Game Notes: North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. – The Victory Bell is on the line Saturday when two rivals square off in an ACC Coastal Division contest.

Kickoff between Duke and North Carolina is set for 4:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on RSN.

The Blue Devils dropped a 48-14 decision to Virginia last Saturday to shift their ACC record to 2-2. Duke received touchdowns of 20-plus yards from Scott Bracey and Eli Pancol throughout game. On the defensive side of the ball, Leonard Johnson and Jalen Alexander both had interceptions, while Victor Dimukeje logged 1.5 sacks.

Gametime is set for 4 p.m., at Kenan Memorial Stadium and will air on RSN with Tom Werme, James Bates, and Kelsey Wingert on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com

HOW TO FOLLOW
Duke (4-3, 2-2 ACC) at North Carolina (3-4, 2-2 ACC)
Saturday, October 26, 2019 • 4:00 PM
Chapel Hill, N.C. • Kenan Memorial Stadium (50,500 • Artificial Turf)

TELEVISION • Fox Sports South (Durham area) • FoxSportsGo • WatchESPN.com
RADIO • Blue Devils IMG Sports Network
GAME NOTES • Duke Notes (PDF) • North Carolina Notes
LIVE STATS • GoHeels.com
TWITTER • @DukeFOOTBALL

Saturday's contest will be the 106th meeting between Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels hold a 60-41-4 edge in the series, but the Blue Devils have won three consecutive meetings.
The series breakdown: Away: 19-32-2 | Home: 20-28-2 | Neutral: 2-0

Duke and North Carolina have played every year since 1922 (two games during the 1943 season). The Tar Heels had won 21-of-22 games from 1990-2011 until the Blue Devils posted back-to-back wins in 2012 and 2013. Since then, Duke holds a 3-2 edge in the last five meetings, including three straight.

Last season, Duke defeated North Carolina, 42-35, thanks to a record-setting day by Daniel Jones. The junior rushed for 186 yards and one touchdown and threw for 361 yards and three more scores to rack up 547 yards of total offense, both of which set Duke single-game records.

Since failing to score more than a field goal in their season opener against No. 2 Alabama, Duke has responded with 28 total touchdowns over its last six games (14 receiving, 13 rushing, and one special teams). With Quentin Harris' passing score against Virginia last Saturday, the Blue Devils have seen the redshirt senior account for 17 of those 28 touchdowns.

The Battle for the Victory Bell began in 1948 with North Carolina first earning possession following a 20-0 win. Head cheerleaders from Duke (Loring Jones) and North Carolina (Norman Sper) decided on the idea, with Jones designing the model and Sper obtaining a bell from an old railroad train. Red Lewis, Duke's business manager, agreed to find money in the budget to pay for the bell.

Over the last six games, Harris has gone 116-of-185 (.627) for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Wilton, Conn., native also has rushed for 404 yards on 81 carries with five rushing scores.

Duke has had multiple players register double digit tackles in a game on four different occasions this season (Alabama, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech). Duke earned two players with double digit tackles just four times throughout all of last season. Senior Koby Quansah and redshirt junior Brandon Hill have led the team with four and three games, respectively, with double figure tackles.

Dylan Singleton has been the only other Blue Devil to register double digit tackles this season as he joined Quansah during the Alabama game when he tied his career-high with 13 stops.

Despite having thumb surgery a week before the season opener, Quansah has secured a team-best 66 tackles, including 7.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Two other Blue Devils have earned 40-plus tackles on the year in Hill and Singleton with 50 and 47, respectively.

Victor Dimukeje currently leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss, which is good for 12th in the league. The Baltimore, Md., native also is fourth in the conference with 6.5 sacks after earning 1.5 against Virginia last Saturday.

On the ground, Harris is tops on the team with 417 rushing yards and five touchdowns, while Deon Jackson has compiled 396 yards and five scores. Two rookies, Jalon Calhoun and Eli Pancol, have registered a team-best three receiving scores.

The Blue Devils' offensive line unit has earned a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll for its excellence over Duke's opening seven games. Rookie offensive tackle Jacob Monk also was selected to The Athletic's Midseason Freshman All-America Team.

Players Mentioned

Jalen Alexander

Scott Bracey

Jalon Calhoun

Victor Dimukeje

Quentin Harris

Brandon Hill

Deon Jackson

Leonard Johnson

Daniel Jones

Jacob Monk

Eli Pancol

Koby Quansah

Dylan Singleton

Duke information