Brown quote might incite Duke

Jason Brown knew he was about to give Duke some bulletin-board fodder, but the senior center didn't hold back.

The topic of discussion? The Blue Devils' 30-22 victory against North Carolina last November in Kenan Stadium.

"Who wants to lose to the Dukies?" Brown said. "Wow. That's like getting beat up by a girl. But really, that's like you're in elementary school, and you get beat up by a girl."

Such a beating had not occurred at the hands of the Blue Devils since 1989.

Before that game, the Tar Heels had won 13 straight against Duke, including a 23-21 victory in 2002 courtesy of a 47-yard Dan Orner field goal as time expired.

But last season, Duke opened up a 23-0 halftime lead and held on in the second half. As soon as time expired, seemingly the entire Blue Devil squad rushed to the UNC sideline to snatch the Victory Bell, the trophy that is awarded to the winner of the annual rivalry game.

"Nobody around here has forgotten what happened," said UNC senior quarterback Darian Durant. "Usually when we're having fun in the locker room, we're used to hearing the bell ring. So, we realize that it's missing, and that's our number one objective."

UNC coach John Bunting also is using the absence of the bell to help motivate his team.

A picture of the Victory Bell at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium is adorning the Kenan Stadium video board this week, and about 20 other pictures of the bell have been scattered throughout the football center.

"That (photo) will be a little reminder of the way we practice," Bunting said.

Unlike last season's tilt, though, a lot more significance is riding on Saturday's game for UNC.

With a victory, the Tar Heels would finish the regular season with a 6-5 record and almost certainly would be selected for a postseason bowl game, which would be the team's first since the 2001 Peach Bowl.

While any of the five non-BCS bowls with ACC tie-ins will have the option of choosing the Tar Heels with a win this weekend, the most likely possibilities are the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte and the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

The Tire Bowl, to be played Dec. 30, selects first of the two, and the Tar Heels could be appealing because of the large UNC fan base in the Charlotte area and throughout the state.

But facing a Duke team coming off a stunning upset against Clemson last weekend, going bowling is far from a guarantee. UNC has yet to win two consecutive games since 2001 and will enter Saturday's matchup in an unusual role this season - a favorite.

"There are some big-time implications here for our football team with this week," Bunting said. "Number one -- finish with a win. Finish with a win for the team, finish with a win for the seniors.

"Number two - get a winning record. That's big for our football team and our football program. That's big."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.