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CHAPEL HILL -- Thad Lewis and the Duke offense, the irresistible force, crashed headlong into Robert Quinn and the North Carolina defense, the immovable object.

Chalk one up for the immovable object.

Backup tailback Ryan Houston rushed for a career-high 164 yards and Quinn had three sacks to lead North Carolina to a 19-6 victory over Duke in the annual Victory Bell game Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium.

Duke (5-4, 3-2 ACC) came in on a three-game ACC winning streak, with its pass-happy offense averaging 440 yards per game. Lewis, the senior quarterback, was averaging 391 passing yards in those games.

North Carolina (6-3, 2-3) came in with the ACC's No. 1 total defense -- and the Heels stopped Duke cold.

"The real story tonight is the defense," Carolina coach Butch Davis said. "Just relentless pressure on the quarterback, not giving him time to throw, making him stay in the pocket, making him throw out of the well, making him throw off his back foot."

And the real story of the defense was Quinn.

Duke had no answer for the 6-foot-5, 270-pound sophomore defensive end. The Blue Devils tried double- and even triple-teaming Quinn, who finished with seven tackles -- five in the backfield, including the three sacks -- a forced fumble and six quarterback pressures.

"They kept a tight end in the backfield sometimes to try to get a chip on me and slow me down," Quinn said. "But I really just tried to stay pressed on that left tackle so I could slip by the tight end without him chipping me. That way, I could keep my (pass) rush going."

Quinn even broke up a key pass play, dropping back into coverage and tipping a throw away from Duke receiver Connor Vernon on a fourth-and-4 play from the 35-yard line, Duke's last best chance to rally from a 16-6 deficit.

"We were fortunate to have a chance there in the fourth quarter to win the game," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said, "because the bottom line is we got whipped. ... We struggled so much that we couldn't protect the quarterback."

Quinn now has 10 sacks, best in the ACC.

"We mixed up our defense," Quinn said. "We sat back in coverage sometimes, and sometimes we came with a blitz when they didn't expect it. We kept them thinking and didn't let them get comfortable.

"Thaddeus is a good quarterback, and if you give him the time he can pick apart any defense," Quinn added. " ... When you play a guy like that, it starts up front. If the D-line gets pressure, he can't get the ball off or throw a clear pass."

Under pressure all night, Lewis finished 16-of-33 for 113 yards. Duke was just 2-for-13 on third-down conversions, and the Blue Devils' 125 yards of total offense didn't even come close to what Carolina tailback Houston gained by himself.

Houston's career night started when first-string tailback Shaun Draughn injured his left shoulder on the first play of the game. Draughn went to the trainer's table on the sideline for treatment, where the staff took away his shoulder pads, jersey and helmet. Draughn watched the next series, then went back to the locker room for more treatment. He did not return.

In Draughn's absence, Houston ran 37 times for 164 yards. That's a far cry from his normal role as the Tar Heels' bruising short-yardage back.

"It's different when you get the ball on first-and-10 than when you get it on third-and-short," Houston said. "Third-and-short, you're just trying to find the hole fast. First-and-10, you're trying to make a play, bounce it off tackle or read the hole or try to find a seam you can cut through to try to make more yardage."

Leading 9-6 after the third of Casey Barth's four field goals, Houston set out on the drive that sewed up the game.

The 245-pound senior carried the ball 10 times for 55 yards in a 12-play, 65-yard scoring drive that took 6:16 off the clock in the fourth quarter. That drive alone would've been Houston's fourth-best collegiate game.

After Houston's 10th carry of the drive, Carolina called a timeout. Then freshman wide receiver Jheranie Boyd finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

"I was really thinking about calling a timeout there myself," Houston said. "I was thinking, 'Let's get a timeout and then give me the ball; let me get a little more energy and then give me the ball and let me punch it in.' "

Houston, who was the lead blocker on Boyd's touchdown run, said he wasn't disappointed to not score himself.

"It was an excellent play-call, and I'm glad we got it in the end zone," he said. Then he smiled a winner's smile. "And that was a great block."

NOTES: North Carolina played without starting center Lowell Dyer, who missed the game with a stomach illness. Sophomore Cam Holland started in place of the senior, and he left with an injury. Alan Pelc, the Heels starting right guard, moved to center to finish the game, and freshman Travis Boyd replaced Pelc. ... Brennan Williams, a freshman right tackle, made his first collegiate start, moving ahead of junior Mike Ingersoll on the Tar Heels depth chart.

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com

Duke 3 3 0 0 -- 6

North Carolina 3 3 3 10 -- 19

NC--FG Barth 40

Duke--FG Maggio 23

NC--FG Barth 29

Duke--FG Maggio 26

NC--FG Barth 41

NC--Boyd 3 run (Barth kick)

NC--FG Barth 33

A--59,750

Duke North Carolina

First downs 11 21

Rushes-yards 19-12 51-192

Passing 113 119

Comp-Att-Int 16-35-2 16-28-1

Return Yards 36 99

Punts-Avg. 6-38.7 4-27.3

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 4-45 11-120

Time of Possession 21:27 38:33

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Duke, Lewis 10-7, Boyette 3-4, Hollingsworth 1-1, D.Scott 5-0. North Carolina, Houston 37-164, Elzy 2-12, Little 4-12, Draughn 1-9, Boyd 2-6, J.White 1-5, Team 2-(minus 4), Yates 2-(minus 12).

PASSING--Duke, Lewis 16-33-1-113, Renfree 0-1-1-0, Team 0-1-0-0. North Carolina, Yates 16-28-1-119.

RECEIVING--Duke, Kelly 4-22, Vernon 3-21, Varner 2-14, D.Scott 2-10, Hollingsworth 2-6, B.King 1-22, Williams 1-12, Bell 1-6. North Carolina, Pianalto 5-42, Little 3-26, Highsmith 3-21, Houston 3-15, D.Jones 2-15.