A week ago, many pundits might have thought homestanding Duke would be a favorite over North Carolina this Saturday but after the Tar Heels upset Miami and the Blue Devils fell apart at Virginia Tech, UNC will probably be favored.
The Blue Devils seek their first win over the rival Tar Heels since 2003 and their first in Durham since 1988 (7 pm, ESPNU).
This will be the 99th meeting between the arch-rivals but it’s only the second time the teams have had identical five-win records. The teams were each 5-3
when they met in Durham in 2010.
In his four-plus seasons leading the Duke football program, David Cutcliffe has guided the Blue Devils to 20 victories. That’s one more win than the Duke football program managed in 12 full years prior to Cutcliffe’s arrival in Durham.
Virginia Tech 41, Duke 20
The Hokies (4-3, 2-1) spotted the visiting Blue Devils a 20-0 lead in the first quarter before storming back with 41 unanswered points. The comeback marked the largest by the Hokies under Tech head coach Frank Beamer, and with it, Tech snapped a two-game losing streak. Duke – which lost to the Hokies for the 12th straight time, including nine straight since Tech joined the ACC – fell to 5-2 overall, 2-1 in league play. Virginia Tech freshman RB J.C. Coleman, in his first collegiate start, rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
When S Jordon Byas returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of Duke’s ACC game at Virginia Tech last Saturday, it marked the Blue Devils’ fourth non-offensive touchdown of the season … It was the second interception returned for a touchdown by Duke in 2012 … DE Kenny Anunike recorded a half sack against the Hokies to extend his streak of at least a half sack in his seventh straight game to open the 2012 season … Anunike now has 9.0 sacks over his last nine games dating back to last year … QB Sean Renfree has now thrown for 200 or more yards in 24 career games to equal the second-highest total in Duke history held by Thaddeus Lewis …His 742 career completions are the 8th-highest total in ACC history…
WR Conner Vernon has increased his ACC career record total to 243 receptions … Vernon is now just 111 yards shy of the Duke career mark of 3,318 yards set by Clarkston Hines and just 217 yards short of the ACC career mark of 3,517 held by Florida State’s Peter Warrick … Vernon’s 42 straight games with at least one catch is the longest active streak in the nation and is three games shy of the ACC record of 45 held by North Carolina’s Corey Holliday… Duke junior CB Ross Cockrell is tied for 7th nationally in passes defended. Cockrell leads the ACC with 4 interceptions and 9 pass breakups for a total of 13 passes defended in seven games, an average of 1.86 per game.
North Carolina 18, Miami 14
Tar Heel RB Giovani Bernard, playing just a few miles from his hometown of Davie, Fla., put on an impressive show by rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tar Heels (5-2, 2-1) to their first road win of the season. Bernard had first-half scoring runs of 10 and 17 yards and gained 105 of his 177 yards after halftime for UNC, which has won four straight and two in a row against ACC Coastal Division opponents.
UNC ran a season-high 84 plays from scrimmage and amassed 486 yards of total offense, coming just shy of gaining 500 yards for the third week in a row. Miami RB Mike James had career-bests of 22 carries and 96 yards for the Hurricanes, and he scored Miami’s fi rst touchdown on a 1-yard run. QB Stephen Morris scored the Hurricanes’ second touchdown from 5 yards out in the third quarter, but suffered an ankle injury and had to leave the game with 8:26 to play. Bernard’s big afternoon helped the Tar Heels overcome 15 penalties. The outcome left the Coastal Division standings logjammed, as UNC, Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech each currently have one loss in ACC play.
The victory at Miami marked the first road win at UNC for first-year head coach Larry Fedora. WR Erik Highsmith tied his career high with eight receptions for 57 yards vs. the Hurricanes. .. OG Jonathan Cooper started his 42nd career game Saturday, most among active offensive linemen in the ACC … QB Bryn Renner completed 25 of 40 attempts for 214 yards and one interception at Miami … This is the first game this season and just the second game in two seasons as a starter that Renner has not thrown a touchdown pass (2011 NC State) … Renner moved into third place in UNC history with 386 completions, passing Jason Stanicek (372) … Carolina has made 154 consecutive extra points, including a school-record 116 in a row by senior PK Casey Barth.
– From ACC information