Live: North Carolina leads Duke 17-7 in third quarter

DURHAM — North Carolina scored on its first three possessions, including a quick touchdown after a blocked punt, but Duke answered with a defensive touchdown to trim the Tar Heels’ lead to 17-7 at halftime at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Tar Heels went 74 yards on 11 plays on their first drive, capped by a 28-yard field goal by Rece Verhoff. 

UNC’s second drive was set up by a blocked punt off a poor Duke snap. Punter Kade Reynoldson tried to get the kick off, but his attempt was blocked by Calvin Thomas and UNC recovered at the Duke 11. Three plays later, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. found Jordan Shipp in the back of the end zone for a five-yard touchdown.

The Tar Heels went 63 yards in 14 plays on its next possession and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by Demon June on fourth-and-2.

Duke, which was held without a first down in the first quarter, had plays of 28 yards and 33 yards on back-to-back plays in the subsequent drive. But UNC defensive back Greg Smith III stuffed Duke running back C.J. Campell on fourth-and-1 from the UNC 2 to end the drive.

Backed up, Shipp fumbled while fighting for a first down and Duke’s Andrew Pellicciotta picked up the loose ball and returned it for a 9-yard touchdown.

The Tar Heels (3-2 overall, 1-1 in the ACC) have lost two straight games in the series to Duke (4-1, 1-1). UNC led Duke 20-0 in the third quarter in 2024 before the Blue Devils scored the game’s final 21 points.

Sheppard in the lineup

Duke star running back Nate Sheppard, the nation’s leading rusher, started for the Blue Devils in their rivalry game against North Carolina after being a game-time decision due to an ankle injury.

Sheppard, who is averaging 148.6 rushing yards per game through five games for Duke, caught a short pass on the first play and rushed for two yards on the second play. 

He finished the first half with four carries for 18 yards and a team-high five receptions for 49 yards.

Shepard entered the game second on the team in receptions with 17.

“He's a good receiver,” UNC coach Bill Belichick said earlier this week. “He's very good at breaking tackles, making yards after contact. Tackling is going to be, as it always is, really important for us. But particularly, with him, he looks very, very good, very productive. As I said, both catching the ball and running with it.”

Sheppard took a short pass for 45 yards to position the Blue Devils for a game-tying kick in the final seconds against Georgia Tech, which Duke missed.

“If you let Sheppard out, you're going to pay for it,” Belichick said.

UNC starters out

UNC is without starting defensive backs Kaleb Cost and Tre Miller and offensive lineman Jordan Hall. Cost and Miller were injured in last week’s win against Pittsburgh.

UNC defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson, defensive back Greg Smith and tight end Jordan Washington are considered game-time decisions. 

Duke starting center Matt Craycraft is out with an injury. Starting kicker Cosme Salas is out for the season.

Strength vs. strength

Duke has won the last two games between the rivals, including a 32-25 victory in Chapel Hill to keep control of the Victory Bell in 2025. The last four meetings have been decided by seven or fewer points.

Duke has allowed just one sack this season, but will face a stiff challenge from the Tar Heels’ defensive front. Xavier Lewis has a team-high six sacks and five other players have recorded at least 0.5 sacks on the year.

“"It’s not ‘might be’ the strength of their team, it is the strength of their team," Duke coach Manny Diaz said. "They are really, really good up front."