North Carolina Football: 3 takeaways from shellacking of rival Duke

North Carolina football showed up and dominated the Duke Blue Devils 56-24 to keep the Victory Bell in the annual rivalry game. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels win their second consecutive Victory Bell rivalry game against Duke, dominating from start to finish at Wallace Wade Stadium this afternoon. This game was a departure from last season’s nail bitter. The Tar Heels scored more points in the first quarter (21) than they did all game last season (20).

Sam Howell had one of his best season games, throwing for 235 yards and three touchdowns. The running game was dominant again this afternoon, chewing up 338 yards and five of UNC’s eight touchdowns. Defensively, North Carolina did surrender 411 yards but sacked Chase Brice five times and forced two turnovers.

Once again, Duke’s offense sputtered out of the gate, getting held scoreless in the first quarter and scoring just ten points in the first half. By then, it was 42-10 and too late to mount a comeback. The defense could not slow down the North Carolina offense at all. North Carolina did not punt until late in the third quarter.

With the win, Mack Brown runs his record against interstate rival Duke to 10-2 all time. Here are three more takeaways from Saturday’s game.