LIVE BLOG: Duke 7, Virginia Tech 44 (FINAL)

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, FOURTH QUARTER, 3:02 REMAINING:

Heading down to the press conference now. My apologizes if I miss the next Virginia Tech score.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, FOURTH QUARTER, 4:39 REMAINING:

The Blue Devil defense just forced a turnover, quite a rare event. After a lengthy review, the officials confirmed that Duke's Jordon Byas forced a fumble that Matt Daniels recovered, setting the Blue Devils up at its own 42-yard line. Duke, though, went three-and-out with three interceptions. King just missed landing another punt within the 20, with a fair catch called at the 21-yard line.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, FOURTH QUARTER, 8:50 REMAINING:

Here's Jason Palmatary's column this week on how dropped passes have become a major issue for Duke, in case you didn't see it. Or, you could keep reading for my updated version from today's game:

Connette opens the drive with a pass attempt, his first since his first-half interception. He throws to a double-covered Varner, who drops the ball. Renfree then comes in and throws a deep ball to Conner Vernon, who drops it on the sideline. Freshman Brandon Braxton (finally) catches the next pass attempt, good for 25 yards. Despite the fact that Duke is in Virginia Tech territory at the 41-yard line, King punts the ball. This one lands at the Virginia Tech 13.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, FOURTH QUARTER, 11:30 REMAINING:

Sydney Sarmiento forced a fumble on third down, which was recovered by Virginia Tech. A short punt plus three penalties—a personal foul against Virginia Tech and a block in the back and roughing the kicker against Duke—results in the Hokies keeping the ball at their 9-yard line.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, FOURTH QUARTER, 15:00 REMAINING:

The Blue Devil has joined the Virginia mascot, a rooster (my colleague has informed me that a Hokie is a nickname originating from a song contest held here in 1896) , in doing the Hokie Pokie on the field. That's the second rendition of the Hokie Pokie today, if you're keeping track like me. Only about 1/4 of the Hokies's student section is here to participate.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, THIRD QUARTER, 0:00 REMAINING:

Connette starts out under center for this drive, giving him a chance to work the taste of that interception out of his mouth—kind of, at least. On third-and-5, he keeps the ball instead of attempting a pass, gaining only 3 yards. King punts another beauty, further cementing himself as the MVP in my book, 62 yards that pins the Hokies on their own 5-yard line.

Wilson gains 3 yards to take Virginia Tech out to the 8-yard line. Johnny Williams, who missed extended playing time due to one concussion is down on the field. He trots off under his own power.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 44, THIRD QUARTER, 2:31 REMAINING:

Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers.

Renfree throws his first interception today. It's returned 19 yards by Rashad Carmichael to the 12. Logan Thomas takes the field at quarterback, and he's some quarterback at 6' 6", 210 lbs. Ryan Williams makes his first appearance of the second half, gaining 5 yards to take the Hokies down to the 7-yard line. Thomas’s third down pass attempt to Boykin bounced off his fingertips, setting up a 22-yard field goal for Virginia Tech.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 41, THIRD QUARTER, 5:05 REMAINING:

At this point in the game, it's worth noting the the Virginia Tech student section is at least half empty.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 41, THIRD QUARTER, 5:08 REMAINING:

Roberts takes Virginia Tech's first kickoff return of the game from the end zone out to the 11-yard line. Marcus Davis, listed as the third option at his possession on the depth chart, hauls in a catch to secure the Hokies another first down. On the next set of downs, Taylor found a wide-open—WIDE-OPEN—Wilson, who had Duke cornerback Ross Crockwell beat by 10 yards when he hauled in the catch at the 25. Crockwell showed excellent closing speed forcing the ball out of Wilson's hands as he crossed the goal line. Williams recovered the fumble in the back of the end zone, with a replay review confirming that he recovered the ball in time to get one foot in bounds before rolling out of the end zone. The play is ruled a 65-yard touchdown pass.

DUKE 7, VIRGINIA TECH 34, THIRD QUARTER, 7:19 REMAINING:

Duke's offense responds with a scoring drive.

