Battle for the Bell: UNC–Duke Matchup Shapes Postseason Outlook

North Carolina (4-6, 2-4 ACC) will host Duke (5-5, 4-2 ACC) at Kenan Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.

North Carolina is coming off a 28-12 loss at Wake Forest on Saturday, snapping a two-game winning streak. Duke, meanwhile, fell at home to Virginia, 34-17, a defeat that all but eliminated the Blue Devils from ACC Championship Game contention.

North Carolina leads the all-time series 65-41-4, but Duke won last year's matchup, 21-20, after scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the win. The victory gave the Blue Devils possession of the Victory Bell for the first time since 2019.

If North Carolina wins, the Tar Heels will need to beat NC State next week to become bowl eligible. A loss Saturday means they will miss out on a postseason bowl.

If Duke wins, the Blue Devils become bowl eligible. If they lose, they will need to beat Wake Forest next week to earn bowl eligibility.

Here is some info about Duke's offense and defense.

Offense

Duke Blue Devis — Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the first quarter at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Duke's offensive national rankings:

No. 30 total offense (432.7)
No. 100 rushing offense (129.8)
No. 7 passing offense (302.9)
No. 19 passing efficiency
No. 68 third downs (39.7%)
No. 10 fourth downs (73.9%)
No. 86 red zone (81.0%)
No. 120 fumbles lost (8 total)
No. 9 passes intercepted (4)
No. 48 TFLs allowed (4.9 per game)
No. 91 sacks allowed (2.2 per game)

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Darian Mensah (10) hands the ball to Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke’s offense is powered by its strong passing attack, led by one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, Darian Mensah. The Tulane transfer has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards, the fourth-most nationally, with 25 touchdowns—third-most in the country—and just four interceptions. He leads the ACC in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency.

Duke features two outstanding running backs: true freshman Nate Sheppard, who has 112 carries for 700 yards and seven touchdowns, and Anderson Castle, who has 69 carries for 365 yards and six touchdowns.

The Blue Devils have a strong group of receivers, highlighted by Cooper Barkate. Barkate has 53 catches for 869 yards, ranking third in the ACC, and six touchdowns, tied for the league lead.

The receiving corps also includes Sean Brown, who has 45 catches for 598 yards and three touchdowns, and Shamir Hagans, who has 30 catches for 373 yards and five touchdowns.

Defense

Nov 9, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils cornerback Chandler Rivers (0) celebrates a blocked touchdown during the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils' national defensive rankings:

No. 117 total defense (419.8)
No. 64 rushing defense (146.5)
No. 128 passing yards allowed (272.3)
No. 117 pass defensive efficiency
No. 100 scoring defense (29.6)
No. 117 third-down defense (44.4%)
No. 97 fourth-down defense (60.0%)
No. 128 red zone defense (92.9%)
No. 32 interceptions (10)
No. 70 sacks (2.00 per game)
No. 7 TFLs (7.3 per game)
No. 42 turnovers gained (15)

Duke has a solid defensive line. On the interior, the Blue Devils feature Aaron Hall (31 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks) and Josiah Green (25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) clogging up the middle. On the edges are Vincent Anthony Jr. (26 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks) and Wesley Williams (35 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks).

Luke Mergott (57 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) and Tre Freeman (44 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions) lead the linebacker corps.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. (7) at the coin toss before the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Despite issues stopping the pass, the Blue Devils have one of the better cornerbacks in the country in Chandler Rivers. He has 41 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Safeties Caleb Weaver and Jaiden Francois provide excellent run support as well. Weaver leads the team with 72 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Francois has 58 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss at the STAR position.

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