Tar Heel Times

A role reversal for Ryan Houston

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:29:00 -0400

Ryan Houston has made a career out of collecting the points from short range after Shaun Draughn does the work getting the ball that close. Saturday, with Draughn injured on his first carry and Houston carrying the load against Duke, when it came time to score the touchdown that put away the Victory Bell, Houston didn't get the call.

Tudor: Emotion, yes, but no offense

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:27:00 -0400

A world of energy couldn't offset an offensive performance more like 1899 than 2009, a yawner that ranked as the lowest-scoring series game since 1977. And for all of the pregame hype, Duke fans hardly blew through the gates in anticipation of a memorable upset. According to Carolina officials, Duke was offered 4,300 tickets but took only 1,500 - a loud reminder that football is still far removed from rivaling the lure of Duke and UNC basketball.

UNC defense rings up win over Duke

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:26:00 -0400

Thad Lewis and the Duke offense, the irresistible force, crashed headlong into Robert Quinn and the North Carolina defense, the immovable object. Chalk one up for the immovable object. Backup tailback Ryan Houston rushed for a career-high 164 yards and Quinn had three sacks to lead North Carolina to a 19-6 victory over Duke in the annual Victory Bell game Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium.

Hoops still comes down to North Carolina and Duke

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:25:00 -0400

Roy Williams has a new book out, and the Dean Dome has a glitzy new light show. The spoils of victory are sometimes hard to figure. Duke has a renewed interest in recruiting, thus college basketball has a renewed interest in Duke. State's heralded freshman class has arrived without some potential baggage, and that's probably a good thing. Wake's hoping it got better in the offseason despite losing two players to the NBA.

Talk of shorter hoops season circulating

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:22:00 -0400

The Men's Basketball Enhancement Group wants the NCAA to shorten the rigors of the basketball season by eliminating a regular-season game. But Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams, rival coaches at Duke and North Carolina, may have a better idea: Just push back the start date. "I would not be against - and in fact, would favor - starting practice Nov. 1, and not playing the first game until the Friday after Thanksgiving," said Williams.

UNC-Duke Observations

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:42:00 -0400

Butch Davis' loyalty to T.J. Yates is admirable, but the junior quarterback is at the point where's hurting the offense more than helping. He badly overthrew at least four open receivers during the first half, including Erik Highsmith running alone down the middle of the field on the first series. Yates needs to find his confidence if the Tar Heels are going to beat either Miami or Boston College the next two weeks.

No classic, but UNC-Duke outcome significant

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:40:00 -0400

Despite the lack of quality play, there were positive signs that the future of the Duke-Carolina rivalry is on the comeback trail. Although UNC beat the Blue Devils for the 19th time in 20 games, the teams are not that far apart anymore. Cutcliffe has clearly improved Duke's talent and instilled a confidence that hasn't been seen in Durham in many years.

Tar Heels have tough act to follow

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:39:00 -0400

It's never an easy thing, this whole "defending champs" role. There's that pressure to uphold an elevated standard mixed with the reality that no accomplishment can trump what was achieved the year before. Ten teams from Tobacco Road have won NCAA championships. Yet only the 1991-92 Duke Blue Devils were able to return to the Final Four the following year. So just what can this year's Tar Heels expect?

Heels Pound Lewis, Blue Devils

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:33:00 -0400

Ryan Houston churned out a career-high 164 rushing yards on 37 carries and UNC’s defense completely bewildered Thad Lewis and Duke’s vaunted passing attack in the Tar Heels’ 19-6 victory over the Blue Devils on Saturday. UNC moved one game closer to bowl eligibility by combining lethal doses of Houston and a stifling defense in wearing down the Blue Devils for the 19th time in the last 20 meetings between these bitter rivals.

Points After: North Carolina defeats Duke 19-6

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:31:00 -0400

The Victory Bell will stay in Chapel Hill, the same place it's been since 2004. The same place it's been 19 of the last 20 years. The offenses disappointed in this football game on cool November Saturday but North Carolina's defense again proved it's the most stout "D" in the ACC, and still one of the better ones in the nation. For Carolina, the defense was awesome. Robert Quinn was an absolute animal out there.

