Extra point: Duke football vs. Louisville

Duke entered Friday's contest at No. 7 Louisville as a 35-point underdog but put a legitimate scare into the Cardinals at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, staying within striking distance until the final minutes before falling 24-14. 

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Limit turnovers: Mission accomplished. The Blue Devils did not turn the ball over at all Friday and dominated time of possession, keeping Heisman Trophy frontrunner Lamar Jackson and Louisville on the sideline to give Duke the chance to pull the upset. Junior running back Shaun Wilson dropped the ball once but quickly recovered, and the Blue Devils played a clean game offensively, finishing with just three penalties on the road.
• Contain Lamar Jackson: This almost seemed like a fool's errand heading into the game, but Duke slowed Jackson down much more effectively than any Cardinal opponent has so far this season. Jackson had fewer opportunities because of the Blue Devils' strategy, but he still finished with fewer than 350 total yards and three total touchdowns for the first time this season. Duke's blitzes made Jackson uncomfortable, and the sophomore finished just 13-of-26 for 181 yards passing. 
• Get the running game going: Veteran running back Jela Duncan returned after exiting the Army game early with an injury and had 12 carries for 44 yards, helping the Blue Devils get the running game going enough to control the clock. Louisville was focused on stopping the run, so although Duke finished with 110 yards on 39 carries, one has to keep in mind the flow of the game and the Cardinals' strength up front. The Blue Devils struggled to open holes at times, but that is to be expected against a team with NFL talent in its front seven. 

Three key plays:

• 9:27 remaining, first quarter: Louisville opened the game with a quick 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in less than four minutes, and a three-and-out for the Duke offense would have given the Cardinals a chance to jump out to yet another quick start. But on third-and-long, redshirt freshman Daniel Jones found sophomore T.J. Rahming on a slip screen against a blitz for 51 yards to set up the Blue Devils' game-tying score a few minutes later. 
• 10:50 remaining, third quarter: After it looked like Duke sophomore linebacker Ben Humphreys had come up with a clean strip and fumble recovery on Louisville tight end Cole Hikutini, the Blue Devil defense had one of its only lapses Friday. Cardinal power running back Jeremy Smith burst through a hole on the left side of the line and broke a few tackles, exploding for an 80-yard scamper to put Louisville up 17-7.
• 2:00 remaining, fourth quarter: With its team down 17-14, the Duke defense came up with a stop at the 29-yard line, forcing Cardinal kicker Evan O'Hara to line up for a 46-yard field goal. O'Hara, who entered the game 2-for-4 on field goals this season, had already missed once earlier in the game and sent his third attempt wide also. But Blue Devil senior cornerback Breon Borders made contact with O'Hara's leg on his follow through, resulting in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down that set up Jackson's game-sealing touchdown. 

Three key stats:

• Duke controls the ball for almost two-thirds of the game: The Blue Devils were conservative on offense throughout the game, but the strategy paid off in a big way thanks to a few Louisville miscues in the second half and Duke's ability to move the chains. The Blue Devils controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes, allowing their defense to rest and slow down Jackson. Jones avoided the turnovers that have plagued him this year, finishing 14-of-21 for 129 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Louisville held almost five touchdowns below season scoring average: The Cardinals hurt themselves with a fumble in the red zone and a missed field goal, but Duke defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his staff seemed to have a strategy in place to disrupt Louisville's offense for a full game. That was something only No. 3 Clemson had been able to do even remotely before Friday's game. A heavy dose of blitzes up the middle forced Jackson into erratic throws, and the Blue Devils were able to corral Louisville's other weapons in one of their most complete defensive performances of the year.  
• A.J. Reed now 3-of-7 on field goals: With the hectic finish, it was almost easy to forget that Duke had a chance to tie the game before halftime. The Blue Devils went on a drive that took up more than half the second quarter, but Reed could not convert from 40 yards out with 2:17 left before halftime. The true freshman kicker has struggled throughout the year, posing a tough dilemma when Duke gets inside the opponent's 30-yard line. 

And the Duke game ball goes to… Deondre Singleton