UNC Football Moments After – UNC vs. Duke 24-20 Win
UNC Tar Heels Football Team Hold Off the Duke Blue Devils and Escape to Take Home the Victory Bell
by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn
The North Carolina football team faced their rival Duke on Saturday afternoon, looking for their first win against the Blue Devils since 2023. The Tar Heels started well, scoring on their first 3 offensive drives and forcing stops on all five defensive possessions in the first half. UNC quarterback Billy Edwards was efficient early, completing 8 of 11 passes for 95 yards to lead the Heels to 17 points midway through the second quarter. UNC wide receiver Jordan Shipp got the ball often, catching 5 for 45 yards, and the rushing attack from Demon June and Jaylen McGill did its job. Carolina’s defense was disruptive throughout the first half, forcing Duke’s quarterback Walker Eget into tough throws and making the offense work for every yard. UNC held Duke’s offense scoreless and made a key goal-line stand to keep them out of the end zone. Duke’s only touchdown came from its defense after forcing a fumble and returning it to the end zone. North Carolina’s offense was clicking on all cylinders, up 17-0 as they got ready to take the field again and put more points on the board. However, on the next drive, UNC wide receiver Jordan Shipp was fighting for extra yards after a catch and fumbled the ball, resulting in Duke points. From there, the Heels’ offense looked out of sorts and punted on their last two drives before halftime.
In the second half, UNC’s offensive miscues were the story. Carolina had drops that ended drives, penalties that put them behind the sticks, inaccurate throws, and a red zone turnover that cost points. UNC had three empty possessions to start the second half and hadn’t scored a point since the 13-minute mark in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the offensive struggles kept the Tar Heels’ defense on the field a lot, and it started to wear down in the fourth quarter, but they still held Duke to just three points in the third quarter. Duke was afforded a couple of short fields in the fourth quarter and scored 10 points to take their first lead of the game. Duke’s preseason All-American running back Nate Sheppard took over the game with outstanding plays. With 4 minutes and 34 seconds left, down 24-20 after leading most of the game, the Tar Heels needed a clutch drive from an offense that had been scoreless in the second half. North Carolina’s offense drove down the field after big throws from Billy Edwards Jr. to Tight End Jelani Thurman and Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna, and big runs from running back Jaylen McGill, none bigger than McGill’s 24-yard touchdown run that put them back in the lead. Duke would get one last chance to go down the field for a game-winning drive. Still, the Tar Heels’ defense stepped up, sending blitzes that pressured Duke quarterback Walker Eget into errant throws. One resulted in a North Carolina interception by freshman defensive back Kenton Dopson that sealed the victory for the Tar Heels.
UNC Game Stats
UNC Total Offense: 326
Rushing 135 Passing 191
UNC Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. 15/25, 191 yards, 1TD
UNC Rushing: Jaylen McGill 12 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD; Demon June 13 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD
UNC Receiving: Jordan Shipp 7 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD; Jelani Thurman 4 catches, 52 yards; Trech Kekahuna 2 catches, 42 yards
Duke Total Offense: 373 yards
Duke Passing: Walker Eget 24/38 249 yards 1TD 1INT
Duke Rushing: Nate Sheppard 20 carries, 77 yards; CJ Campbell Jr. 9 carries, 61 yards
Duke Receiving: Nate Sheppard 11 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD; Jared Richardson 3 catches, 55 yards
UNC Bright Spots
Wide Receiver Jordan Shipp had 7 catches for 75 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Jaylen McGill had 12 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Demon June had 13 carries for 49 yards and one touchdown.
Linebacker Peyton Seelman led the team with 16 tackles
Defensive back Greg Smith III had 10 tackles and 2 passes defended.
Freshman Defensive back Kenton Dopsin had 7 tackles and one interception
Needs Work
The UNC offense needs to find a way to play well for four quarters. Over the last couple of weeks, the offense has played well one half and looks awful in the other. The miscues offensively are unacceptable. The receivers need to be sure-handed; they need to cut down on penalties, and you cannot have turnovers in the red zone. Billy Edwards needs to make more throws on time and on target because too many of his passes are behind the receiver, too low, or too high.
The UNC defense needs to tackle better. There are too many tackles out there on the field, and that’s at all three levels of defense. The defense also needs to blitz more because good things happen when they pressure the quarterback, especially on third down so they can get off the field.
Final Observations
The Tar Heels improve to 4-2 and have already won as many games this year as they did last year. The Heels are just an improved team in all three phases of football. They still make games harder than they should be, but they’re definitely making progress. The offense needs to be more consistent for four quarters, but the defense has saved the Heels in most games when the offense struggles. The guys on defense step up and make plays when it matters most, and that’s a good thing. You would like to see the offense score more than 30 points for once and blow out a team that you are clearly better than. But they don’t look ready for that yet, and when they are, you will see this team’s true potential. The offensive coaching staff needs to do whatever it takes to see if they can bring out another level of football from this offense. Overall, the Tar Heels have started the season well and are two wins from bowl eligibility. Honestly, they should be 5-1 but blew that Clemson game. Next up is Syracuse on Saturday, October 24, on the ACC Network at 7:30 P.M.