Desmond Scott  starts the second Blue Devil drive of the half with 36-yard kickoff return.  Sticking with what works, Scott carries the ball on first and second down, for 5 yards, and catches the third down pass for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

Back in Viriginia Tech territory for the first time since the opening drive, Varner pulled down a 9-yard reception on the ensuing first down, and Connette, back at quarterback, came in for a 5 yard run, before returning to the sideline after one play.  He came back on the next second down, rumbling inside the 10 yard line on a 19-yard run.  He stays in on first-and-goal, rushing for no gain.  On the next play, Hollingswirth runs 6 yards up the middle for the first Duke touchdown of the day. At least that goose egg is off the board.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 34, THIRD QUARTER, 11:38 REMAINING:

A Perfect Drive

By: The Virginia Tech Offense

Taylor to Coales for 27 yards on first down. Taylor to Dyrell Roberts for 6 yards on first down. Taylor rolls out to his left, directing traffic, throws a beautiful spiral to Roberts, who has beaten Duke cornerback Chris Rwabukamba. Roberts and Rwabukamba wrestle into the end zone, capping the 43-yard completion with a touchdown. Three plays, 76 yards, 1:26 seconds.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 27, THIRD QUARTER, 12:57 REMAINING:

Hey! Duke opened the half with an onside kick, and kicker Will Snyderwine recovered his own kickoff. Virginia Tech was caught completely off guard, with virtually no one ready to attempt to recover the short kick (to be fair, all the reporters in my row were surprised too, as we had to watch the replay to get a better look).  A holding penalty on first down shot any momentum, with Renfree's second deep pass attempt of the game landing incomplete, as his receiver was well covered. Jayron Hosely fair caught the Alex King punt at the Hokies 24-yard line.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 27,  HALFTIME:

Nothing is going right for Duke. The defense, which had played well the past two games, has not been able to stop either the Hokies running or passing game. Once either Tyrod Taylor or one of the three running backs, Darren Evans, David Wilson, or Ryan Williams, breaks past Duke's initial front line, all four are easily outrunning the Blue Devils linebackers. Virginia Tech as gained 98 yards on the ground, with Taylor leading the way with 47 yards on six carries.

Taylor has also passed for 118 yards, with one touchdown. He's been spreading the ball around nicely, with Jarrett Boykin, Andre Smith and Darren Evans each raking in two catches and Danny Coale adding one more.

Even the Hokies marching band is impressive—they made an impressive outline of the state of Virginia (I'd say not the easiest state to draw) and have switched formations like, two other times. They are currently leading the crowd in the Hokie Pokie.

For Duke, Sean Renfree is 6-of-17 for 62 yards and one fumble. He has been sacked twice and hurried multiple times. Brandon Connette, who had been gaining in popularity as all backups to struggling starters do, is 0-of-3 and threw a costly interception that turned into a touchdown for Virginia Tech to make it 21-0 Hokies. The pick, though, might be more costly in terms of how it affects his playing time and future opportunities to drop back and pass. We'll hear more from Cutcliffe after the game on this topic.

On the ground, Duke has gained 40 yards,  averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Jay Hollingsworth and Desmond Scott have each gained 17 yards. Cutcliffe said in his teleconference last Sunday that Duke might turn to the run more if the passing game proves ineffective, using Mississippi State vs. Florida as an example. This second half might be a good time to test out the run-first offense.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 27, SECOND QUARTER, 0:00 REMAINING:

Duke takes no chances, running two run plays to end the half. Halftime analysis coming up.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 27, SECOND QUARTER, 0:38 REMAINING:

Taylor hit Darren Evans for an 8-yard completion to start the Virginia Tech 2-minute drill. The next pass attempt yielded a 43-yard pickup, as wide receiver Jarrett Boykin shredded through the defense down to the Duke 34-yard line. Two Taylor incompletions, including one on a deep route in the end zone. Darren Evans took a pass from the backfield up to the 27-yard line, and after a moment's hesitation, the Hokies marched their field goal unit onto the field. Somewhat surprising, as they've already demonstrated their not afraid to go for it on fourth down against an inferior opponent, and a 44-yard field goal is not automatic. No sweat for Virginia Tech, though, as they move 58 yards on six plays in 54 seconds.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 24, SECOND QUARTER,1:28 REMAINING:

