North Carolina just pulled off a big upset over a ranked Pitt team, and now they are rolling into Durham, N.C. to take on the Duke Blue Devils in an annual rivalry clash that feels different this year. Duke is fresh off their first loss of 2026, making this Week 7 ACC showdown at Wallace Wade Stadium an absolutely critical moment for both squads.
The Blue Devils Are Stumbling, Tar Heels Are Rolling
What a turnaround for North Carolina! They rocked Pitt 21-17, riding high into this annual rivalry. Duke, on the other hand, just took its first L of the season, and now they’ve got to face a rival that’s suddenly got some serious momentum. Talk about a tough spot. Historically, the Tar Heels have the upper hand in this rivalry, leading the all-time series 65-40-4, a matchup that dates all the way back to 1890. But Duke has dominated lately, winning the past two meetings, including a 32-25 victory last November in Chapel Hill. Despite the recent success for Duke, and despite their home-field advantage, the oddsmakers still have Duke as only a 3-point favorite. The Over/Under for total points is set at 46.5, which tells you they are expecting a close, hard-fought battle.
Billy Edwards Jr. Is Slinging It, But the Defense Leads the Way
UNC’s Bill Belichick has his Tar Heels playing competitive football, even if they stumbled earlier against Clemson, giving up a 17-15 lead late in the fourth quarter after a weather delay. They also made Notre Dame work for their victory, showing they can hang with anyone. Last week against Pitt, senior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. was slinging it, throwing for 249 yards and two touchdowns, including an incredible 75-yard bomb to tight end Shamar Easter. Yeah, he had two picks, but that 75-yarder was pure magic! Edwards Jr. has now racked up 1,069 passing yards with eight TDs and five interceptions this season. Jordan Shipp is the top receiver with 366 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per catch, and Easter, despite only six receptions, has two touchdowns and is averaging a ridiculous 20.3 yards per catch. But honestly, the real story for the Tar Heels is their defense. While their offense scores the fourth-fewest points in the ACC at 23.4 per game, their defense is only allowing less than 20 points per contest, good for fourth in the ACC, even if they are 10th in total yards allowed at 356.2 per game. That D is going to be tested big time.
Kickoff for this heated ACC battle is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. You know this one’s going to be a slugfest, and it could define the early season for both teams!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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