Tar Heels Set To Defend Victory Bell Saturday

November 7, 2015 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL --- Ranked No. 21 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Top 25 polls, ACC Coastal Division leader North Carolina faces Duke on Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon. It is homecoming for the Tar Heels, who are 5-0 at Kenan Stadium this season. The winner of the game will be awarded the Victory Bell.

Carolina has won seven in a row and is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in league play for the first time since 1997. Duke is 6-2 with the only losses coming to Northwestern and last week to Miami.

Carolina snapped a two-game losing streak to Duke last season with a 45-20 victory in Durham on Thursday night. The Tar Heels have won 22 of the last 25 meetings.

In its most recent action last Thursday night, Carolina jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead behind the efficient play of Marquise Williams and the powerful running of Elijah Hood. Williams connected with Ryan Switzer on a 71-yard pass play and Hood grinded out 98 yards rushing against a stout Pitt defense. Place-kicker Nick Weiler had his best game with four field goals and registered 14 points on the evening.

AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 7-1 (4-0 ACC), Duke 6-2 (3-1 ACC)
Rankings: Carolina is ranked No. 21 in both the AP and coaches polls. Duke is receiving votes in both polls.
TV: ESPN2. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Shannon Spake (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Ethan Albright (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes | GoDuke.com | Duke Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @Duke_FB
Fan Information: Tickets | Parking Information

QUICK HITS
• Marquise Williams is just the fifth quarterback in ACC history with 2,000 career rushing yards. Williams ranks 13th in UNC history with 2,038 yards.
• Williams has been responsible for 78 career touchdowns, which is one shy of the school record of 79 held by Darian Durant (2001-04) and ranks 10th in ACC history. Williams has rushed for 27 scores (UNC record for QB), passed for 48 and has three receiving TDs.
• Carolina is the only school in the country that has not allowed a conventional punt return this season. A blocked punt at Pitt is the only statistical punt return allowed by the Tar Heels.
• Carolina has allowed just 61 points in the second half in eight games – 7.6 points per game. (South Carolina – 7 points; North Carolina A&T – 14; Illinois – 7; Delaware – 7; Georgia Tech – 10; Wake Forest – 0; Virginia – 0; Pittsburgh – 16)
• Senior wide receiver Quinshad Davis is the all-time leader at UNC in receptions (183) and touchdowns (22). He currently ranks fourth at UNC in career receiving yards and is 120 shy of moving into second place.
• Ten current Tar Heels have made 20-or-more career starts. Quinshad Davis leads the way with 41, followed by OG Landon Turner (36), OT Jon Heck (32), LB Jeff Schoettmer (32) and OG Caleb Peterson (31).
• North Carolina is 10 for 10 in non-quarterback passes under Larry Fedora. WR Quinshad Davis has completed all four pass attempts of his career for touchdowns. He is 4 of 4 for 121 yards and four touchdowns for a passer rating of 684.1. WR Ryan Switzer has completed all three of his attempts For two touchdowns.
• Carolina ranks third in the country in passing yards allowed, 13th in pass efficiency defense and 16th in scoring defense. UNC is allowing just 152.9 passing yards per game and 17.0 points per game.
• Carolina is 21st in the nation in scoring offense and is one of just 10 teams in the country averaging more than 200 yards per game rushing (210.3) and 250 passing (259.8).
• Carolina has punted just 22 times this year. Only Georgia Southern (21), Navy (20) and Baylor (17) have fewer punts.
• Preseason first-team All-America guard Landon Turner will make his 37th career start Saturday against Duke. Turner has graded out at 90 percent or higher in six of eight games this season.

CAROLINA-DUKE SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina and Duke will renew their rivalry for the 102nd time on Thursday with the Tar Heels holding a 60-37-4 advantage.
• Carolina has had a player rush for 100 yards or more on 41 occasions vs. Duke, including nine of the last 10 meetings. The last time a Carolina player did not rush for 100 yards against the Blue Devils was in 2006.
- 2014: T.J. Logan rushed for 116 yards on 18 carries in a 45-20 win.
- 2013: QB Marquise Williams rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns in a loss in Chapel Hill.
- 2012: Giovani Bernard rushed for 143 yards on 24 carries in a 33-30 loss in Durham.
- 2011: Bernard had 165 yards and a touchdown in a 37-21 victory.
- 2010: Anthony Elzy rushed for 116 yards in a 24-19 victory in Durham.
- 2009: Ryan Houston ran for 164 yards on 37 carries in a 19-6 win.
- 2008: Shaun Draughn rushed for 110 yards in a 28-20 victory.
- 2007: Greg Little rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
• Seven of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by eight points or less.
• In the most recent meeting in Chapel Hill in 2013, Duke kicked a field goal with 2:22 remaining to claim a 27-25 victory. Marquise Williams rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Tar Heels' five-game win streak came to an end.
• Last year, Carolina routed Duke, 45-20, with Marquise Williams throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more. He complted 18 of 27 attempts for 276 yards and rushed 21 times for 98 yards. • Carolina linebacker Jeff Schoettmer's father, Steve, played linebacker at Duke (lettered in 1974-75).