Duke started at its own 23. Jay Hollingsworth found some running room on first down, gaining 14 yards.  Renfree's pass landed incomplete, and then he threw the ball safety away to the sideline to avoid a sack. Hollingsworth came up big again, catching a short slant and gaining 13 yards on the catch, most after the play as he split two Hokies defenders to earn the first down. Two more incomplete passes set up another third down. Renfree attempted a deep pass, unusual for Duke, but overthrew wideout Austin Kelly by about 5 yards. Alex King punts for the fourth time, landing another one within the 20-yard line. Right now, I'd say he's the MVP for Duke.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 24, SECOND QUARTER, 2:37 REMAINING:

David Wilson is the latest ball carrier in the Hokies backfield, gaining four yard on two plays. Taylor, not to be outdone by any running back, danced 36 yards down the field, dodging several tackles along the way. Once again, an example of how having a dual-threat quarterback makes playing defense extremely difficult. With a pure drop back passer, that play breaks down. On Virginia Tech's next third down attempt at the Duke 19-yard line, Rwabukamba broke up Taylor's pass attempt in the end zone. As his back was to the ball, it's difficult to say whether it was more great defense or luck, but it did limit Virginia Tech to a 37-yard field goal.

For the record, I predicted a 30-point loss today. We're pretty close, and the Duke offense has not shown anything to indicate it will be able to put up any points.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 21, SECOND QUARTER, 7:25 REMAINING:

Sean Renfree, predictably, is back at quarterback. After a 6-yard completion on first down, he misfired on an attempt to Cooper Helfet on second down. Donovan Varner then jumped in on the third-down fun, catching 9-yard pass to move the chains.  After three straight passing plays, Scott was stuffed for no gain on first down.  On second down, Renfree was sacked for a loss of three. Brett Huffman, returning from an injury, had to be helped off the field on the same play. Renfree overthrew a wide-open Hollingsworth on a short slant on third-and-13, setting up yet another Duke punt. Hokies return man Danny Cole dodged two Duke tacklers before being brought down at the Virginia Tech 23.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 21, SECOND QUARTER, 10:05 REMAINING:

Turnovers continue to spell doom for Duke.

Apparently it doesn't matter who the quarterback is for Duke. After Abraham Kromah continued his strong play, coming up with a sack of Taylor on third down, Duke started at its own  34. Connette remained in the game and threw yet another pass. This pass, like his first attempt, was broken up by solid coverage. On the next play, though, he tried to do too much, throwing the ball away as he was tackled—right into the hands of a waiting Virginia Tech defender, who returned it to the end zone, but inadvertently stepped out of bounds at the 24-yard line.

Tyrod Taylor showed on the ensuing third down just why a dual-threat quarteback is so hard to stop. Chris Rwabukamba stayed with his mark in the end zone, so Taylor just kept the ball himself, rushing for 12 yards and a new set of downs. The Blue Devils defense showed more goal line toughness, stuffing the run on the first two plays. It couldn't come up with a third stop, though, and Darren Evans surged over the pile on his second effort, giving Virginia Tech its third touchdown. The game is quickly becoming out of hand.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 14, FIRST QUARTER, 0:00 REMAINING:

Head coach David Cutcliffe said this week that freshman quarterback Brandon Connette would get more snaps in critical situations. After Renfree’s first pass was closest to the fans in the stands on first down, Connette came in on second down, picking up 9 yards on his first carry. On third-and-1, he stayed in, faked the run, dropped back, and throwing an incomplete pass to Conner Vernon, apparently the automatic third-down target for Duke. The fact that Connette is throwing on third down indicates that he will have more of an opportunity, as Cutcliffe hinted.

