University of North Carolina Athletics
Brewer: Duke Rivalry Has Produced Great Games Of Various Kinds
November 14, 2001 | Football
Nov. 14, 2001
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
What constitutes a great game?
Is it when a team is clicking on all cylinders and crushing an opponent, 50-0 or 41-0 (Of course, that's when your team is doing the routing.)?
A down-to-the-wire thriller with the winning points being scored in the final moments?
Perhaps, two evenly matched teams slugging things out in a high-scoring affair?
Or maybe a defensive struggle?
A heavy underdog pulling a major upset?
Possibly a game featuring a sensational individual performance?
An outcome being eventually being decided by one big play and maybe a trick play at that?
A dramatic come-from-behind win?
Or a game that has major outside implications, such as deciding a conference championship or having a bowl invitation riding on its outcome?
Any of these scenarios, and a number of others, could be characterized as a "great game." It simply depends on who's being asked. Some, in fact, would choose several of these possibilities.
Those who have followed the North Carolina-Duke football series over the years have seen a number of games that would fall into all of these categories.
The exciting thing about sports is that regardless of what one might think is going to happen in an athletic event, something unexpected usually develops. And that can turn a game into a great one.
Unfortunately for Carolina, Wake Forest fans saw last Saturday's game in Kenan Stadium turn into a great one for the Deacons. Down 24-0 at halftime, Wake rallied for an improbable 32-31 victory.
The recently completed World Series is another perfect example. Before it began, a majority of people felt the New York Yankees would win still another championship. But, after Arizona pitching dominated the first two games, there seemed little hope of the Yankees continuing their string of titles.
However, three straight wins by New York, including a pair of dramatic home runs to finish come-from-behind victories, seemed to finish off Arizona.
How could any team rebound from losses like that?
Of course, the Diamondbacks did, blowing out the Yankees, 15-2, and then pulling off their own ninth inning rally to win the seventh and deciding game.
Surprises such as these have been common when the Tar Heels have faced the Blue Devils. Just when you think you know how a game will be played, something out of the ordinary occurs.
Supposedly tight games have been blowouts. Heroics have come from an unexpected source. High-powered offenses have seen defenses dominate play.
That's the magic of athletics, especially in a rivalry like this.
Although Duke will come to Chapel Hill with an 0-10 record this Saturday, the Tar Heels must be at their absolute best. They have to overcome the great effort Duke will certainly give. The way the season has suddenly changed makes that a necessity.
Playing without starting quarterback Ronald Curry, Carolina has now suffered successive losses to Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Curry, the school's all-time total offense leader, has missed both games because of an injury and a death in his family.
Even in the two defeats, freshman quarterback Darian Durant has been outstanding. He has shown as lot of poise and isn't the reason these games were lost. While both quarterbacks throw the ball well, right now Curry is a more accomplished and explosive runner. Curry also has four years of experience that cannot be replaced.
Plus, the system of rotating the two quarterbacks worked well as Carolina reeled off five straight victories.
But, now the Tar Heel record has slipped to 5-5. Carolina must hold off Duke and then beat SMU on December 1 to finish with a winning record and be eligible for a bowl game.
That puts John Bunting in the same position as four of UNC's last five head coaches who went to bowl games--needing a win over Duke to get into post-season play.
Jim Hickey's 1963 team earned a Gator Bowl berth by coming from behind in the closing moments for a 16-14 victory in Durham. Max Chapman's 42-yard field goal with 32 seconds left capped a desperation drive on Thanksgiving Day, giving Carolina an 8-2 record.
In 1970 the Tar Heels had to beat Duke to secure a Peach Bowl invitation in only Bill Dooley's fourth year as a head coach. Sparked by the play of Don McCauley and Paul Miller, Carolina rolled to a 59-34 win. Bunting, in fact, was a star linebacker on that team.
Dick Crum's first UNC bowl team was in 1979. A spot in the Gator Bowl was awarded to the Tar Heels after beating Virginia in Charlottesville. Carolina had just a 6-3-1 record at the time, but avoided controversy about its selection by routing Duke the following Saturday.
The situation was different in 1992 when Mack Brown's Tar Heels had to defeat the Blue Devils for a Peach Bowl invitation. Mike Thomas drove Carolina 80 yards late in the game, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Brooks with just 2:06 remaining for a 31-28 victory.
Carl Torbush's first UNC team was 4-5 heading into its 1998 showdown with Duke. The N.C. State game had been shifted to the season finale for television purposes, but the Tar Heels had to defeat the Blue Devils to have any hope of becoming bowl-eligible.
Quarterback Oscar Davenport fired a pair of touchdown passes to Na Brown and Curry ran for 52 yards in a 28-6 victory. Carolina then outlasted the Wolfpack in overtime the following week for a 6-5 record. Those two wins got the Tar Heels into the Las Vegas Bowl.
A sensational performance by Curry keyed a stunning 59-21 UNC win in Durham last year. Curry had 319 yards of total offense, scored two touchdowns and passed for two more.
Ten of the last 20 games in this series have been decided by a touchdown or less.
In that period alone, Carolina has gotten sensational offensive performances from players like Curry, Thomas, Brooks, Brown, Mark Maye, Natrone Means, Leon Johnson, Kelvin Bryant, Eric Starr, Kennard Martin, Octavus Barnes, Jonathan Linton and Marcus Wall.
Julius Peppers, Bracey Walker, Dwight Hollier, William Fuller, Sean Boyd, Carl Carr, Larry James, Dre' Bly, Errol Hood, Ebenezer Ekuban have been among the defensive stars.
But, all that is the past.
The question is will this year's game be a great one?
A Blue Devil victory would end their protracted overall losing streak and a stretch of 11 straight wins by the Tar Heels in the series, longest ever in the history of this rivalry.
Carolina needs a win to keep alive hopes for a winning season and a possible bowl invitation.
Considering those circumstances, the quality play won't be the over-riding issue Saturday. A victory will be a great one for either team this weekend.
