The Blue Devils held on for a wild 45-43 win against Virginia Tech Saturday evening at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. For one of the first times this season, the Duke offense bailed out the defense to help the Blue Devils stay in the driver’s seat of the ACC Coastal division. With the victory, Duke moved to 6-1 and is now eligible for postseason play for the fourth consecutive season.
Offense: A
Pass: Quarterback Thomas Sirk was solid against the Hokies, completing 19 of his 39 attempted passes for 270 yards. Sirk was able to step up in the pocket against pressure, and went through his progressions en route to four touchdowns in the winning effort. Although it wasn’t his most accurate performance and the quarterback completed only 49-percent of his passes, Sirk was able to put points on the board when the team needed them the most and finished the game without a turnover. Senior Max McCaffrey showed a rapport with his quarterback that has been missing all season and caught two early touchdowns to highlight his six catches for 94 yards. Johnell Barnes caught five passes for 47 yards and Anthony Nash showed big play ability, with three catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Rush: Sirk also led the team in rushing in the victory with 18 carries for 109 yards on the evening. The redshirt junior shouldered much of the load on the ground and was the only reliable rushing option for the Blue Devils. Senior Shaquille Powell finished with seven carries for 15 yards, and sophomore Shaun Wilson had four carries for 60 yards including a 58-yard touchdown. The Blue Devil running backs had trouble finding holes and making running room for themselves, but luckily for Duke, Sirk was able to save the day. The quarterback showed his ability to make plays with his feet when ran for the game winning two-point conversion that sealed the victory for the Blue Devils.
X’s and O’s: Offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery must be pleased with his unit after this game. Montgomery called a balanced offensive attack, with 40 pass attempts and 32 rush attempts. For one of the first times this season, Montgomery showed more trust in his quarterback, who responded with his best game of the season. The offense also was able to finish drives without settling for field goals and scored three touchdowns in their six trips to the red zone.
Defense: C-
Pass: Duke’s secondary struggled for the first time this season as Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer completed 24 of 45 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. Duke struggled to contain tight end Bucky Hodges—who caught five passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns—including one to force overtime and another to take the lead in the second extra period. But on the Hokies two-point conversion attempt in the fourth overtime, the secondary showed its might once again as Deondre Singleton broke up Brewer’s pass attempt to Isaiah Ford just inside the goal line and allowed Sirk to have the chance to win the game.
Rush: Duke had both its good and bad moments containing the run Saturday afternoon. Virginia Tech running back Travon McMillian had a field day against the Blue Devil defense, finishing with 29 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. But as a team, the Hokies racked up only 3.4 yards per carry on the evening despite trying to use the running game to set up the pass. Safety DeVon Edwards finished with 15 tackles and cornerback Deondre Singleton finished with 12 along with star safety Jeremy Cash, who was a game-changer once again with 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
X’s and O’s: For one of the first times this season, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had to be frustrated with his defense. Coming into the game as one of the top-ranked units in the nation, Duke got off to a slow start defensively and made the careless mistakes they have avoided this season. In the overtime period, the Blue Devils struggled to stop the Hokies from putting points on the board and simply couldn't answer the bell until coming up with the stop when the game mattered most in the fourth extra period.
Special Teams: B-
Placekicker Ross Martin was not the automatic, clutch kicker that we have grown accustomed to. After starting the season 12-of-12, Martin went just three for five against the Hokies including an explicable miss from 29 yards out in the first half. The senior made matters worse when he hit the cross bars on a 46-yard attempt right before the end of regulation. All-ACC punter Will Monday had a solid afternoon with his five punts averaging 42 yards. Returners DeVon Edwards and Ryan Smith were held in check most of the night, with one kickoff return for 21 yards and two punt returns for six yards, respectively.
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