Comeback kids: 3 takeaways from Duke football’s stunning win over UNC in rivalry game

Down 20 points in the third quarter, Duke shed six years of frustration against rival North Carolina to rally for a stunning win Saturday night.

The Blue Devils scored the game’s final three touchdowns while shutting down the Tar Heels to post a 21-20 ACC football win, Duke’s first victory over UNC since 2018 and the Blue Devils’ largest comeback in series history.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what we did,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “We talked about at halftime that we had a chance to do something legendary, and that would require all of our belief in ourselves and in each other.”

Running back Star Thomas scored two touchdowns while rushing for 166 yards for the Blue Devils (5-0, 1-0 ACC). It’s Duke’s first 5-0 start since 1994.

UNC led 17-0 at halftime and added a Noah Burnette 37-yard field goal on its first drive after intermission to lead 20-0.

But, after being held to just 97 first-half yards, Duke put together two consecutive touchdown drives. Thomas scored both touchdowns, one on a 29-yard pass and run and the other on a 2-yard run that left the Tar Heels with a 20-14 lead with 14:21 to play.

The teams traded possessions and Duke took over at the 50 looking for the go-ahead score.

A Bruno Fina holding penalty pushed Duke back but didn’t deter the Blue Devils. Murphy tossed a 16-yard pass to Thomas on first down before Thomas’ 19-yard run moved Duke to the UNC 25.

Peyton Jones’ 20-yard touchdown run with 5:43 left gave the Blue Devils a 21-20 lead.

UNC gained one first down but Vincent Anthony stopped Omarion Hampton for a four-yard loss on second down to stop the drive’s progress. An incomplete pass on third-and-14 led the Tar Heels to punt the ball back to Duke with 3:51 to play.

UNC got the ball back one more time at its own 5 with 1:37 to play. But Duke linebacker Tre Freeman’s interception with 25 seconds to play sealed Duke’s win and its fans stormed the field after the final horn to celebrate an historic comeback.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Duke offense finally awakened

Duke produced just 97 first-half yards and were abysmal on third downs (1 of 10)

The Blue Devils attempted to establish the run early but weren’t successful, averaging just 2.1 yards per carry in the first half.

Things changed dramatically in the third quarter. Duke put together consecutive scoring drives covering 75 and 85 yards. Both resulted in Star Thomas touchdowns, with the latter march bleeding over to the fourth quarter. Thomas’ 2-yard touchdown run left UNC with a 20-14 lead with 14:21 to play.

Duke’s 143 third-quarter yards easily exceeded its total from the first two quarters combined.

Murphy completed six of his first nine passes after halftime. Murphy’s 11-yard pass to Jordan Moore on third down from Duke’s 29 on their first possession after halftime, with the Blue Devils trailing 20-0, caused a huge momentum shift as Duke marched for its first touchdown.

On Duke’s next drive, Murphy completed a 43-yard deep ball to Jordan Moore, who made a contested catch in UNC territory.

When the Blue Devils got the ball back, Murphy completed a 27-yard pass to Eli Pancol before Thomas ripped off a 10-yard run to the UNC 40.

But, trailing Duke attempted four consecutive passes downfield, including two toward the end zone, that fell incomplete and gave the ball back to the Tar Heels.

The Blue Devils defense, aided by two UNC penalties, stopped the Tar Heels and Duke got the ball back at the 50. The Blue Devils offense needed just four plays to score and take the lead for good.

About that UNC defense …

One has to imagine it was an intense week of practice at UNC, especially for the defensive guys after the 70-50 debacle against James Madison. Every day, every drill had to matter.

In the first half a week ago, JMU’s possession chart showed a field goal, two punts and five consecutive touchdowns. That’s how you take a ridiculous lead like 53-21.

In Saturday’s game, the Blue Devils punted on their first six possessions. They were able to convert just one of 10 third-down plays. Murphy was off target much of the time and the receivers could not get very much separation to give Murphy good targets.

The Blue Devils reached the UNC 30 late in the half, but Todd Pelino missed a 47-yard field-goal try -- the Devils’ only scoring chance as the Heels led 17-0.

Then came the second half.

The Blue Devils began to convert on intermediate passing routes. Murphy looked more comfortable in the pocket. The Devils made some chunk plays – a 43-yard sideline throw to Jordan Moore one of the biggest – as Duke scored its first TD.

Suddenly, the Heels’ defense looked shaky. Duke’s touchdown early in the fourth quarter made it a 20-14 game, Thomas’s short run completing a well-executed 85-yard, 11-play drive.

Just like that it was gutcheck time. The Heels stopped the Duke on a fourth-down play midway the fourth quarter, but the Devils began gashing UNC on running plays and took the lead with 5:43 left on Peyton Jones’ scoring run.

About that UNC offense …

The Tar Heels have already reached the realization they will not score points in bunches this season. For UNC, it’s more of a grind-it-out offense, with running back Omarion Hampton a more-than-willing workhorse.

The Heels have settled on Jacolby Criswell as their guy at quarterback. That much we know. But the graduate transfer from Arkansas still is settling in as a starter, still striving for more consistency as he gets a better grasp of the offense and plays his way into better shape.

The UNC offense did its part in the first half Saturday, the Heels taking a 17-0 lead as Criswell threw for a couple of scores and Noah Burnette kicked the first of his two field goals. Duke, the national leader in tackles for loss and second in sacks, massed around Hampton and gave him little running room, but Criswell was on target enough in the opening half.

It was more of a slog in the second half as the Blue Devils built up some possession time and the Heels could not get in a good offensive rhythm. Penalties also remained a problem – after a defensive stop in the fourth quarter, UNC was called for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the next possession, followed by a poor Tom Maginness punt.