Tar Heels, Yates get back to winning

DURHAM -- North Carolina is back to playing like a bowl team. Quarterback T.J. Yates is back to playing like T.J. Yates.

That's how the Tar Heels emerged from their 28-20 victory over rival Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.

The Blue Devils, though they lost their last five games, aren't going back to being the Duke of old anytime soon.

That's how they'll move on after suffering their third loss of eight or fewer points this season.

Carolina worked out the victory in part because Yates was a less rusty leader than he was a week ago in a UNC's blowout loss to N.C. State.

A week after getting booed by UNC fans at Kenan Stadium, Yates threw his third touchdown pass of the game, 32 yards to receiver Richard Quinn, with 1:16 left in the third quarter to give the Tar Heels the 28-20 lead that would stand.

Duke still had four looks at the end zone in the final 57 seconds. Duke junior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, scrambled on fourth down and threw a pass that was intercepted by North Carolina strong safety Trimane Goddard to end the game.

"A lot of times, life gives you a lot of tests, and when you get tested ... you find out a lot about you as a person, us as a coaching stuff, and us as a team and a program," North Carolina coach Butch Davis said.

Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe said November would define this team. Duke (4-8, 1-7 ACC) lost all five of its November games. It also, for the first time since finishing above .500 in 1994, was 4-3 going into the final month.

"What we accomplished, is knowing it's not OK to be close at Duke," Cutcliffe said. "What happened tonight is not OK. We've been a team that plays unbelievably fierce, but we're not ready to win."

When North Carolina beat Duke in overtime 2007 in Chapel Hill, Duke missed a potential winning field goal with seconds left in regulation and missed another after its lone shot at the end zone in overtime.

This time, field goals helped Duke stay in the game.

Kicker Joe Surgan, who had missed in overtime in 2007, nailed a 55-yarder at the end of the first half to cut the Carolina lead to 21-17.

Then sophomore kicker Nick Maggio, who had missed at the end of regulation in 2007, hit a 27-yarder with 4:59 left in the third quarter to cut it to 21-20.

But Carolina's defense steeled itself and forced three-and-outs on Duke's next three possessions.

Duke finished the game with 350 yards of offense, 278 through the air from Lewis on 34-for-49 passing. Varner had a breakout game, hinting at a big 2009, with 10 catches for 73 yards.

But the Heels, putting up 369 of their own, never gave up the wrong play at the wrong time.

"When [they] couldn't give up time of possession, they couldn't give up points, and they just continued to answer the call," Davis said of his defense.

This season, North Carolina had stubbed its toe with shaky two-minute defense against Miami, Notre Dame, and Virginia. Goddard made sure the Heels executed at the end.

"That shows the character of a team, when you can put yourself in that situation and come out on top," UNC linebacker Chase Rice said after replacing leading tackler senior Mark Paschal, who suffered a collegiate career-ending injury last week.

Davis said his offense "recaptured their identity" while sophomore tailback Shaun Draughn rushed for 110 of UNC's 179 yards and scored touchdowns on the ground and through the air.

Yates helped UNC convert 11 of 16 third-down opportunities and showed nice touch on all three of his touchdown passes, including the 25-yarder to Hakeem Nicks in the corner of the end zone to put UNC up 21-14 with 4:28 left in the second quarter and leading Draughn with a swing pass that turned into an 11-yard score in the first quarter.

"[Yates] played well early in the season but came back and realized how he had been rushing some throws and his mechanics," Davis said. "But he settled down this week."

As it has gone all season long for Duke, the Blue Devils defense, led by senior middle linebacker Michael Tauiliili kept Duke in the game. Tauiliili made a career-high 20 tackles and intercepted Yates once.

"Obviously 20 wasn't good enough," Tauiliili said. "Maybe I should have had 30. ... Close isn't good enough. But I'm happy and encouraged about what the program is getting ready to do."

The Blue Devils will meet today and run. Lewis said the Devils have to get in two weightlifting sessions before the end of the week. Cutcliffe and his staff will be in homes recruiting, starting today.

The Tar Heels will play on, eager to know which bowl will be their first bowl since 2004. So which bowl do the Tar Heels want to experience?

"I'm just thankful to God," Davis said, "that we're getting the opportunity to go, hopefully, to one."