UNC defense spoils Duke’s championship hopes

DURHAM — Blame the defense.

It’s been the easy thing to do with the North Carolina football team this season — one during which opponents have broken offensive record after offensive record.

But on Thursday night at Wallace Wade Stadium, under the floodlights and in the blistering cold, not a bit of blame could be placed on players lined up across from Duke’s offense — the defense ranked last in the ACC and 122nd out of 125 FBS schools before the game.

The North Carolina defense gave up 511.6 yards per game and 51 total touchdowns, earning it a spot at the bottom of the conference.

In North Carolina’s 45-20 win, UNC’s defense held Duke (8-3, 4-3 ACC) in check.

The Blue Devils managed just 243 total yards of offense through three quarters — before a desperation fourth quarter filled with deep shots downfield — and their 20 points are the fewest an opponent has scored against the Tar Heels this season.

“We just wanted to prove everybody wrong,” said redshirt freshman defensive end Dajuan Drennon. “Not too many people believe in us besides the people in our building every day. We just wanted to go out there and prove everybody wrong.”

Typically, teams start off fast on offense against the Tar Heels (6-5, 4-3 ACC).

Opposing quarterbacks take advantage of UNC’s young starting cornerbacks, Des Lawrence and Brian Walker, both sophomores. The scenario has played out like clockwork multiple times this season.

It starts up front.

UNC’s defensive line can’t get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, who let it fly.

It started up front against Duke.

Yet this time, the defensive line didn’t allow the pressure to mount on the secondary.

On Duke’s first drive, junior defensive lineman Justin Thomason got to backup Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk, forcing a fumble recovered by redshirt junior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer.

The ensuing drive? UNC touchdown. Tar Heels 7-0.

On Duke’s next drive, Blue Devil starting quarterback Anthony Boone became the victim.

On a scramble, Boone met the likes of redshirt freshman defensive tackle Nazair Jones and Lawrence. Another fumble, this time scooped up by senior free safety Tim Scott and taken 10 yards to the end zone.

“They said that Duke had the No. 2 best offensive guard or whatever (in Laken Tomlinson), but we really just used that — fuel to our fire,” Drennon said. “As long as we dominate him, then we feel like we could dominate the rest of the line. I felt like we did that.”

UNC never looked back from the 14-point lead sparked by the defense.

The Blue Devil offense managed to piece together a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive midway through the first quarter.

But UNC’s defense answered back, forcing four consecutive punts. Freshman cornerback M.J. Stewart then intercepted a pass by Boone, ending that streak.

At the end of the first half, the Duke defense got active, forcing UNC redshirt junior quarterback Marquise Williams to fumble the ball on three consecutive drives. Yet the Tar Heel defense didn’t allow the Blue Devils to score on any of their subsequent possessions in the first half.

“The defense ... played outstanding tonight, lights out,” Williams said. “Turned the ball over, got turnovers, 3-and-outs the whole night — they did what they needed to do. They told me, ‘Hey man, don’t worry about a turnover ... Let’s play ball.’”

Duke failed to score the ball for 31 minutes and 56 seconds spanning the second and third quarters.

Two Blue Devil touchdowns in the final 20 minutes of the game could not overcome UNC’s strong early defensive effort.

No one watching the game could have blamed the Tar Heel defense for anything Thursday night. Well, except for one Blue Devil outcome.

With the win, the Tar Heels denied Duke a chance at playing in the ACC Championship.

That’s one thing the defense and Scott, who had five tackles and one fumble recovery for the Tar Heels, will take the blame for.

“We did a lot this game. We won. We became bowl eligible. We stopped them from going to the ACC Championship. And we got our bell back. This was a huge game,” said Scott, a member of the defense when the Tar Heels last held the bell in 2011-12 season.

“The defense definitely needed to show up and we did that.”

sports@dailytarheel.com