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The impressive memory of Jay Bateman helped UNC football beat Duke

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Head Coach Mack Brown celebrates with students and fans after UNC's win on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. UNC defeated Duke 20-17. UNC had not beat Duke since 2015.

All Duke needed was two yards. 

With 18 seconds remaining in the game and a 1st-and-goal on the 2-yard line, it looked all but certain that North Carolina was going to lose to the Blue Devils for the fourth time in a row.

Then, UNC co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman remembered a play from his time at Army, also as a defensive coordinator.

“They beat us 13-7 at Duke in 2016, and they beat me on a pop pass,” Bateman said. “So when I saw the formation, I was pretty confident that’s what we were getting. It’s a little bit different structure, but the same kind of deal.”

The Blue Devils came out in the same formation prior to and after a timeout on Saturday, and that was what tipped Bateman off.

“So we saw the formation and called a timeout,” Bateman said. “I said, ‘If they come out in the same formation, I’m pretty confident that’s what it’s going to be ... I think it’s going to be a pop pass. Myles (Dorn), come over and cover that guy.’”

That's exactly what happened. UNC linebacker Chazz Surratt was there to pick off the pass, while Dorn, a safety, was right behind him in the back of the end zone.

Duke wasn’t going to fool Bateman twice. His ability to adapt on the fly helped win the Tar Heels the Victory Bell.

“He's smart, he's tough, he's high energy,” head coach Mack Brown said. “Somebody gets hurt, and he's used to putting somebody else in. So, he doesn't worry about it.”

Despite the absence of several key players — the Tar Heels were without five rotation defensive backs on Saturday — Bateman's defense allowed the fewest points in any game this season.

First-year cornerback Storm Duck, who was put into a starting role after previous injuries, went down early against the Blue Devils.

UNC didn’t have another cornerback to play the position. Bateman then had to rely on DeAndre Hollins, a redshirt freshman who appeared in only five games before this season.

Brown said that he told Bateman they were going to lose the game after Duck went down. Bateman's response?

“Eh, Hollins will be alright. Leave him out there.”

Bateman's personality has also resonated with recruits. In the 2020 recruiting class, UNC has received commitments from one 5-star and five 4-star defensive players, with the possibility of more on the way.

“He also knows everybody in recruiting,” Brown said of Bateman. “He's recruited this state for 15 years, I think. So, he knows all the high school coaches, and that's been a real help for us, as well.”

So far, the Bateman defense has held opponents to 25 points or less in 6 of UNC’s 8 games. That’s a huge improvement for a Tar Heel defense that only accomplished that feat twice all of last season. And with injured defensive backs Trey Morrison and Myles Wolfolk both practicing and expected to return soon, the Tar Heel defense could get a much-needed boost for the final stretch of the season.

In the meantime, Bateman will continue adapting, taking what he's given and learning from past experience. Brown just might be the best person to sum up what Bateman means to the team.

"He’s perfect for us,” Brown said.

@matt_chilson

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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