Holliday: Triangle title drought lives on

By Bob Holliday, WRAL Sports contributor

Back in September, this looked like it would be a special football season in the Triangle. Duke beat Clemson and started 4-0. UNC won its first six games. NC State won at Virginia to go 3-1 out of the gate. But all three schools are now eliminated from a shot at the 2023 ACC Football Championship.

With Duke’s most recent ACC title coming in 1989, UNC’s last championship in 1980, and NC State’s in 1979, that’s a collective 121 years these programs have been waiting. Louisville earns the chance to play Florida State instead.

Duke and NC State had already been knocked out of title contention before Saturday due to their losses against Louisville. But North Carolina began the weekend with a small chance at earning a spot in Charlotte. The Tar Heels needed Miami to beat Louisville and the Hurricanes very nearly did.

However, with the score tied 31-31 late in the fourth quarter, two Miami defenders collided and fell to the turf, making Jack Plummer’s routine pass to Kevin Coleman a walk-in, 58-yard touchdown. Just plain bad luck!

Early in North Carolina’s game at Clemson, the Tar Heels suffered their own misfortune. Star running back Omarion Hampton, who had not fumbled in Carolina’s first 10 games, coughed up the football seven yards shy of the end zone. Clemson recovered. On UNC’s fourth possession, with the Tar Heels leading 7-0, Hampton broke off a 64 yard run that looked for all the world like it would be a touchdown. But replay revealed Clemson’s Nate Wiggins had knocked the ball out of “Big O’s” hands just before he crossed the goal line. The ball rolled through the end zone. Touchback instead of touchdown. More bad luck for the Heels.

UNC should have led 21-0 at this point. Instead, the turnover energized the Clemson offense. The Tigers took a 14-7 lead at half. Actually Clemson should have scored just seven points in the first 30 minutes. But Gio Biggers’ interception was nullified by a roughing the passer call. Cecil Gray leaped to try to deflect Cade Klubnik’s pass, and then made contact with the quarterback after he had released the ball. Flag! Klubnik then scored as time expired in the second quarter, reaching the nose of the football to the very edge of the goal line – at least that’s what the officials ruled. Two very close calls there.

In the second half, Carolina discovered it’s very hard to play Clemson from behind, especially at Death Valley. UNC gambled on 4th and 6 from the Clemson 46, which the Tar Heels would not have done had they been ahead 21-7. Maye was sacked on the play. Clemson capitalized on the short field and so it was the Tigers that went up 21-7. UNC never got closer than seven points the rest of the game, despite two touchdowns by Hampton.

UNC rushed for 248 yards on the day, which is outstanding against a program like Clemson. But the Tigers matched that figure and controlled the ball more than 38 minutes.

Clemson’s secondary really blanketed UNC’s receivers. The quarterback missed on 21 of his 37 passes and barely extended his long streak of games with at least 200 yards passing.

So it’s a one-game season with Drake Maye at the helm – unless this top NFL prospect were to decide to play in his team’s bowl game. A 9-3 team has more bowl prospects than a team that finishes 8-4. But NC State has that same postseason incentive. Plus UNC will face an NC State defense that is playing better than Clemson’s, in an environment that is perhaps as hostile.

And as we saw Saturday, the Wolfpack offense really has it going. Plus State has won the last two meetings and five of the last seven.

NC State offense finally living up to potential

Chuck Amato was coach the last time NC State won in Blacksburg. No current Wolfpack player had won at Lane Stadium, including quarterback Brennan Armstrong who has had more chances than his teammates since he spent four years at Virginia, arch-rival of Virginia Tech.

NC State has won four straight coming out of its bye week in October. The defense did the heavy lifting in the wins over Clemson and Miami. But since starting quarterback M.J. Morris decided to redshirt and sit out the rest of this season, Armstrong has played like the guy everyone expected when he transferred from UVA. Put simply, Armstrong 2.0 is not forcing passes as he did in September before being replaced by Morris in game six.

And since Armstrong spent so many years working in Robert Anae’s offense in Charlottesville, NC State’s possessions look dramatically different than they did even two or three weeks ago. This offense, so highly anticipated in the preseason with the reunion of Armstrong and Anae, is finally living up to its full potential.

NC State took charge at Virginia Tech as the second quarter began. Armstrong moved the Wolfpack 64 yards, throwing five passes and completing all five. The big one came on a double reverse pass to Trent Pennix for 21 yards. This was vintage Anae. State needed a fourth down conversion from the VT 3, but Armstrong connected with K.C. Concepcion and the Wolfpack would never look back.

NC State marched 60 yards for its second score. This time the Pack inflicted most of its damage on the ground. Kendrick Raphael ripped off a 20 yard run but Armstrong churned his way for 22 yards on just four carries, and he scored the touchdown.

After Tech scored to make it 14-7, Armstrong re-established the two touchdown margin, passing 28 yards to Concepcion just seconds before time expired in the first half.

NC State twice drove the long field for touchdowns in the third quarter. Armstrong threw a nifty screen pass to Delbert Mimms for23 yards. Then Armstrong called his own number for the touchdown.

Next series, more Anae magic. Concepcion threw a touchdown pass to Pennix.

After going up 35-14, the Wolfpack offense seemed to take its collective feet off the throttle. Also the defense gave up an uncharacteristic 150 yards and 14 points. VT finished with 28 points, the most State has allowed in ACC play all season. But neither of these could dampen the joy of winning finally at Virginia Tech, nor cast any doubt the Wolfpack will be at its best Saturday night against UNC.

Duke falls in Charlottesville again

Duke lost to Virginia at Scott Stadium for the sixth straight time, in a contest that left Mike Elko fretting about the Blue Devils’ poor play in the third quarter. Virginia, behind true freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea, scored on a five play drive and a six play drive, giving the Cavaliers a near insurmountable 27-13 lead.

The Blue Devils boast one of the ACC’s best defenses, allowing just 18 points and 349 yards per game. UVA scored 30 points and piled up 448 yards.

Duke finally got its offense in gear in the fourth quarter, much as it did last week at UNC. Jacquez Moore ran 58 yards to bring Duke within 27-20 at the 10 minute mark. Plenty of time right?

But then the Cavaliers, who had a 5-minute advantage in time of possession, killed 5:20 of clock in a long drive that ended in a field goal.

Duke eventually got within 30-27 but needed 14 plays to get that final touchdown, a Grayson Loftis to Mekhi Wall touchdown pass. Just a shade over one minute remained by that point. Virginia recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

The Blue Devils now close the regular season against Pitt. The Blue Devils should win to finish 7-5. Remember Duke suffered brutally close losses to Notre Dame and North Carolina. Winning those two would have changed the Devils’ postseason outlook dramatically.

As it is, Duke, like its Triangle neighbors, could not sustain the fast start that led to so much hope of a special season. September was great! Late November though is merely good.