By Ryan Bisesi
rbisesi@salisburypost.com
DURHAM – For Duke to break two of its most daunting streaks of disappointment, it would have to do it in unconventional fashion.
Duke and bowl eligibility reunited in a 33-30 win against North Carolina as a 14-play, 87-yard drive concluded on a Jameson Crowder touchdown catch with 13 seconds left.
In addition to topping its chief rival for the first time since 2003, Duke clinched a bowl berth for the first time since 1994 in what may have been the signature win for coach David Cutcliffe. Duke took control of first place of the Coastal Division in the ACC.
“I’m still tickled for the players,” Cutcliffe said. “I’ve never seen a group have more fun and they deserved it.”
The game-deciding play came on fourth-and-2 from the UNC 5-yard line. Quarterback Sean Renfree fired a shot to Crowder inbetween two defenders and Crowder clutched it and bowled over linebacker Kevin Reddick. The Devils led nearly the entire game, but needed the jaws of Crowder to confirm the victory.
“There was no way I was going to drop that ball,” said an exhausted Crowder. “I held onto it like it was my baby.”
Duke (6-2, 3-1) jumped out to a 20-6 lead and fought off a 21-point fourth quarter by Carolina to claim the Victory Bell that was painted a darker shade of blue not even 10 minutes after the win.
“We said as soon as the clock hits zero we were going straight for that bell,” Crowder said.
Duke outgained Carolina 257-152 in the first half to assert control and went almost the length of the field after giving up a crushing score with 3:12 left that saw UNC (5-3, 2-2) take the lead. Bryn Renner completed a long pass to Erik Highsmith, who was stripped of the ball by Jordon Byas inside the Duke 10. Duke’s Ross Cockrell muffed the recovery and Gio Bernard capitalized by scooping it up and carrying it in the end zone for UNC’s first lead since 3-0.
“Gio was giving great effort to get down there and get a block for him,” UNC coach Larry Fedora said. “That’s the kind of guy he is.”
The Blue Devils rushed for the most yards in the Cutcliffe era with 234 yards on the ground, 101 of which came from Josh Snead. Connor Vernon caught a pass in his 43rd straight game and became Duke’s all-time leader in pass reception yardage. Vernon finished with six catches for 124 yards.
The Tar Heels had beaten Duke eight straight times and in 21 of the last 22 meetings.
Renfree completed 8 of 11 passes on the final possession and converted three third downs in addition to the winning pass.
Jela Duncan finished a 8-play, 44-yard possession with a 2-yard touchdown and Duke went up 20-6 with 4:25 left in the first half.
Carolina stopped a fourth-down try from Duke on the first play of the fourth quarter for a shot in the arm. The Heels took over at the Duke 47 and Renner hit Eric Ebron for a 34-yard completion down to the 9. Three plays later, Bernard ran it in from a yard out to cut the lead to 23-16.
Duke answered with a 43-yard field goal, a career long for Ross Martin, to push it to 26-16 with 9:22 left. Renner, who had just 28 yards passing at halftime, got going with a big 16-yard pass and 6-yard run that had a personal foul tacked on. Renner found Sean Tapley for a 5-yard TD pass that pulled UNC within 26-23.
Salisbury alum Darien Rankin had an interception in the first quarter overturned due to a roughing the passer penalty. Duke took advantage and drove down for its first score, a 2-yard rush from backup quarterback Anthony Boone.•NOTES: Rankin had a tackle of Duncan three yards from the end zone and broke up a pass one play later. Rankin finished with one solo tackle and six assisted. … Back Romar Morris had two carries for nine yards.