CHAPEL HILL— On each of his first-half scoring plays, Ronald Curry displayed the type of skill and athletic ability that made him one of the most sought-after high school players in the country.
Curry also proved that he’s had his share of success in college.
Curry threw and ran for touchdowns in the first half and set a UNC career record on each play. He finished 11 of 19 passing for 217 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tar Heels defeat Duke 52-17 on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
The win ended a two-game losing streak by North Carolina and extended Duke’s run of misery to 22 straight games.
“We took the frustration the last two games gave us and took it out on Duke,”UNC wide receiver Kory Bailey said.
Curry got the Tar Heels (6-5, 5-3 in the ACC) on the board first with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Sam Aiken with 7:52 left in the first quarter. Curry shook out of the grasp of Duke linebacker Nate Krill and hit Aiken at the Blue Devil 20.
Aiken cut right at the 15, then again at the 10, to break free and score. Curry eclipsed Jason Stanicek’s school record of 4,683 career passing yards on the play.
“I’ve been here four years, and I’ve been doing interviews for ya’ll for a long time,” Curry said. “I don’t get into stuff like that. It’s great to leave your mark, but records are meant to be broken.”
Curry later put the Tar Heels ahead 21-7 with a dazzling 11-yard run with 11:20 left in the second quarter.
Curry rolled right to throw, then tucked the ball under his arm and ran around left end. He cut back across the field at the 5-yard line, avoided two tackles and dove into the right corner of the end zone.
The scoring run was the 13th of Curry’s career, a record for a UNC quarterback.
Said Bailey, “I told him it reminded me of a high school play, they’re always crazy like that.”
Curry enabled North Carolina to jump out to an early lead, but he also staved off a potential Duke comeback in the second half.
The Blue Devils (0-10, 0-7) cut UNC’s lead to 24-17 with 10:14 left in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Alex Wade.
Curry led the Tar Heels on two quick scoring drives, and tailback Jacque Lewis followed up with a 28-yard TD run of his own to push North Carolina’s lead back up to a comfortable 45-17.
Curry connected with Aiken for another touchdown, this one with 3:18 left in the third quarter, to put UNC ahead 31-17. On the Tar Heels’ next possession, Curry threw a 30-yard scoring pass to Bailey.
“I felt a little rusty at the beginning, but once the game got going, I got into a little groove and kept playing,”Curry said.
Curry’s return from a two-game absence allowed the Tar Heels to go back to their two-quarterback system with Darian Durant.
Durant finished 11 of 17 for 151 yards and one touchdown before giving way to Curry in the fourth quarter.
The Tar Heels are 6-0 this season when they alternate equally between Curry and Durant.
“I was just happy to see Ron go out and be successful, especially on senior day, especially with what he’s been going through with his family and injuries,” Durant said. “In the fourth quarter I told Coach to let him finish it out.”
North Carolina needs a win against SMU next week to become bowl eligible, but Saturday’s victory guaranteed the Tar Heels at least a tie for third place in the ACC.
“That’s what we prepare for all season, for a bowl game. That’s when you can be considered a champion,” tackle Ryan Sims said. “That’s what we’re working for right now, to win out and get a decent bowl.”
So what does Sims think classifies as a decent bowl for the Tar Heels?
“Any bowl,”he said.
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NOTES: North Carolina has won 12 consecutive games against Duke has scored at least 50 points three times in the last five meetings. ... Lewis, who had a 40-yard rush one play before his touchdown run, led the Tar Heels with 94 yards on 11 carries. ... Aiken finished with seven receptions for 156 yards. ... Losing hasn’t been the only constant for Duke over the last 22 games. Tight end Mike Hart caught one pass for 12 yards to extend his streak of games with a catch to 22. ... Blue Devil quarterback D. Bryant was 12 of 28 for 146 yards, and tailback Chris Douglas ran for 41 yards on 20 carries.
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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com
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