UNC, Duke face off with ACC Coastal implications

The Tar Heels, who are first in the ACC Coastal division, risk losing the top position in their Saturday night showdown against the Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports

The football edition of the UNC-Duke rivalry has conference stakes to it this year. 

The Tar Heels, who are first in the ACC Coastal division, risk losing the top position in their Saturday night showdown against the Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. 

Duke, which sits at third in the division, comes into this match-up with a winning record for the second year in a row. The Blue Devils are also the first UNC opponent in 2022 to enter the game with a winning record, sitting at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. 

Last season, UNC came into the Duke game behind in the divisional race with two early losses to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Although the script has flipped this time around, the Tar Heels aren't far from having to fight for the top spot again. 

Match-up wise, UNC has the advantage offensively. The Tar Heels' offense has been lighting it up all season, averaging an ACC-best 501 yards per game while Duke's defense gives up just under 380.

However, gaining an edge in the ACC Coastal will come down to who wins between the Tar Heels' struggling defense and a Blue Devil offense that can run the ball. 

UNC has one of the worst rushing defenses in the conference, giving up 167.8 rushing yards per game. Yet, in its last game against Miami, the defense held strong in keeping the Hurricanes to only 42 yards on the ground. 

Doing the same this weekend will help the Tar Heels keep Duke's offense stagnant as their passing attack is nowhere near as good as any team UNC has faced. Despite a spread out rushing attack between multiple Duke running backs and quarterback Riley Leonard, building off an impressive run defense performance will ensure UNC comes away even further ahead in the division. 

UNC and Duke will square-off on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. from Wallace Wade Stadium.