WEST POINT, N.Y. — The last two minutes of Duke’s fourth quarter in West Point were among the best the team has seen in years—and certainly the best of Leon Wright’s career.
In the space of 16 seconds, the senior cornerback intercepted two Army passes, running for a total of 84 yards to inflate Duke’s lead from eight to 22 to lift the Blue Devils to a 35-19 victory over the Black Knights (1-1) Saturday.
It was Duke’s first win of the season in its first meeting with Army since 1997.
The win, which preserves the Blue Devils’ hopes of bowl eligibility, was also a much-needed boost in morale. And having plays like Wright’s back-to-back scores were icing on the cake.
“It was a must-win, just like all our games,” quarterback Sean Renfree said. “But it was a great opportunity to go out and just show people how we can really play. I think we really did that the second half.”
Duke (1-1) blew past the Black Knights in the second half, scoring 28 of its 35 points, and 21 in the final quarter alone.
But it wasn’t easy for Duke to get the win. At the outset, the Blue Devils looked no better than their Richmond selves, allowing Army to rush 55 yards in its first possession. Five plays and less than two minutes later, Army had seven points on the board.
“They threw a play we’ve never seen before,” senior linebacker Vincent Rey said. “They ended up scoring on that drive, but the main thing was for us to recuperate and understand what they were trying to do to us and make some plays.”
It did take time for Duke to recover, and it was a slow first half, especially for senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who struggled to connect with his receivers. The lone bright spot was a 14-yard pass from Lewis to freshman receiver Conner Vernon for Duke’s first touchdown in the second quarter.
It was Duke’s defensive line that stepped up earliest, allowing only two field goals after the initial drive before conceding a Black Knight touchdown in the final seconds when the game was already decided. Rey and senior defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk each notched 10 tackles.
Head coach David Cutcliffe credited the defense and Duke’s kicking game for getting his team through the first half.
“I love coming from behind and winning a game—I don’t care what the circumstance is,” he said. “I told our team at halftime it’s why we play two halves. There’s an opportunity ahead of you.”
Much of the success after the break came from Renfree. In his debut, the redshirt freshman shone brighter than anyone on the field, going 7-of-8 passing and throwing for two touchdowns. He found the end zone on his first pass, a 17-yard touchdown toss to junior tight end Brett Huffman.
Cutcliffe was also quick to dismiss any rumors that Renfree will be taking over Lewis’ spot in the lineup.
“At that point in time, when you all of a sudden get a little hot, I had no problem putting Thad back in,” he said. “But you don’t do that when you’ve got a hot hand. I was real pleased. And we win and lose as a team.”
Renfree and Lewis both displayed no ill will toward one another, the freshman praising Lewis for his leadership, and Lewis encouraging Renfree for his stellar showing.
But at the end of the day, the biggest thing was for Duke to get its first win. Cutcliffe said the team still has a lot of improving to do, but Saturday’s performance against Army was the Duke he wants to see.
“There was no comparison between our energy today and our energy against Richmond—no discredit to Richmond,” Cutcliffe said. “Even though we were behind, even though we hadn’t played perfectly, there was a lot of energy on that field and on that sideline. It felt like who we are.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.