Takeaways From Duke's Rivalry Victory Over North Carolina

It wasn't easy, but no rivalry game truly is. Duke overcame a second-half flurry from North Carolina to win the rivalry game, 32-25.

The win improves Duke to 6-5 on the season, officially making the Blue Devils eligible for bowl season. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels fall to 4-7 and will miss out on the postseason in year one under coach Bill Belichick.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Manny Diaz was not going to let this game slip away, and was uber aggressive on both sides of the ball at the end of the game. Duke outgained North Carolina 352-305 and the Blue Devils were 5-of-6 on fourth downs.

Jeremiah Hasley!

He now has three catches for 54 yards and a TD! pic.twitter.com/q1mZZA80ut
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 22, 2025

Despite the poor numbers for the Tar Heels' offense this season, quarterback Gio Lopez kept them in the game with an efficient passing attack.

Still, Duke rallied late to steal a win on the road. Here are a few key takeaways from the Blue Devils' bowl-clinching win.

Blue Devils Thrived On The Ground

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) scores during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

For once, Duke established the run early in the game and stuck with it. After a trio of three-and-outs last week without much attempt at running the football, offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer made a point this week.

The Blue Devils rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Nate Sheppard was particularly impressive. He took 22 carries for 90 yards and also caught a two-point conversion from Darian Mensah.

ANGRY RUN ALERT ‼️ @KyleBrandt pic.twitter.com/G3aXXZSQCg
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 22, 2025

Anderson Castle made the most of his final game against the Tar Heels. He carried the ball 13 times for 49 yards and scored a hat trick of touchdowns. Castle plunged into the end zone from one yard out three separate times, including the game-winning score in the fourth quarter.

This was a far cry from the normal pass-first offense. Mensah still completed 20-of-33 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, but Duke stayed with the run game throughout.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle (4) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The running game helped the Blue Devils control the pace and close out the game. Six of Duke's nine drives last more than four minutes. Duke's offense owned the ball for 36 minutes in the game.

Duke Dives Into The Bag Of Tricks

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils kicker Todd Pelino (29) is pushed out of bounds on a fake field goal during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

While Brewer might be calling plays, Diaz has the final say on big decisions on fourth down, especially when it comes to trick plays.

On a fourth down play with nine minutes remaining in the game, the Blue Devils needed just one yard in UNC territory. Diaz watched as the Blue Devils dialed up a tricky throwback pass for receiver Que'Sean Brown, throwing to Mensah.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Sahmir Hagans (2) is tackled after a catch by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Jaiden Patterson (18) during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

However, the Tar Heels were not fooled, sacking Brown for an 11-yard loss. With UNC in front by one point, that could have been a costly decision.

Instead, Duke got the ball back a little over two minutes later and with a chance to take the lead again.

Once again facing a fourth down, the Blue Devils were in field goal range for kicker Todd Pelino at the UNC 27-yard line. Pelino missed an earlier kick from 46 yards away, but a roughing the kicker penalty erased the miss and turned it into a Duke touchdown.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils tight end Jeremiah Hasley (85) scores a touchdown during the first half against the North Carolina Tar at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

This time, Pelino lined up for a 44-yard try to take the lead. At the snap, holder Kade Reynoldson caught the ball and shoveled it to Pelino, who took off to the left side and dashed down the sideline for a 26-yard gain before being shoved out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

THERE GOES TODD PELINO!!!!! pic.twitter.com/QU6b6TbOeE
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 22, 2025

The gutsy gamble flipped the script. Instead of Duke potentially clinging to a two-point lead or desperately searching for another stop if Pelino missed, the fake field goal setup Castle's third and final touchdown run and the ensuing two-point conversion to go up by seven.

That was certainly a play that will be remembered in this rivalry series for a long time.

Defense Gashed Again, But Late Pressure Was Critical

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) scrambles away from Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Josiah Green (4) during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Duke's defense has been an unmitigated disaster this season, and Saturday wasn't a phenomenal day either. North Carolina's offense, which was second-to-last in the ACC in points per game (18.7) and last in total offense per game (290 yards), had success against the Blue Devils.

The Tar Heels posted 305 yards of total offense and were efficient through the air. Lopez completed 21-of-27 passes for 204 yards and had one touchdown pass, as well as a score on the ground.

North Carolina didn't run much, but still totaled 101 yards on the ground. Davion Gause took nine carries for 63 yards and a score, while Lopez added 20 yards of his own.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) is hit after a pass by Duke Blue Devils defensive back Caleb Weaver (3) during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

However, the Duke defense actually did a solid job of closing the game out in the fourth quarter. North Carolina ran just seven plays in the final period. Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke turned up the heat.

Duke had three sacks in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackles Josiah Green and Aaron Hall both brought Lopez down on consecutive plays to force a three-and-out after Duke's turnover on downs.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Davion Gause (37) is tackled on a run during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

On UNC's final possession, linebacker Luke Mergott spied on Lopez and sacked him to create a fourth down and 13 yards to go. To close it out, Lopez overshot his receiver, Kobe Paysour, with edge rusher Vincent Anthony Jr. breathing down his neck.

Overall, it wasn't a terrific day for the Blue Devils defensively, but the pressure at the end of the game was a welcome sight.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter)HERE