The Sound Of Victory

Facing defeat in the UNC-Duke football rivalry means hearing it, too.

But for the winner, the clangs of the Victory Bell form a beautiful symphony that signifies yearlong bragging rights — the perfect soundtrack for a postgame celebration unlike the others.

Between transfers and freshmen, many Tar Heels benefited from a crash course this week on the rivalry.

Jordan Shipp didn't need a history lesson. He knew what it meant.

The junior Tar Heel receiver outraced his teammates on offense to the bell behind one of the end zones at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham as the final seconds expired in UNC's 24-20 victory, the latest classic in a matchup that's produced dramatic endings with regularity.

From there, he caught a ride on the base of the bell and was one of many Tar Heels — including head coach Bill Belichick and Chancellor Lee H. Roberts — to give it a ring.

"That's why you come to Carolina," said Shipp, who'd been on the losing side of the rivalry the last two years. "For a rivalry game like that."

The previous four games between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils had been decided by a combined 13 points, and Saturday's tilt was another nail-biter.

This year's UNC is OK with that, though.

Belichick's team is one that looks comfortable in uncomfortable situations, especially in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels defended a tight lead from start to finish in its season-opening win against TCU, making multiple defensive stands. They did the same last week up in Pittsburgh, taking lead changes in stride and buckling down on defense repeatedly.

A similar formula was followed against Duke, but UNC's resolve was tested big time.

The Tar Heels jumped out to a 17-0 lead, scoring on their opening three possessions. Rece Verhoff made his first field goal of the season, Shipp impressively leaped high for his first touchdown of the year and Demon June ran over a defender for a fourth-down TD.

But two UNC turnovers and a failed punt attempt let Duke back into the game, and the Blue Devils took their first lead with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter.

"If adversity strikes as it's going to — it's not if, it's when — we've got to be able to bounce back," said UNC quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who completed 15 of his 25 passes for 191 yards.

That mindset helped the UNC offense play with composure on its final drive of the game, even though they hadn't scored since early in the second quarter.

Edwards hit tight end Jelani Thurman on fourth down from the UNC 28 yard line with less than four minutes remaining, and a 16-yard completion to Trech Kekahuna put the Tar Heels in scoring position.

In a game full of redemption arcs for multiple players, Jaylen McGill had one of the largest. The sophomore running back fumbled deep in the Duke red zone in the third quarter with UNC ahead 17-10.

But he made up for that mistake when he bounced a run to the outside and followed his blockers for the game-winning TD, a 24-yard run he went nearly untouched on. McGill finished with a career-best 77 rushing yards on 11 carries.

"Way to step up when it was time to make a play. He was able to flush the bad mistake," Edwards said.

UNC's defense limited star Duke running back Nate Sheppard to 77 rushing yards on 20 carries and mostly prevented big plays in the the Blue Devils' passing game.

Crucially, the Tar Heels remained masters at the bend-but-don't-break approach. Duke kicked two field goals within the UNC 5 yard line and also turned the ball over on downs at the UNC 2, with safety Greg Smith III making a key tackle in what was another standout performance for him.

"Those guys just fight hard down there and don't give up on those final yards," Belichick said. "That's really been helpful for us all year."

Not converting in the red zone put Duke in a position where it needed a TD on its final drive. An intentional grounding penalty caused by pressure from defensive lineman Xavier Lewis and linebacker Peyton Seelmann put the Blue Devils behind the chains after reaching the UNC 30 yard line.

True freshman cornerback Kenton Dopson III, a youngster learning on the go as UNC navigates injuries in its secondary, then called game with his first career interception.

"Playing corner in the ACC as a true freshman is tough, especially in a hostile environment," UNC linebacker Derek McDonald said. "He stepped up to the plate and finished the the game the right way."

Belichick said the game is still just one of 12 over the course of a season. But the smile he wore as he rang the Victory Bell suggested he understood the importance of what his team did on Saturday.

"Our guys earned it," he said.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Kenton Dopson III

Billy Edwards Jr.

Demon June

Trech Kekahuna

Xavier Lewis

Derek McDonald

Jaylen McGill

Peyton Seelmann

Jordan Shipp

Greg Smith III

Jelani Thurman

Rece Verhoff

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