Extra Point: Duke football vs. Pittsburgh

After cracking the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, Duke (7-1, 3-1 in the ACC) went to Heinz Field and won a double-overtime thriller at Pittsburgh (4-5, 2-3) 51-48 Saturday. With the dramatic win that came after Panther kicker Chris Blewitt shanked a short field goal at the end of regulation, the Blue Devils are now alone atop the ACC Coastal Division.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Rely on the run game: While the Pittsburgh offensive load was shouldered by running back James Conner, Duke found its rhythm balancing the pass and the run. Blue Devil quarterback Anthony Boone found his groove quickly for the first time in more than a month, passing for 266 yards and three touchdowns, which opened up the ground game. Duke's quartet of backs took advantage, rushing for 172 yards on 27 carries, and Boone himself carried seven times for 47 yards. The Blue Devils' ability to stay balanced on offense and wear Pittsburgh's defense down was crucial in overtime, when Duke got into the end zone twice using only running plays.
• Pressure Voytik on obvious passing downs: Although Panther quarterback Chad Voytik played well—completing 16-of-24 passes for 236 yards and two scores—he was pressured consistently throughout the game, especially on third downs. Multiple times—including on third down in the second overtime—he was blitzed hard and was forced to throw away the ball in crucial situations. After getting torched by star Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd a year ago, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles brought the heat Saturday to make sure that Voytik would not have much time to find his favorite target.
• Continue to use tight ends, execute efficiently in the red zone: Although the tight ends David Reeves and Erich Schneider did not play a significant role in the passing game, they helped keep Boone clean and opened up holes for the run game. In the red zone, Duke executed effectively, with two Sirk touchdowns, a Boone passing touchdown, and a Ross Martin field goal. On two overtime possessions that started at the Pittsburgh 25-yard line, the Blue Devils executed beautifully to secure the win.

Three key plays:

• As the first half wound down and Duke down a score, Boone led the team 75 yards in the last 1:17 to tie the game at 28. The drive was punctuated by what appeared to be a 28-yard touchdown pass to All-ACC wideout Jamison Crowder down the right sideline. However, after, review, the officials confirmed that it was a catch, but marked him out of bounds at the one-yard line with three seconds remaining in the half. Blue Devil goal line specialist Thomas Sirk then barreled in as time expired to give Duke a lot of momentum going into the locker room.
• With the score tied at 38, Pitt marched down to the Duke eight yard line and set up a field goal with two seconds left. Blewitt lined up for the try, but head coach David Cutcliffe used two timeouts to ice him. The notoriously tumultuous winds at Heinz Field and the pressure of taking a game-winning kick was too much for Blewitt—who shanked the kick far to the left—and the game was sent to overtime.
• In the second overtime period—with Pittsburgh up a field goal—Duke needed a field goal to tie and force a third overtime and a touchdown to win it. From five yards out, Sirk put the dagger in the Panthers’ coffin with a tough run up the gut. The backup quarterback's second touchdown of the afternoon gave the Blue Devils a crucial 51-48 ACC win and Duke stormed the field to celebrate.

Three key stats:

• 212 combined points in Duke and Pittsburgh's last two meetings: Out for revenge after a 58-55 loss to Pitt last year, the explosive scoring continued in this year’s scoring barrage between the two squads. The Blue Devils and Panthers have now compiled 2,162 yards of offense in their two meetings as explosive runs by Panther running back James Conner and chain-moving grabs by Crowder highlighted the afternoon’s offensive fireworks.
• Career-high 263 yards for James Conner: Everyone knew that Conner would be a focal point of the Panthers’ offense heading into the game—with 1,079 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns already on the season—but Duke’s previously fourth-ranked scoring defense in the FBS didn’t expect to be abused like it was. Conner had 38 carries at a 6.9 yards-per-carry clip and found the end zone three times. All afternoon, the Blue Devil defense had no idea how to contain him, and Duke's defense seemed to miss more tackles trying to tackle Conner than it had all season.
• 7.5 yards per play for the Duke offense: Boone and the Blue Devil offense put on a dominant performance in all facets of the game. The unit protected the ball—committing no turnovers on the afternoon—while moving the chains and finishing drives. Crowder and Boone hooked up nine times for 165 yards and two scores and freshman running back Shaun Wilson had 12 touches for 86 yards and a score as well. Sirk played his part to perfection, given two red zone carries, both of which he converted for crucial touchdowns. Many were lauding Duke's defense as the strength of the team entering the game, but one could make the argument that the Blue Devil offensive line has yet to play a bad game this season as it continues to give Boone plenty of time and open up holes in the running game.

And the Duke game ball goes to… Anthony Boone

The sophomore finished with 38 carries for 263 yards and three touchdowns and managed to top the great performance he had against Duke last year—172 yards and a touchdown—on his way to a career day.