University of North Carolina Athletics
Inside The Numbers: Duke Game
October 5, 2021 | Football
Carolina remained unbeaten at home in 2021 with a 38-7 victory last week against Duke to keep hold of the Victory Bell for the third year in a row. Head coach Mack Brown won his 11th-straight game over the Blue Devils and is now 11-2 all-time against our Tobacco Road rivals.
Last weekend's game marked the 100th consecutive year that Carolina and Duke have faced each other on the football field, and the Tar Heels improved their all-time record to 64-40-4 over the Blue Devils. UNC has won the last two games in the series by margins of 32 and 31 points, respectively. The last time Carolina won back-to-back games by 30 or more points against Duke was in 2000 and 2001.
Sam Howell continued his assault on the Tar Heel record book last weekend with his fourth-straight game with more than 300 passing yards, the longest streak of his career. Howell has reached the 300-yard passing plateau 17 times in 30 collegiate games, far-and-away the most in program history.
Most career games with 3+ Touchdown passes
17 - Sam Howell, 2019-2020
10 - Bryn Renner, 2011-2013
8 - Darian Durant, 2001-2004
8 - Marquise Williams, 2013-2015
8 - Mitch Trubisky, 2015-2016
8 - T.J. Yates, 2007-2008 and 2010
Howell also moved into an exclusive club that includes only five players in ACC history that have ever thrown 80 career touchdown passes.
ACC Touchdown Leaders
107 - Tajh Boyd, Clemson, 2010-13
95 - Philip Rivers, NC State, 2000-03
90 - Deshaun Watson, Clemson, 2014-16
90 - Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, 2018-20
82 - Sam Howell, 2019-present
Highest passer rating under pressure in Week 5
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 3, 2021
1. Spencer Rattler, OU - 158.3
2. Sam Howell, UNC - 129.5
3. Sam Hartman, Wake - 122.3
4. Cade McNamara, Mich - 122.1 pic.twitter.com/r33wqFvfqZ
Josh Downs was named ACC Receiver of the Week for the second time in three weeks after posting a game-high 168 receiving yards and a 63-yard receiving touchdown in the 38-7 win over Duke. Based on available records, he is the first Tar Heel to catch a TD in the first five games of a season. Downs also had 36 punt return yards for 204 all-purpose yards against the Blue Devils.
Downs joined a short list of Carolina receivers to ever earn ACC Receiver of the Week honors twice in a season
ACC RECEIVER OF THE WEEK TWICE
Josh Downs 2021
Dyami Brown 2019, 2020
Ryan Switzer 2016
Mack Hollins 2015
Dwight Jones 2011
MORE FROM DOWNS
• Downs has a TD catch in six-straight games dating back to last year's Orange Bowl. According to ESPN's David Hale, the only other ACC WR to do that in the past decade are DeAndre Hopkins, Sage Surratt, Bryan Underwood, Jaquarii Roberson & Kelvin Benjamin.
• Downs leads the ACC with 24 receptions of 10+ yards and is second with six catches of 30+ yards. He and Louisville's Tyler Harrell are the only receivers in the league with multiple catches of 50+ yards.
• His 399 yards after catch and 27 first downs both lead the country, according to PFF.
Josh Downs is straight out of a video game! 🎮
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 2, 2021
63 yards for the @UNCFootball touchdown!
➡️ https://t.co/7ZQ77BvFpI pic.twitter.com/PuqOiMRjRw
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
HOW 🤯
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 3, 2021
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/W7o8k6VI5b
GET BIG @8kMike ‼️@budlight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/psIuObJWE4
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 3, 2021
VICTORY VIBES
Victory Vibes: Duke Edition 🐏#CarolinaFootball 🏈 #BeTheOne pic.twitter.com/WUykeNNsui
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 5, 2021
