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Duke vs. UNC with a twist
There's more on the line for Blue Devils than just a rivalry game
AP Photo
Duke’s Sean Cascarano (79) and his teammates celebrate beating Virginia.
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Published: November 4, 2009
DURHAM - Bragging rights usually have been Duke's only incentive in football games against North Carolina.
This season is a big exception.
The Blue Devils have known only torment from the neighboring Tar Heels for most of the past 20 seasons, and they still want the bragging rights. But at 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the ACC heading into Saturday's game at Kenan Stadium, Duke has a chance for its first winning season since 1994, and maybe more.
"That's how our team and our coaching staff is trying to look at this game," said tight end Brett Huffman of Duke.
"Obviously we know the implications of what a big game this is, our rival game, North Carolina, but we have to look at this as the next game on our schedule.
"We've got to get this win to make our ultimate goal, which is making a bowl game and now being in the chase for a possible ACC championship game."
Coach David Cutcliffe's second Duke team grows stronger each week, and now has consecutive victories over N.C. State, Maryland and Virginia.
Duke is 4-5 in road games under Cutcliffe, after going 3-42 in road games the eight seasons before he became coach. Duke's three road wins this season are the most since 1994, when a team coached by Fred Goldsmith won its first seven games. The '94 season also was the last time Duke played in a bowl game and had at least eight wins.
But Cutcliffe said that Duke will need more than the confidence boost from a three-game winning streak to defeat UNC for only the second time since 1989 and the first time since 2003.
"We will really have to play better this week to have a chance to beat North Carolina at North Carolina," Cutcliffe said. "I just speak the truth. That's not coach talk.
"We really are going to have to play our best game. We're going over there into what I would call more than a hostile environment. It'll be a great gut check from an emotions standpoint. We have to play our best game physically."
The game was moved to an earlier date, mostly because of UNC's desire to play N.C. State in its regular-season finale, and it will be North Carolina's homecoming.
Some Duke players feel slighted about being UNC's homecoming opponent, but many veterans, including quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, aren't bothered by it and need no artificial motivation.
"It's a big rivalry game; maybe they did it to sell more tickets," Lewis said. "I've heard the game is sold out. It's hard to find tickets around here. I have just enough for my family."
Lewis hasn't played in a win against UNC. Neither has Re'quan Boyette, a fifth-year running back. Duke lost by eight last season and by six in overtime in 2007. Duke has had other heartbreakers, losing 45-44 to UNC in 2006, 24-21 in 2005 and 23-21 in 2002.
Boyette is hoping that the suffering ends, not only for himself but also for his teammates, former Duke players and Duke fans.
"The close games hurt even more than getting blown out," Boyette said. "You're losing to your rival by one point.
"It's going to be a great game, but we really don't want to leave it up to one point. But a win is a win, whether it's one point or three points or 30."
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