- BEST IN STATE -

Fabulous 14: North Carolina moves to No. 1; Phoenix rises five spots

Duke drops but not too far; Lenoir-Rhyne solid at No. 2

Published

October 4, 2023

Elon (left) will host North Carolina Central this Saturday, while North Carolina hosts Syracuse. Photos by Jeff Sochko /courtesy Elon Athletics and Ainsley E. Fauth/courtesy UNC athletics.

Fourth-and-16.

That was all that separated Duke football from one of its most monumental wins in program history.

Just stop Notre Dame on fourth-down-and-16 with less than a minute to play, and the Blue Devils could celebrate a 14-13 victory, improve to 5-0, become a true darling of the 2023 college football landscape and move up in the national rankings — possibly threatening the top 10.

But then Sam Hartman wrecked everything.

The former Wake Forest quarterback, who transferred to South Bend for his final year of eligibility, dropped back to pass on that fateful fourth down, found no one open, paused for a beat and saw daylight. He took off — how had Duke’s defense forgotten about him? — and scrambled for 17 yards and a new set of downs.

Sam. Damn. Hartman.

Two plays later Audric Estime scored on a 30-yard run. Notre Dame had the lead 21-14.

Two plays after that, Duke quarterback Riley Leonard got hit trying to manufacture a rally of his own. He fumbled. The Irish recovered. Leonard’s ankle got rolled up. Teammates had to carry him off the field, and he left the stadium later that night on crutches, symbolic of just how cruel college football can be, especially, it seems, for ACC teams from our state.

So close, yet so far from glory.

It was a heart-wrenching loss for Duke, which had been atop our Fabulous 14 rankings most of the season. But the injury to Leonard, which thankfully may not be as severe as originally feared, still leaves the scope of Duke’s season more in doubt. Can they still challenge for an ACC title? An upper-tier bowl game?

It’s hard to drop the Blue Devils very far in our statewide rankings after Saturday’s loss. Duke still has plenty of Fabulous credentials and represented itself well in ESPN College GameDay’s first visit to Durham. Regardless of Leonard’s status, that defense is one of the best in the ACC and will be tough for anyone to score against.

But for now, Duke loses its place at the top of our rankings. The number six, seven and 13 teams also lost on Saturday, so we’ll rearrange things a bit heading into Week 6.

Here’s our latest Fabulous 14:

**This week’s Fabulous 14 includes UNC at the top and Elon moving up six spots to No. 6.**

14. Louisburg College (3-1)

Saturday’s result: Beat Central International College 43-7
Next game: Saturday vs. Georgia Military (in Cayce, S.C.) | 3 p.m.

The Hurricanes won their third game in a row on the JUCO circuit, scoring 29 points in the first quarter and tacking on the next two touchdowns in the second.

13. Wingate Bulldogs (3-2)

Saturday’s Result: Beat Erskine 45-0
Next Game: Saturday at Catawba | 6 p.m.

Welcome back, Bulldogs. After falling below the .500 mark and dropping out of the Fab 14 with early losses to Mars Hill and Tusculum, coach Joe Reich’s team has won two straight. The Bulldog defense held Erskine to 49 total yards. Wow.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-1)

Saturday’s Result: Bye
Next Game: Saturday at Clemson | 3:30 p.m.

The Deacs’ loss to Georgia Tech looks even more suspect now that the Yellow Jackets dropped a home game to Bowling Green. Wake pushed Clemson to the brink a year ago before losing a gut-wrencher in overtime (like Duke-Notre Dame – so close, yet so far). Can they hang with the Tigers in Death Valley?

11. Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-2)

Saturday’s Result: Won at UL Monroe 41-40
Next Game: Oct. 10 vs. Coastal Carolina | 7:30 p.m.

How close the Mountaineers are to being 5-0! But how close also to being 2-3, 0-1 in conference play if not for the poise of kicker Michael Hughes, who calmly booted a 54-yard game-winning field goal on the road Saturday night.

10. NC State Wolfpack (3-2)

Friday’s Result: Lost to Louisville 13-10

Next Game: Saturday vs. Marshall | 2 p.m.

The Pack will look to reset its offense, turning to MJ Morris at quarterback. The problems, though, may be deeper than the signal caller. Mistakes, some injuries, play-calling and poor offensive line play have mitigated what has been a pretty salty defensive effort. Linebacker Payton Wilson, especially, has been a wrecking ball.

