X Factor: Duke football vs. North Carolina

<p>Joe Giles-Harris racked up 13 tackles against Virginia Tech and will face another stiff challenge Thursday night.</p>

Joe Giles-Harris racked up 13 tackles against Virginia Tech and will face another stiff challenge Thursday night.

After another conference loss to then-No. 23 Virginia Tech, Duke is still looking for its first ACC win of the year entering its final home contest Thursday against No. 15 North Carolina. Every week throughout the football season, the Blue Zone will break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest:

Duke: linebacker Joe Giles-Harris

The redshirt freshman came out strong Saturday against Virginia Tech, recording seven solo tackles and 13 total tackles, including a sack of Hokie quarterback Jerod Evans. It was Giles-Harris’ sixth game this season with at least six total tackles. Despite the loss, Giles-Harris kept Duke in the game with some defensive stops in the third and fourth quarters, and his sack came on the first offensive play of the second half for Virginia Tech.

For the second consecutive week, Giles-Harris and the Blue Devil defense, led by Breon Borders, Ben Humphreys and A.J. Wolf, will have a tough matchup against a team with a versatile pocket passer. The Tar Heels are the 20th-best passing team in the country, averaging more than 300 passing yards per game. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky has thrown 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season. For Giles-Harris, reaching Trubisky early with a heavy pass rush will be key to give Daniel Jones and the Duke offense a chance to win the game.

North Carolina: running back Elijah Hood

North Carolina’s game Saturday against Georgia Tech marked Hood’s second consecutive performance with at least 100 rushing yards, as he picked up 168 yards on 12 carries. He also found the end zone three times for the Tar Heels, helping them rout the Yellow Jackets 48-20. Hood now has 644 yards and eight touchdowns this season, averaging an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. Hood’s speed combined with the elusiveness of Trubisky should pose a formidable challenge for Duke.

The Tar Heels are averaging more than 500 yards per game during their three-game winning streak following a 34-3 blowout loss to the Hokies in Chapel Hill. North Carolina will come to Durham this weekend with its sights on four wins in a row, which would match its longest streak of the season. Hood and fellow running back T.J. Logan have combined for 15 touchdowns on the season, and they are both averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Stopping the run game will be no simple task for Duke’s defense Thursday.

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