WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—The Blue Devils are 30 minutes away from ending their four-game losing streak.
Duke leads Wake Forest 17-7 at halftime at BB&T Field after a strong all-around performance through the first two quarters. Thomas Sirk has earned most of the snaps under center after at first alternating drives with backup Parker Boehme, and the Blue Devil defense has limited explosive plays, holding the Demon Deacons to just four first downs.
Duke capitalized on an early Wake Forest mistake, as Deondre Singleton scooped up a John Wolford fumble inside the Demon Deacon 40-yard line. Sirk drove the Blue Devils into the red zone with a pair of completions to wide receiver Anthony Nash, then found Max McCaffrey on a out-and-up route along the right sideline for an 18-yard touchdown.
Wake Forest answered right back with a seven-play, 75-yard drive to knot the score at 7-7. Wolford took advantage of Duke's new-look secondary for two big pass plays during the series, opening with a 49-yard toss to Cam Serigne on play-action. After the Blue Devils forced Wake Forest backward on its next two plays, Wolford burned freshman cornerback Jeremy McDuffie for a 25-yard completion to put the Demon Deacons inside the five yard line. Two plays later, Tyler Bell plowed into the end zone.
Back under center for another series, Sirk led the Blue Devils on a 75-yard scoring drive of his own, finishing things himself with a three-yard scamper. The Glen Saint Mary, Fla., product was a perfect 5-for-5 on the drive, including a third down conversion to freshman T.J. Rahming, who collected the ball, juggled it and held on despite taking a shot.
After misfiring from 39 yards out on the game's opening drive, senior Ross Martin tacked on a 51-yarder on the half's final play to send Duke into the locker room with a double-digit lead.
Sirk has found a rhythm with Nash, who enters following consecutive 100-yard performances. The redshirt junior leads the Blue Devils with six catches for 54 yards. McCaffrey leads the Duke receiving corps with 61 yards through the air and the score.
Here are some observations from the first half:
- Defensive end Kyler Brown served as Duke's defensive captain for the opening coin toss Saturday with Cash unavailable due to the targeting penalty.
- The Blue Devil secondary switched things up in the absence of Cash. Redshirt junior Corbin McCarthy filled Cash's strike safety position in the first half, and redshirt junior safety DeVon Edwards—normally Duke's rover safety—moved over to cornerback, where Alonzo Saxton and Jeremy McDuffie have struggled during the current four-game slide. Redshirt sophomore Phillip Carter assumed Edwards' normal safety duties.
- The fumble recovery was Singleton's second in as many games.
- McCarthy nearly single-handedly produced a Wake Forest three-and-out midway through the second quarter.
- Ross Martin's 51-yard field goal just before halftime was the seventh 50-yarder of his career and his 22nd made field goal of the season, which sets a new Duke single-season record.
- Wake Forest managed just four first downs in the first half. The Blue Devils moved the chains 18 times.
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