Duke Comes Back To Beat Tar Heels, 21-20

Saturday, September 28

Durham, N.C.

4 PM

North Carolina

3-2 , 0-1

Duke

5-0 , 1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

North Carolina

Duke

Omarion Hampton

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

September 28, 2024 | Football

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By: Matt Bowers

DURHAM, N.C.— Duke overcame a 20-0, third-quarter deficit and edged North Carolina, 21-20 on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

The loss snapped UNC's five-game winning streak in the series. Duke improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1994, while the Tar Heels lost their second game in a row and fell to 3-2. It was the Blue Devils' largest second-half comeback win since 1962.

Jacolby Criswell completed 21 of 39 passing attempts for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for UNC. Omarion Hampton ran 29 times for 103 yards while also posting a career-high 50 receiving yards on four catches. J.J. Jones caught five passes for 89 yards and a score.

Carolina's defense was dominant early, as the Tar Heels built a 17-0 halftime lead and held Duke scoreless for almost the first 40 minutes of action. UNC posted a first half shutout on the road for the first time since leading Georgia Tech, 17-0, on October 5, 2019.

Star Thomas rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries for Duke. Maalik Murphy connected on 15 of 34 throws for 209 yards and a touchdown. Thomas scored two touchdowns as the Blue Devils outpaced UNC, 21-0, in the final 20:49 of the game.

"I thought we would come out and take over the game, which we should have to start the third quarter, and we didn't," said Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown of the second half. "'Why did we tackle in the first half and not the second?' I don't know. I thought we would still win the game. We did not play well on either side of the ball in the second half."

UNC had two chances to try to retake the lead in the final minutes, but both drives came up short. Duke's defense stiffened in the second half and held Carolina to just a field goal after halftime.

Carolina took an early, double-digit lead while outgaining Duke, 138-29, in the first quarter. The Tar Heel defense limited the Blue Devils to 2.1 yards per play in the opening 15 minutes. Duke managed just 97 yards of offense in the first half with the Tar Heels taking a 17-0 lead into the break.

How It Happened
First Quarter
• After a three-and-out on their first possession, the Tar Heels took a 3-0 lead on their second drive on a 40-yard field goal by Noah Burnette.
• At the 4:34 mark of the opening quarter on a fourth-and-one attempt from the Duke 24 yard line, Criswell faked a handoff to Omarion Hampton before connecting with Jones for the score. Carolina took a 10-0 lead, capping a 10-play, 57-yard drive in 4:04.
• UNC outrushed Duke, 84-11, in the opening 15 minutes.

Second Quarter
• Carolina upped its lead to 17-0 in the final six minutes of the half with a nine-play, 61-yard drive. The key play was a 37-yard screen pass from Criswell that Hampton caught near the line of scrimmage and took down to the Duke one-yard line.
• Five plays later, Criswell connected with Bryson Nesbit from 10 yards out, making it 17-0.
• Duke missed a field goal with 1:04 left in the half to allow the Tar Heels to pitch a first-half shutout.
• Hampton had a first-half career-high 17 carries for 71 yards before the half. He also moved past 2,500 career rushing yards.

Third Quarter
• On a crazy play early in the third quarter, Duke blocked a Carolina punt, but both teams touched the ball and the Tar Heels recovered for a bizarre first down. UNC converted the possession into three points on a 37-yard field goal by Burnette, making the score 20-0.
• Duke got on the scoreboard on a 29-yard catch and run by Star Thomas on a pass from Maalik Murphy to make it 20-7 Tar Heels with 5:49 remaining in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter
• Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Duke converted a two-yard TD run after a Tar Heel defensive pass interference penalty in the back corner of the end zone, making it 20-14. The Blue Devils converted a fourth-and-one play from the UNC 20 to extend the drive.
• On Carolina's subsequent drive, Duke forced a Tar Heel punt after six plays to regain possession.
• The Devils moved 47 yards in eight plays of a span of 2:05, but the UNC pass defense forced several incomplete passes to hold fast, including forcing a turnover on downs to give Carolina the ball back at its own 40 yard line.
• Duke took its first lead at 21-20 on a 20-yard touchdown rush by Peyton Jones at the 5:42 mark.

Up Next
Carolina returns home to host Pittsburgh next Saturday Oct. 5 for the Tar Heels' homecoming game.

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