Bill Belichick doesn’t sound like a coach preparing for a mystery.
He knows exactly what Duke is bringing into Saturday’s rivalry game, and he knows Nate Sheppard is a problem. At his weekly press conference, the North Carolina head coach made it clear the Blue Devils’ running back has the kind of skill set that can wreck a game in more ways than one.
Sheppard isn’t just a runner. Belichick pointed to what he does as a receiver, too, stressing that he can catch the ball out of the backfield, break tackles and keep stacking yards after contact. The message for UNC was simple: get him on the ground and don’t give him extra room to work.
That’s easier said than done. Sheppard has 743 rushing yards, which ranks fourth in the nation, and he’s added 161 receiving yards along with three touchdowns. Duke has leaned on him for consistent production, and that versatility was on display late against Georgia Tech.
Belichick referenced the play in which Sheppard turned a short pass into a 42-yard gain. That catch helped give Duke a chance to either tie the game or take the lead, and it came after a coverage bust by the Yellow Jackets. One quick touch, and Sheppard was gone.
Duke is trying to shake off its first loss of the season after falling to Georgia Tech on the road in a strange, sloppy game. The Blue Devils had a chance to force overtime before the game slipped away, leaving them at 4-1 heading into a quick turnaround.
Now the focus shifts to Saturday, when Duke hosts North Carolina in Durham at 3:30 p.m. The game sits between road trips to Georgia Tech and Virginia, making it an important stretch for the Blue Devils to avoid getting stuck in a skid.
For Duke, the path back is straightforward enough: get Sheppard rolling early. If the run game gets moving, it can take pressure off quarterback Walker Eget and open things up for the offense.
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