9. Johnson C. Smith (4-1)

Saturday’s Result: Won at Elizabeth City State 21-20
Next Game: Saturday at Shaw | 1 p.m.

The Golden Bulls twice had to rally from a two-touchdown deficit to move to 3-0 in CIAA play. Shaw can be a tricky foe, especially at home, and a slow start could spell trouble for JCSU’s drive to challenge Fayetteville State for the conference’s Southern Division title.

8. Barton (4-1)

Saturday’s Result: Won at Tusculum 17-14
Next Game: Saturday vs. Newberry | 4 p.m.

The Bulldogs return home to face the reigning South Atlantic Conference champions. The Wolves (3-2) were voted preseason favorites to repeat but have struggled at times. Barton was picked to finish eighth in the SAC but has been playing way above that grade thus far.

7. Mars Hill (3-1)

Saturday’s Result: Lost at Limestone 27-23
Next Game: Saturday vs. Erskine | 2:30 p.m.

The Lions dropped their first game on Saturday but it came against a Piedmont Division foe (Mars Hill plays in the Mountain Division). This should be a bounce-back week as Erskine is 0-5 thus far and hasn’t been competitive in losses to in-state teams like Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne.

6. Elon (3-2)

Saturday’s Result: Upset No. 4/5 William & Mary 14-6
Next Game: Saturday vs. North Carolina Central | 2 p.m.

The Phoenix make the biggest move up the Fab 14 board — five spots — after a huge defensive showing against the Tribe. Elon-Central will be must-see FCS football, with two of the hottest teams in the state going head-to-head. Rhodes Stadium has been tough on opposing teams, with Elon winning eight in a row at home. The crowds lately have been great and among the best in school history.

5. North Carolina Central (4-1)

Saturday’s Result: Beat Campbell 49-48 in OT
Next Game: Saturday at Elon | 2 p.m.

The Eagles have an exceptional offense. Elon plays great defense and will have its hands full with NCCU quarterback Davius Richard, who can sling it down field or beat you with his feet.

4. Western Carolina (4-1)

Saturday’s Result: Won at The Citadel 49-14
Next Game: Saturday at Chattanooga | 4 p.m.

The Catamounts have spent most of this season trying to gain respect and the notice of Top 25 pollsters. They finally have it, with some voters putting WCU deep into their top 10 (officially, they are 11th and 17th in the two major FCS polls). Chattanooga has won four straight. This match-up of 3-0 SoCon teams will put the winner in the driver’s seat at the league’s halfway point.

3. Duke (4-1)

Saturday’s Result: Lost to Notre Dame 21-14
Next Game: Oct. 14 vs. NC State

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. Notre Dame showed its bounce-back ability after a grueling loss to Ohio State. Now Duke coach Mike Elko has to muster a similar response from his group, with his star quarterback sidelined for awhile. Games at Florida State and Louisville loom after the Wolfpack. It won’t be easy.

2. Lenoir-Rhyne (5-0)

Saturday’s Result: Beat UVA Wise 56-3
Next Game: Saturday at Limestone | Noon

The Bears climbed to No. 13 in the latest D2 national rankings. They have been the most dominant team in the state in many phases. Both Lenoir-Rhyne and Limestone sit at 3-0 in the SAC standings, so Saturday’s winner will have a leg up in league play at the halfway mark.

1. North Carolina (4-0)

Saturday’s Result: Bye
Next Game: Saturday vs. Syracuse | 3:30 p.m.

The Tar Heels take over the top spot in our Fabulous 14 without playing a down. Some might argue — and they would have a case — that UNC should have been No. 1 in our Fabulous 14 all along. Now we get to see if this bunch has staying power at the top – and can contend for a spot in the ACC title game. The next three games are at home. Might ESPN College GameDay come to Chapel Hill for the Miami game on Oct. 14 if both squads are undefeated?

Knocking on the door

UNC Pembroke and Fayetteville State have rediscovered their winning ways and improved to 3-2 overall. UNCP has a potent offense, while FSU beats teams with defense and solid special teams. Davidson has won three straight since a puzzling 0-2 start and seems to have unlocked its potent rushing attack. Catawba at 3-2 is lurking with a chance to move back into the Fabulous 14 by beating Wingate.

Final notes

Remember, we take into account every team in the state when assembling this unique ranking each week … a team must have a .500 record or better to qualify for the Fabulous 14 … As long as schools have the W-L record, we will include at least one team from each of the major divisions of play: FBS, FCS, D2 and D3/NAIA/JUCO.