After King’s punt just missed a Hokie defender’s hand, it landed nicely, inside the Virginia Tech 20-yard line. A 2-yard scramble by Taylor brought the first quarter to an end.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 14, FIRST QUARTER, 1:30 REMAINING:

Ryan Williams made his first appearance since Sept. 18, gaining 1 yard on his first carry. The fans cheered as the loudspeaker announced his presence after the carry. Smith, the beast of a tight end, caught Taylor’s pass and was pushed out at the 3-yard line.  After a Virginia Tech timeout, Williams showed that his hamstring is fine, juking in the backfield for a gain of 2 yards down the the 1. Duke's defensive line stepped up, stonewalling Williams on second-and-goal, with Abraham Kromah making the stop. Taylor then bounced a pass incomplete at Smith's feet. The Hokies though, went for it on fourth down, and Williams punched it in on his third attempt.

I, personally, am surprised the Hokies didn't take the field goal. Although, as another reporter said up here in the box, if they missed, Duke would have been pinned at its 1-yard line. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer probably felt safe about the potential downside to being stuffed on fourth down.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 7, FIRST QUARTER, 4:22 REMAINING:

Freshman Juwan Thompson brought the kick out of the end zone out to the 22-yard line.  Snead gained two yards on two carries, and Renfree found Vernon again on third down for a 15-yard completion, with Vernon picking up a nice gain after the catch. Jay Hollingsworth became the latest running back to carry the ball, but his 3-yard gain was erased when Kyle Hill, the left tackle, was flagged for an offsides violation. Again, Renfree found Vernon on third down, but this swing pass only netted 3 yards, setting up an Alex King punt.  Jayron Hosely, though, ran the 40 yard punt back 61 yards, setting up the Hokies at the 19-yard line.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 7, FIRST QUARTER, 7:56 REMAINING:

The Hokies opened their initial drive at their own 48. Tyrod Taylor didn't fumble his opening snap—he completed a 24-yard pass down the right sideline right out of the gun. Darren Evans gained 15 yards on the next two plays, setting up a first-and-goal on the 9-yard line. Right tackle Blake DeChristopher jumped offsides, pushing Virginia Teach back five yards, but no matter—Taylor sat back in the pocket and found tight end Andre Smith (the 272-pound tight end!) wide open in the end zone in between two Duke defenders for the easy touchdown. Five plays, 57 yards in 2:37 seconds was all it took.

DUKE 0, VIRGINIA TECH 0, FIRST QUARTER, 10:33 REMAINING:

Sean Renfree's woes continue. After winning the toss, Virginia Tech elected to defer, giving the Blue Devils offense the first crack. Josh Snead set the Blue Devils up wit ha 32-yard return out to the 32-yard line. Quarterback Sean Renfree promptly fumbled the opening snap—that's the fourth game in a row Renfree has fumbled. Redshirt freshman Desmond Scott followed up with a 2-yard gain on second down, and then a 12-yard pickup for a first down out to the 45.

After a no gain on first down, Renfree's screen pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage. He connected with Conner Vernon on third-and-10 for 17 yards out to the Hokies's 38-yard line. Renfree then did his best Tyrod Taylor impersenations, keeping the ball and running for a 7-yard gain. Virginia Tech then caught on to the run, stopping Scott for a loss of 4. Renfree's pass fell incomplete on third down, and David Cutcliffe elected to go for it. On fourth down, Renfree held onto the ball, taking a sack and turning over the ball on downs on the Virignia Tech 43. A once-promising drive sputtered right outside of field goal territory.

PREGAME: It's a beautiful fall day in Blacksburg, perfect weather for football! With T-minus 20 minutes to kickoff, the plethora of Hokie tailgates are wrapping up, with fans streaming into Lane Stadium.

With a win today, Virginia Tech will become bowl eligible. Hokie fans, though, had visions of a national championship trip their heads at the beginning of the season. That dream was quickly squashed with Virginia Tech's 0-2 start, with losses to Boise State and James Madison. The Hokies have played better lately, winning their past five and posting a perfect 3-0 conference record.

For Duke, all eyes will be on Sean Renfree—can he limit his turnovers? Defensively, will the Blue Devils be able to stop dual-threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor?

Stay tuned for the answers.