Late Interception Seals Duke’s Upset Win Over No. 17 UNC Football

As UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky watched his final pass sail into the arms of Duke safety Alonzo Saxton on Thursday night, so too did the Tar Heels’ ACC Coastal Division hopes.

That play all but sealed No. 17 UNC’s 28-27 loss to the Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium—quickly turning Trubisky’s national showcase opportunity into a disappointing night to forget.

At the beginning of the night it seemed obvious that the Tar Heels were peaking at the right time, and that Trubisky was earning his spot atop Mel Kiper’s list of NFL quarterback prospects. UNC opened a 14-0 lead with two consecutive touchdown drives of more than 70 yards, and everything was going according to plan.

By the end of the night, however, UNC’s record had fallen to 7-3 and the Tar Heels were left wondering how they came up short against a Duke team that entered Thursday with an 0-5 record in ACC play.

The final stat sheet will show that he threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, but Trubisky and the offense struggled mightily after reaching the end zone with ease on three of its first five drives.

UNC head coach Larry Fedora could only watch as his team scored just two field goals in the second half, despite twice starting on the Duke side of the 50-yard-line.

“Maybe some of our guys let up, but I’m not putting it on these guys,” Fedora said after the game. “This is my fault, my responsibility completely. If you wanna blame somebody, blame me.”

As soon as Trubisky and the Tar Heel offense began slowing down, Duke freshman quarterback Daniel Jones began making his mark on the night.

Not only did he throw for 240 yards and a touchdown, Jones also carried the ball 16 times for 94 yards and a pair of rushing scores. His ability to extend plays with his legs allowed the Blue Devils to control the later portion of the game—evidenced by Duke’s 89 total plays to UNC’s 60.

Prior to the Tar Heels’ final drive—the one ended by Trubisky’s second interception—the rookie helped the Blue Devils grind away nearly seven minutes of clock by leading a 13-play drive. Instead of Trubisky’s coronation as the top signal-caller in the nation, it proved to be more of a coming out party for Jones.

“We knew coming into the game—it was one of our keys to victory—that we were gonna have to stop the quarterback run,” Fedora said. “And we just didn’t do it.”

Another ongoing storyline that crept its way back into the mix for Fedora and the Tar Heels on Thursday was the usage—or lack thereof—of tailback Elijah Hood.

Despite having great success when he did touch the ball, Hood finished with just 13 carries for 75 yards. He also led the team with 58 receiving yards on five catches.

Only seven of those 18 touches came during the second half.

In the locker room afterwards Fedora didn’t waste words with his team—taking the loss all on his own shoulders.

“I just told ‘em I was sorry, especially for the seniors,” Fedora said. “They’ll never have this opportunity again in their life.

“The other guys get this opportunity [again], so they’ve gotta remember what this feels like,” he added. “But again, I just told them it’s on me.”

The loss all but eliminates the Tar Heels from contention for the ACC Coastal Division–seeing that Virginia Tech would now need to lose each of its final two conference games–and it could prevent UNC from its season-long goal of winning the mythical state championship.

There’s still two more games left in the regular season, though, not to mention a bowl game later down the road.

Fedora’s job now is simply to remind his players of that fact, as they do their best to end the year on a high note.

“I fully expect us to regroup,” Fedora said. “We’re gonna do what we do. We’re gonna come back out and go to work.

“That’s what our guys know and it’s what they’re gonna do,” the coach continued. “These seniors are gonna make sure that happens.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will return home to Kenan Stadium for each of their final two regular season games, starting with a date against FCS opponent The Citadel next Saturday, Nov. 19.

Game Notes:

• Although UNC has won 23 of the last 27 games in this rivalry for the Victory Bell, Duke has won three of the last five meetings.
• The loss also ended the Tar Heels’ nine-game road win streak–which was tied for the third-longest streak in the nation.
• Trubisky became just the sixth player in UNC history to top 3,000 passing yards in a single season.
• Redshirt freshman tight end Carl Tucker’s 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter was his first in a Tar Heel uniform.

 

FINAL STATS