Losses left Duke and North Carolina looking for something to square their attention on the task at hand this week.
So they have each other.
The neighboring rivals meet Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., playing for the Victory Bell, which goes to the winner of this annual matchup.
“The great thing about sports is redemption is always a week away,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “… There will be no shortage of people who want to win the game on Saturday.”
The Blue Devils (5-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) pretty much had their aspirations of reaching the ACC championship game dashed with last week’s 34-17 loss to Virginia.
“(We need) the focus and fortitude to put it behind us and focus on what is a really, really important week for the program,” Diaz said. ” … All of our attention goes forward to getting a win on the road this weekend down in Chapel Hill.”
The Tar Heels (4-6, 2-4) had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 28-12 loss at Wake Forest. The Tar Heels were held without a touchdown in a game for the first time since October 2016.
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said he’s aware of the importance of the game regionally.
“Everybody knows each other pretty well, and (I’m) looking forward to being a participant in this event,” Belichick said.
If the Tar Heels want to participate in the postseason, they will need victories this week and next to reach 6-6 for the regular season. Up next is NC State (5-5).
North Carolina is averaging 18.7 points per game (16th out of 17 ACC teams), but has managed to stay within striking range in several games.
“They’re playing to their strength,” Diaz said. “They’re playing in low-scoring games that turn into one-score games.”
Duke is giving up 29.6 points per game, 13th in the ACC.
Duke’s offensive numbers look far superior to those for the Tar Heels. Quarterback Darian Mensah is averaging a league-best 300.7 passing yards per game, while Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard is averaging 70 rushing yards per game.
North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 158.3 yards per outing, with Demon June the team’s top rusher with 45.2 yards per game.
Prior to becoming Duke’s coach, Diaz said he made three visits to the New England Patriots when Belichick was still the coach there for what he referred to as “professional development” opportunities.
Duke, which already won games at Syracuse, Cal and Clemson, would finish off an undefeated road slate in ACC play with a win Saturday.
