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CHAPEL HILL Duke coach David Cutcliffe dubbed North Carolina, "by far the best defense in our league."
Tar Heels coach Butch Davis compared Duke's passing game to that of the Indianapolis Colts.
The quotes from each side put the rivals in a mutual admiration society and they underscore the heart of today's matchup between two bowl-hungry, 5-3 teams in Chapel Hill.
It is strength (Duke's passing game) against strength (North Carolina's defense), in the 96th meeting between the Triangle neighbors.
North Carolina leads the ACC in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) and total defense (265.0 yards per game) and is 10th nationally against the pass (163.4 yards per game). The Tar Heels are coming off a dominant effort in a 20-17 win at Virginia Tech last week, holding the Hokies' offense to 256 yards.
"They're big, they're fast," Cutcliffe said of the Tar Heel defense. "Sometimes you can't run it and you can't throw it but you still got to score points. That's about what it is when you play that kind of defensive team."
Duke leads the ACC, and ranks fifth nationally, in passing (325.1 yards per game) and senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has thrown for at least 300 yards in four straight games.
The Blue Devils, with Cutcliffe's college connection to Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, use some of the same formations and route combinations as the unbeaten Colts. They also look like the NFL team with nearly identical uniforms, but the Devils will settle for being Florida State today.
Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder threw 395 yards, completing 33-of-40 passes, including three touchdowns in a 30-27 win in Chapel Hill on Oct. 22. North Carolina safety Deunta Williams, who recovered Ryan Williams' fumble in Virginia Tech territory with 2:02 left in the upset, welcomes a second chance against a prolific quarterback.
"It's a shot to your pride, when you give up that many yards, but as a defense we know we're good, and great at times." After allowing the season-high passing totals to Florida State, the North Carolina defense responded by holding Virginia Tech to 161 yards through the air.
Like the Seminoles, Duke will spend the majority of the game in a shotgun formation, and use four- and five-receiver sets to spread the field and throw short, timing routes.
Smart route-running of Duke's receivers keeps the pressure of the offensive line to block for an extended period of time. The Devils have allowed 20 sacks, despite 340 pass attempts. By comparison, North Carolina has given up 19 sacks on 118 fewer pass attempts.
What makes the Devils' passing numbers even more impressive is their inability to run the football. They rank last in the ACC, and 116th nationally, with an average of 75.2 rushing yards per game. Even though everyone in the stadium knows the Devils are going to pass, they're still successful.
