WATCH: North Carolina drops hype video ahead of Battle for the Victory Bell against Duke Blue Devils
It’s rivalry weekend for two of college football’s most bitter rivals, the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels. While both teams are far more well known for their basketball pedigree and prowess, they’ll take to the gridiron this weekend to battle for the Victory Bell. Check out the hype video the Tar Heels dropped ahead of Saturday’s matchup to get you fired up for the game. The narrator for the video is country music singer Chase Rice, who played linebacker for the Tar Heels.
“Some bells tell more than just time. Some tell stories. This one tells a story a century old. And it’s not a story of love. This is the legend of Tobacco Road. The story of battles fought and legends made. No, this bell does not toll to merely pass the hour. Its only measure is winning. The victor is for whom this bell tolls,” Rice said in the video.
Both teams are having successful seasons entering into the 2022 version of the rivalry. The Tar Heels feature a high-octane offensive attack led by signal-caller Drake Maye and his arsenal of dynamic pass catchers. He’s been putting up video game numbers this season. Even though North Carolina’s defense has been really, really bad this season, it’s a fair question to ask whether or not the Blue Devils will be able to keep pace with the high scoring UNC passing attack. A lot of that will hinge on which version of the North Carolina defense shows up on Saturday.
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North Carolina’s defense has tightened up a bit in the past few weeks
North Carolina’s defense has stiffened a bit in the past few weeks, at least on the scoreboard and that’s what counts the most. They only allowed 10 points last week in a 41-10 beatdown of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Then, a few weeks ago, they held Miami to 42 rushing yards in a 27-24 win. The Tar Heels’ pass defense was still more than generous against the Hurricanes–they were torched by Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to the tune of 496 passing yards.
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is sneaky good. He’s been very effective and efficient with the football. This season, he’s completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,332 yards, while tossing in eight touchdowns and three interceptions. As a runner, he’s rushed for 289 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
While North Carolina has won three in a row in their series against Duke, this game has come down to the wire time and time again over the years. It should be yet another exciting matchup.
North Carolina and Duke will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.