Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, all to wide receiver Eron Riley, as Duke picked up its second win of the year with a convincing 41-31 victory over Navy on a scorching Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium.
The Blue Devils trailed 24-20 at halftime before playing nearly flawless football in the second half, capitalizing on field position and punching the ball in when they needed to most. Riley, who was sidelined for parts of last week's 24-20 loss to Northwestern, was once again Lewis' favorite target, grabbing eight passes for 137 yards. He scored Duke's first touchdown on a slant over the middle, put Duke up in the third quarter when he reached and barely crossed the plane and sealed the deal with the Blue Devils' last score, a 49-yard scamper off a crossing slant. Even backup placekicker Joe Surgan nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Duke now heads into a bye week with its first ACC matchup against Virginia looming Sept. 27.
Check back with The Chronicle and the Sports Blog over the weekend for more coverage of the win, including an audio slideshow with our photographers' best shots and reporters' analysis.
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