time since 1994.

After getting outgained 220-97 in the first two quarters and failing to recover a blocked punt to start the second half, Duke finished the game with 394 yards of total offense. 211 of those came from running back [autotag]Star Thomas[/autotag], who ran for 166 yards and turned a short pass into a 29-yard touchdown to get the chains moving for the Blue Devils.

Edge rusher Vincent Anthony Jr. finished with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, and star defensive back Chandler Rivers broke up three passes. When linebacker Tre Freeman got his hands on a pass from North Carolina quarterback Jacolby Criswell with less than a minute to play, the game was over and the celebration began.

Here are the best photos from Duke’s 21-20 victory over the Tar Heels on Saturday.

Duke football fans storm the field at Wallace Wade Stadium after North Carolina comeback

Blue Devils fans celebrated their first win over North Carolina since 2018 by racing onto the field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

They weren’t keeping anybody off the field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.

The Blue Devils scored three unanswered touchdowns to surge past the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the 21-20 victory was their first over UNC since 2018. Linebacker Tre Freeman sealed the win with an interception on North Carolina’s last offensive play.

With the Victory Bell back in Duke’s possession for the first time in five years, the fans at Wallace Wade Stadium celebrated by rushing the field.

Saturday was Duke’s second field-storming in two seasons. Blue Devils fans also made their way onto the grass after last season’s opening win over the Clemson Tigers.

The Blue Devils improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1994, and transfer running back [autotag]Star Thomas[/autotag] played an essential role in the comeback. The former New Mexico State star ran for 166 yards, added 45 yards as a receiver, and found the end zone twice to etch his place in rivalry history.

First-year Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who previously worked for UNC head coach Mack Brown, picked up his first win over his former boss.

Watch the Duke Blue Devils reclaim the Victory Bell after UNC victory

After Duke’s stunning 21-20 comeback victory over North Carolina, the Blue Devils reclaimed the Victory Bell for the first time since 2018.

After five long years, the Victory Bell belongs to the Duke Blue Devils again at last.

The Blue Devils beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 21-20 on Saturday, a stunning comeback powered by 211 yards of offense from senior running back [autotag]Star Thomas[/autotag]. Duke trailed by 20 points midway through the third quarter, but three unanswered touchdowns and a late interception by linebacker Tre Freeman sealed the rivalry win.

Not only did first-year head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] secure Duke’s first 5-0 start since 1994, but he also helped the Blue Devils reclaim the Victory Bell for the first time since 2018. The trophy, which remains with the winning team between Duke and UNC, has lived in Chapel Hill thanks to five straight Tar Heels victories.

Duke came within inches of reclaiming the trophy on the road last year, losing 47-45 after two overtime possessions, but the close call only made this year’s triumph sweeter. The social media team captured the moment that North Carolina needed to hand the signature bell back to the Blue Devils.

https://twitter.com/DukeFOOTBALL/status/1840176246140879107

The bell now gets to stay in Durham for the next year as Duke finally gets the bragging rights on Tobacco Road.

2026 quarterback prospect will attend Duke football rivalry game against North Carolina

The Duke Blue Devils will host a 2026 quarterback prospect from Georgia during their rivalry football game against North Carolina.

The Duke Blue Devils play their most bitter rival on the football field this Saturday when the North Carolina Tar Heels come to town, and a potential quarterback of the future will be in attendance.

2026 quarterback prospect Darnell Kelly announced through social media on Thursday that he’d be in Durham this weekend while head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his staff aim for the school’s first 5-0 start in 30 years.

According to 247Sports, Kelly is a 6-foot-2 signal caller who plays for Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia. Through the first five games of his junior season, MaxPreps credits him with 1,114 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns against a single interception, completing 68.9% of his throws at 13.3 yards per attempt.

Diaz landed 2025 three-star quarterback Dan Mahan from Burlington, North Carolina, and Kelly shows how committed he and his staff are to building a deep room at the position.

Duke football game against North Carolina Tar Heels officially sold out

The Duke football team announced on Friday afternoon that the Blue Devils game against North Carolina had officially sold out.

The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels will play in front of a sold-out crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The team announced on Friday that the rivalry battle officially sold out despite some stormy weather in Durham.

The Blue Devils haven’t beaten North Carolina since 2018, but the Tar Heels seem especially vulnerable this time around. They lost starting quarterback Max Johnson for the season in Week 1 and allowed 70 points to James Madison last week, their second time allowing 300 passing yards in three games.

On the other sideline, Duke is within one win of its first 5-0 start since 1994. The Blue Devils’ secondary has given up 4.2 yards per attempt through Week 4 with three interceptions against two passing touchdowns allowed, and transfer quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] is one of three ACC passers with 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns already this season.

Manny Diaz, in his first season as the Duke head coach, also gets the chance to beat his former boss. He worked for UNC’s Mack Brown as the Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator from 2011-13.