There will be a major battle Saturday night in the battle for the Coastal Division at Wallace Wade Stadium, as Duke hosts North Carolina with the Victory Bell and more on the line.

The Tar Heels are 5-1 and 2-0 in ACC play, coming off a big win at Miami. The Blue Devils are 4-2 and 1-1 in the ACC, coming off a disappointing overtime loss to Georgia Tech last weekend.

For Carolina, things are shaping up on the season as the Heels are looking like a team with a legitimate chance to play in Charlotte, N.C., during December. For Duke, a win against the Tar Heels Saturday night would put the Blue Devils into the conversation as well.

Here’s what to expect:

The Blue Devils

Duke has been somewhat of a surprise under first-year coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils started the year 3-0 with a Power 5 win against Northwestern, and they played tight with Kansas in Lawrence.

They started ACC play with a commanding victory over an abysmal Virginia team, but then came last week’s loss to a Georgia Tech team under interim head coach Brent Key.

Offensively, Duke really has been propelled by its rushing attack. Jaylen Coleman is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 61.4 yards per game, but he missed last weekend’s game with injury. Even if he’s not back, the duo of Jordan Waters and Jaquez Moore is formidable.

Riley Leonard has played well at quarterback in both the passing and the running game, with a passer rating above 144 and more than 40 yards per game on the ground.

Defensively, Duke has been allowing a lot of yards but not a ton of points. The Devils rank 4th in the ACC in scoring defense with less than 20 points allowed per game, and they’re allowing right at 20 points in ACC play with an overtime game mixed in.

Is Duke good? Maybe not. Is Duke bad? Certainly not. The Blue Devils are a competent football team, and who knows what could happen in a rivalry game.

The Tar Heels

Things are coming together well for the Tar Heels.

Carolina is 2-0 in ACC play, with back-to-back victories over Virginia Tech and Miami. A defense that got absolutely torched through nonconference play has looked better over the past few weeks, though it certainly isn’t anywhere near good.

But offensively, the Heels still are rolling. Carolina ranks 1st in the ACC in scoring offense, 2nd in passing offense and 1st in total offense, as Drake Maye currently ranks among the top 10 nationally in passing yards, passer rating and touchdowns.

The Heels also are back to full strength on the offensive side of the ball, with wide receiver Josh Downs picking up where he left off before getting hurt. Omarion Hampton is running the ball really well, as pretty much everything is going right for Carolina when it has the ball.

Prediction

The Tar Heels are a 7-point favorite in this contest, and it’s their offense that is the reason why.

Wallace Wade Stadium isn’t historically a tough place to play, and even with a highly anticipated matchup it shouldn’t play much of a factor, if any, for the Blue Devils.

To even be in contention for the Coastal Division coming into this game is a remarkable feat for Elko’s squad. Media picked Duke to finish last in the division and it was the only Coastal team that didn’t receive a 1st-place vote.

But simply being competitive doesn’t win games, and Carolina’s offense should prove well too much for Duke to handle under the lights Saturday.

The Victory Bell will stay sky blue for a 4th straight year.

North Carolina 45, Duke 31