Duke deploys incredible fake field goal to earn comeback win over Bill Belichick, North Carolina
By Mark Kern
Published:
Duke and North Carolina is one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball, but the two schools renewed the rivalry on the football field on Saturday.
The Blue Devils were up 24-10 late in the third quarter, but the Tar Heels scored 15 consecutive points to take the lead. Trailing by one late in the fourth quarter, Duke was about to kick what would have given the team the lead.
Instead, the team decided to call a fake field goal that worked to perfection. The Blue Devils ended up with the ball inside the 5-yard line and scored a touchdown later in the drive. Duke followed that play up with a defensive stop, earning a 32-25 victory over its rival.
Here’s a clip of the fake field goal:
The field goal would have been a 44-yard attempt, but the holder instead pitched it to kicker Todd Pelino who took the ball 26 yards.
Running back Anderson Castle scored on a one-yard touchdown run on the next play, one of his three touchdowns on the day.
With the win, the Blue Devils became bowl eligible and moved to 6-5 on the year. For the Tar Heels, they will be under .500 in Bill Belichick‘s first season as they’re now 4-7 on the year.
Duke will finish its season against Wake Forest next week, while North Carolina will face another big rival as they travel to Raleigh to take on NC State.
