After a 4-0 start, Duke has now lost back-to-back games to fall to 4-2 on the season. North Carolina broke a two-game losing streak in the series against the Blue Devils, escaping Durham with a 24-20 win to take the Victory Bell back down to Chapel Hill.
It was yet another frustrating defeat with Duke falling short despite having a late lead.
Here are five observations from the Duke loss:
1. Duke's slow start proved costly
Bill Belichick and North Carolina looked like the better-prepared team coming into this one. After back-to-back three-and-outs on offense, Duke took the field for its third offensive possession already down 17-0.
North Carolina scored 17 points on its first three possessions while Duke mustered zero. And while the Blue Devils gave a valiant effort to fight back and ultimately take a fourth-quarter lead, they simply dug too big a hole to recover from it.
2. Duke's defense once again couldn't get the stop it needed late
Manny Diaz and his defense hung in there after a slow start. After UNC mustered 17 points on its first three drives of the game, Duke stood tall on defense and didn't allow a single point on the next six possessions.
Not only that, but they got the first points on the board with Kyon Loud forcing a fumble that was scooped and scored by Andrew Pellcciotta. But lightning struck twice for the second week in a row.
After a touchdown by Nate Sheppard put the Blue Devils ahead 20-17 with under five to play, Duke couldn't make the stop it needed to secure the win. Instead, UNC went on an 8-play, 78-yard drive in under three minutes to score a touchdown and take the lead back.
Duke's final possession ended with a Walker Eget interception that ended the game.
3. Duke doesn't trust its downfield passing attack
Duke is not pushing the ball down the field enough in the passing game. That's either a lack of faith in Eget or just an acknowledgement of his skills. For the second week in a row, Sheppard was Duke's leading receiver. He caught 11 passes - eight more than any other Duke player - for 98 yards. The check down was the Blue Devils' best form of offense.
But teams are keying on the ground game and the short stuff because they aren't scared of Duke's downfield attack. That's a problem, and it led to Sheppard being held to under 100 rushing yards for the second straight game and UNC outgaining Duke by 11 yards on the ground. That looked like to be Duke's biggest advantage coming into the game, but it was completely mitigated.
4. Manny Diaz might have to consider a QB change
If they aren't going to trust Eget to throw the ball down the field, why not turn the keys over to the more athletic Dan Mahan? He can throw the same check-down passes that Eget is throwing, while adding a lot more athleticism at the QB position.
It was a similar thought that many had after Duke mustered just 17 points in the opener against Tulane, but Eget made that look silly with the way he played the next week at Illinois.
It's a conversation that will be revisited among Duke fans now, and it should be something weighing on Diaz's mind in the aftermath of this defeat.
5. Penalties were once again a killer
Diaz has talked about the frustration with penalties all year, and they reared their head once again tonight against UNC.
The Blue Devils were penalized eight times for 67 yards.
The lack of discipline continues to be prominent, and it's showing up in other ways. That's something that has to be fixed. Fast.
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