Ryan Houston, Casey Barth lead Heels to win

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:28:00 -0400

It was fitting two players from North Carolina's defense got the Victory Bell first. Defensive end E.J. Wilson and cornerback Charlie Brown hopped on the rickety, spray-painted wagon for a celebratory ride after the Tar Heels rode their defense, and running back Ryan Houston, to a 19-6 win over the Blue Devils on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

Rugged Houston proves too much for Duke

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:27:00 -0400

The Blue Devils ran 19 times for 12 yards. When the stat crew added Houston's 15 receiving yards, he delivered 179 yards in total offense, or 54 more than the entire Duke team. The 245-pound block of iron from Charlotte's Butler High dipped a shoulder and lowered the boom, time after time. He ran a little left, a little right and a lot up the middle.

Walston: One of Eleven

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:25:00 -0400

Be one of eleven. Count on your teammate to do his job, and know that he's counting on you. Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis came into Saturday's game ranked No. 9 in total offense in the nation. And the Tar Heel defense simply beat him up. Lewis completed 16 passes for 113 yards. Defensive end Robert Quinn had three sacks, and the defense on the whole had 14 quarterback hurries.

North Carolina Postgame Notes vs. Duke

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:24:00 -0400

The Tar Heels won for the 19th time in the last 20 meetings with the Blue Devils and extended their current winning streak in the series to six games. Carolina earns two points with the win towards the Carlyle Cup, the all-sports competition between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils. Carolina leads the 2009-10 edition by a 5.5 to 2.0 score. Carolina, the ACC's top-ranked defensive unit, held Duke to 125 total yards of offense.

Blue Devils didn't have many answers

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:23:00 -0400

The Blue Devils certainly couldn't have felt fortunate after losing to their biggest rival in a game with implications beyond bragging rights, a game in which their offense failed to score a touchdown. Still, Cutcliffe couldn't help but feel like his team was a little lucky after the 19-6 loss. "We really were very fortunate to have a chance there in the fourth quarter to win the game, because the bottom line is we got whipped," Cutcliffe said.

UNC's defense locks down victory over Duke

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:22:00 -0400

Earlier in the week, Duke coach David Cutcliffe called North Carolina's defense the best in the league. Saturday against the Blue Devils, the Tar Heels lived up to his expectations. UNC turned in a dominating defensive performance, shutting down the top passing attack in the ACC, and then let running back Ryan Houston carry the offensive load with a career-high 164 yards in a 19-6 victory at Kenan Stadium.

One fine day for a parade

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Just as people began to wonder when the parade was going to start, the pounding drums of the Tar Heel marching band could be heard coming around the corner. And from that moment on, things were jumping in Chapel Hill Saturday. With a Carolina blue sky above, the day began as people lined downtown Franklin Street to watch the parade, led by the 375-member marching band playing the Carolina fight song.

How Michael Dyer's commitment to Auburn affects Marcus Lattimore

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:58:00 -0400

Michael Dyer, one of the top-ranked tailbacks in America, committed to Auburn on Friday. Dyer, from Little Rock Christian in Little Rock, Ark., is considered the No. 1 running back in the country by ESPN, and No. 3 by Scout.com and Rivals.com. The big question is how Dyer’s commitment will affect the nation’s other top-rated backs. Marcus Lattimore of Duncan, S.C., and Lache Seastrunk of Temple, Texas, ranked 1 and 2 by the other services, were also considering Auburn. The general thought was that two backs of that ilk wouldn’t go to the same school.

UNC-Duke: Postgame Quotes + Audio

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:18:00 -0400

"I told the players in the locker room when the game was over with that I felt like this was an enormous test of perseverance, character and courage. The ability to handle the type of things that this team has gone through over the last three weeks kind of speaks volumes. The one thing that this team did do tonight is that they fought. They competed, and they played as hard as they could."

North Carolina Defeats Duke 19-6

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:16:00 -0400

Facing a prolific passing attack and playing without its top rusher, North Carolina found a way to inch closer to bowl eligibility. Ryan Houston ran for a career-high 164 yards while Jheranie Boyd scored the clinching touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to help the Tar Heels beat Duke 19-6 on Saturday, extending their recent dominance of their next-door rivals.