Duke, North Carolina Are Opposing Each Other Saturday Afternoon With The Victory Bell At Stake In Durham

8 miles is what separates the campuses of Duke, North Carolina!

In the fall of 1948, UNC Head Cheerleader Norman Sper along with Loring Jones of Duke, likely inspired by other traveling trophies in college football, came up with the idea for the Victory Bell. Jones designed the frame and Sper obtained an old railway bell from the Southern Railway.[2] North Carolina won possession of the first-ever Victory Bell game with a 20–0 shutout victory at Kenan Memorial Stadium in 1948.[3]

A season ago it was North Carolina who claimed victory bell with 47-45 win in Chapel Hill in double overtime when starting Drake Maye who is now playing in the NFL for the New England in regulation as well as overtime when he completed 28-43 attempts for 342 yards through the air overall throwing for score while running for pair.

While running Omarion Hampton rushed 31 times for 169 yards and a score, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while also catching eight balls for 47 more. Walker caught seven Maye passes for a career-high 162 yards, averaging a whopping 23.1 yards per completion.

According to espn app

Duke, North Carolina are opposing each other Saturday afternoon with the victory bell at stake in Durham.

Where?

On the gridiron!

Duke, North Carolina are both members of the Atlantic Coast Conference!

Duke is ninth in the 9th in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings!

North Carolina 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings!

Duke comes into the Duke, North Carolina game yet to have lost a game in 2024 because they have a record of 4-0 following their 45 -17 win at Middle Tennessee on Saturday September 21, 2024 .

Duke used defense, offense to improve to 4-0 on 2024 season with 45-17 win on the road at Middle Tennessee Saturday.

Duke’s defense forced Middle Tennessee to fumble three times in the first half while overall Middle Tennessee turned the football over four times.

Offensively Duke scored 6 touchdowns. In the 1st quarter Nicky Dalmolin caught 71 yard pass from quarterback Maalik Murphy , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point tying 7-7 before Peyton Jones ran for 1 yard touchdown , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point putting Duke ahead of Middle Tennessee 14-7 before Middle Tennessee got within 14-10 as Zeke Rankin kicked, made 26 yard field goal before Star Thomas ran for 1 yard touchdown , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point putting Duke up 21-10 before they would extend their over Middle Tennessee 28-10 when Nicky Dalmolin would 7 yard pass from Maalik Murphy, Todd would kick make extra point extending Duke’s lead yet again this time to 28-10. In 2nd quarter Jordan Moore would catch 34 yard pass from Maalik Murphy , Todd Pelino would kick, make extra point. In the third quarter Todd Pelino would kick, make 23 yard field goal putting Duke up 38-10 though the 3rd would come with a rain , lightning delay. When the delay was over Middle Tennessee would respond with a touchdown as Holden Willis would catch 15 yard pass from Nicholas Vattiato Zeke Rankin would kick, make extra point making 38-17 Duke before Duke would score yet another touchdown as Star Thomas would rush 1 yard touchdown giving Duke a 45-17 win on the road at Middle Tennessee.

Following Duke’s 45-17 win at Middle Tennessee Saturday Duke Head Coach Manny Diaz had this to say Nicky Dalmolin catching 71 yard pass from Maalik Murphy had this to say about his team about how his team performed defensively about linebacker Alex Howard!

That’s kind of a gut punch to give up a run like that,”

It was just a cheap one. We just felt like that’s going to bug everybody because you want to get off to a great start. But for the offense to come back and answer right away was huge.”

For him to go over 100 yardswe had a feeling that would happen during the course of the week and it was great to see him come up with the first really big play of the game.”

“Those guys up front, that would already be a little bit of adversity,”And then to play against a completely different style of defense that what you had anticipated in practice and all the plays that you had set up, the find success to get Star Thomas back over 100 yards again on 17 carries was very encouraging.”

Diaz said having a player like Howard playing the “Will” (or weak-side) linebacker in his defensive scheme makes the system work best. “We are at best when we have a dynamic Will that can finish a play and make plays behind a lot of scrimmage,”

It’s a great coming together of a scheme that’s really made for Alex and Alex really being made for the scheme.”

According to Stephen Wiseman’s News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article292580214.html

Ahead of Duke, North Carolina game Saturday Duke Head Coach Manny Diaz shared his thoughts on how his team who averages 11.5 tackles per loss 3.5 sacks per game had this to say!

I’m probably a little bit surprised how it’s happened as fast as it’s happened,”

and I think the credit goes to coach Patke and his staff, but more than anything, to our kids. I think they’ve done a great job of adapting to it, and now that they’ve seen it, now that they have the body of evidence, like you say when you lead the country in anything, right? So they get it, you know, the tackles for losses, the sacks, and why that matters. What that does to drives.”

The challenge of that will be increased this week,”“but that’s still paramount. The first way you win a game is you have to play great defense.”

Against who?

Well the entire team though one North Carolina player imparticular in running back Omarion Hampton, who was a preseason All -American who happens to leadf the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing yards (555) haven scored 6 touchdowns already in 2024 season.

According to espn app

Ahead of Duke, North Carolina game Saturday Duke Defensive Coordinator Jonthan Patke had this to say about Omarion Hampton!

He’ll be the best tailback we faced,”An NFL player who runs really hard and is really hard to bring down. I think our guys will understand the challenge going into his game, especially guys that played him before. We have to tackle. This has to be our best tackling game. He’s a special player.”

According to Stephen Wiseman News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article292909804.html

North Carolina comes into the game with record of 3-1 because unlike Duke North Carolina has lost a game this season as they lost to James Madison 70-50 a week ago today in Chapel Hill. As North Carolina lost 70-50 to James Madison Saturday North Carolina fumbled the football 3 times. The defense surrendered 223 yards to James Madison in rushing that included pair of touchdowns. In receiving yards North Carolina defense gave up 388 yards James Madison 17.6 yards per rush as a team North Carlina’s defense let James Madison score 70 points.

According to espn app

Following being in embarrassed by James Madison on their home turf North Carolina Head Coach Mack Brown had this to say!

Embarrassing day, shocking day,“You shouldn’t be at North Carolina and lose to a ‘Group of Five’ team, period. There are no excuses.

“The people who want to blame me, they should. I am at fault, one hundred percent,”

I’m embarrassed for our whole program that we would put a product like that on the field. I feel really bad about that.”

According to Chip Alexander News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article292579969.html

Kickoff is set for 4:00pm from Brooks Field @Wallace Wade Stadium!

The game is going to be televised on ESPN2 with Mike Monaco , Kirk Morrison , Dawn Davenport commentating!