For most of the game on Saturday night, North Carolina looked like the better team both on the field and on the stat sheet.
But the scoreboard didn’t show that for most of the game as the two teams battled into double overtime before the Tar Heels prevailed 47-45.
Duke was able to stay in the game and never fall behind by more than three scores due to the Tar Heels’ struggles in the red zone.
UNC settled for field goals on four of their first five drives into the red zone on Saturday night. And it almost proved to be the difference in the game.
After North Carolina took a 7-0 lead on Drake Maye’s touchdown run, they got down into the red zone two more times with the chance to really set the tone early on. However, they were stopped by Duke’s defense twice including back-to-back quarterback sneaks that were stuffed on a drive.
UNC instead had to settle for two field goals to make it 13-10. And Duke took advantage.
The Blue Devils got on the board when Grayson Loftis hit Jordan Moore for a 10-yard touchdown. That helped the Blue Devils get momentum and two Tar Heels’ mistakes later, they found themselves with the ball again.
UNC made a critical mistake on the ensuing kickoff return, fumbling the fair catch and taking it at the one-yard-line. On the next play, Maye threw an interception setting up the Blue Devils in great field position. Loftis then scored on a three-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal to give the Blue Devils a 14-13 lead.
North Carolina’s red zone struggles continued on the next few drives. They got another field goal right before halftime to take the lead into the break and then another field goal on a red zone trip on their first drive of the second half.
But then UNC’s defense amped it up a bit.
They forced Duke to punt on three straight possessions, allowing UNC’s offense to have the ball. They finally got a touchdown in the red zone with Omarion Hampton rushing it in from two yards out for the 26-14 lead.
That 26-14 lead was short-lived. Duke scored on the next drive with a Jordan Waters 13-yard drive. They then recovered a sneaky onside kick and Waters found the end zone from 23 yards out to take a 29-26 lead. There was some controversy as it looked like a Duke defensive back ripped the ball out of Nesbits’ hands on a prior play on that drive. However, the refs ruled it a completion and there was no review.
𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻. pic.twitter.com/ASH73zf0SV
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 12, 2023
With just over five minutes left, Maye marched the Tar Heels down the field and connected with Bryson Nesbit for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:55 left to give UNC the lead. But back came the Blue Devils who scored on a fourth-and-nine with 41 seconds left to take a 36-33 lead. Maye then marched UNC right back down the field to tie the game on a Noah Burnette field goal as time expired.
The two teams traded field goals in the first overtime before Maye scored on a quarterback keeper and then hit Nesbit on the two-point try. Duke’s two-point try was incomplete as UNC retained the Victory Bell for the fifth-straight season.
Maye finished the game with 342 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown, and an interception in what is likely his final home game.
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