Well, it’s better to win ugly than lose pretty, right?
UNC raced to a 24-10 lead in the 4th quarter and appeared to have things on cruise control until Duke made a game of it late. Shaun Draughn was stuffed for a safety and Duke scored a late touchdown, then forced a UNC punt on a reviewed spot and had one final shot but the Tar Heels hung on for the win.
T.J. Yates threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, Anthony Elzy rushed for a career-high 116 yards, and Dwight Jones had 11 receptions for 121 yards as Carolina ground out a season-high 519 yards of total offense. The Tar Heels dominated the stat sheet but not the scoreboard, particularly given the excruciating number of penalties.
UNC finishes the regular season at 7-5 overall, 4-4 in the ACC with a couple of quality wins. Carolina will now await the bowl pecking order results, with the Music City Bowl in Nashville being a likely destination.
