North Carolina @ Duke preview

North Carolina at Duke

Last Meeting ( Nov 26, 2011 ) Duke 21, North Carolina 37

North Carolina and Duke haven’t met this early in the year since 1943, usually saving their rivalry game for the season finale. Not only will the scheduling allow for a larger group of students to be in attendance at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday, but with both teams entering this Atlantic Coast Conference game with winning records for the first time since 1994, there should be more than the usual amount of statewide interest. North Carolina has won four straight games, while Duke has already matched its best win total in 17 years.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: North Carolina -10.5

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (5-2, 2-1 ACC): The Tar Heels are 5-0 when running back Giovani Bernard is in the lineup. He leads the ACC with 652 rushing yards and has scored seven touchdowns. Also, he is the only running back in the conference to average 100 yards per game and his 130.4 yards are seventh-best in the nation. Bernard needs 95 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for his career. Three North Carolina receivers - Erik Highsmith, Eric Ebron and Quinshad Davis - have at least 21 receptions.

ABOUT DUKE (5-2, 2-1): Sean Renfree has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns, but has been intercepted six times. He has a pair of talented receivers to look to in Conner Vernon and Jamison Crowder. Vernon has 45 catches for 625 yards and five touchdowns, and recently became the conference’s all-time leader in receptions. Crowder has caught 46 passes for 588 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his scores have gone for 50 yards or more, second-most for a season in program history.

1. North Carolina has won eight straight against Duke and 21 of the last 22 meetings. Five of its last eight victories have been by eight points or less.

2. Duke has scored 83.9 percent of the time it has reached the red zone, but has had to settle for a conference-leading 10 field goals inside the 20-yard line.

3. For only the second time in his career, North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner did not throw a touchdown pass in his last game, but continues to lead the ACC with 15 touchdown tosses.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 24, Duke 14