How many times has UNC beaten Duke? Previewing 110th matchup between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils

North Carolina’s head coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels will enter their 110th matchup against the Duke Blue Devils on September 28.

There are storylines galore for both of these teams but head-to-head the Tar Heels lead this series with 65 wins in comparison to Duke’s 40. There are four ties in the rivalry's history.

Last year’s matchup between the two schools found UNC claiming a 47-45 at home in double overtime. A failed two-point conversion by Duke sealed the deal for former quarterback turned New England Patriot Drake Maye and the Heels.

As always, the winner of this game has the privilege to take home the coveted Victory Bell.

The Tar Heels have won the last five games against Duke dating back to October 26, 2019.

North Carolina is coming off a historic loss, arguably their worst in program history, against James Madison University in Week 4. Brown’s team fell by a margin of 20 points against, 70-50. 53 of those points came during the first two quarters of the contest — the most ever.

The Dukes were all over Carolina on their home turf.

On the contrary, the Blue Devils, led by their new head coach Manny Diaz, are sporting a undefeated record of 4-0. Duke has secured wins over Elon (26-3), Northwestern (26-20), UConn (26-21) and Middle Tennessee (45-17).

Diaz’s team is rolling, to say the least.

What needs to happen for UNC to make it six straight wins over Duke?

It’s all about defense for North Carolina.

A road game in Durham will require a strong defensive showing, a unit led by senior defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie. The Kernersville native holds 12 tackles, 8 solos and 5 sacks through the first four contests.

Duke’s offense ranks in the top 40 in points per game (32.3) and top 75 in yards per game (363.7), per Team Rankings .

It will not be an easy task, considering how Week 4 went.

At the other end of the field, fifth-year senior Tar Heels quarterback Jacoby Criswell has been producing ever since earning the starting position. Criswell has thrown for 638 yards, four touchdowns and surrendered two interceptions since his first outing against Charlotte on September 7.

Preseason All-American running back Omarion Hampton has continued his success from the 2023 season. 555 yards, six touchdowns through 85 carries belong to his name.

The offense is not a problem.

Brown and his coaching staff will need to pull out all the stops for what seems to be a program defining game.

This game will kickoff at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.