The three defining plays of Duke football's season thus far

After a 4-1 start to the season, it is time to re-evaluate some of the big moments which have led to Duke football’s first five results: 

After most football games, there is a single moment that you can look back on and call it the turning point in a game. And in the world of college football, one game can determine bowl games, conference championship aspirations and for some teams, playoff hopes. Let’s look at the three biggest plays of Duke's season through five games.

3. Phil Mafah fumble on the 1-yard line (14:26 fourth quarter)

After a long fought game, Clemson finally seemed to gain momentum, getting a couple of stops in a row and driving the ball down to the Duke 1-yard line. However, Tiger running back Phil Mafah fumbled the ball, and after senior safety Jaylen Stinson recovered the football, he returned it all the way to the Clemson 33-yard line. This appeared to be the breaking point for the Tigers, as graduate running back Jaquez Moore scored just six plays later, extending the Blue Devil lead to 14 points. 

2. Riley Leonard 44-yard touchdown run (12:40 third quarter)

Following a fumble after a long drive from the Blue Devils, Clemson took a 7-6 lead into the second half, demoralizing the Duke offense after a show of promise. However, junior quarterback Riley Leonard did not let that deter him, and on the first drive of the second half, he took a third-and-three designed run to the house after shaking off linebacker Barrett Carter. This gave Duke the lead once again, exciting a seemingly dead crowd as the Blue Devils never looked back. 

1. Sam Hartman fourth-and-16 conversion (0:41 fourth quarter)

If the Blue Devils get a stop, they win the game. On a fourth down with less than a minute remaining, Notre Dame graduate quarterback Sam Hartman scrambled out of the pocket to convert a long fourth down, crushing both the Duke defense and the Wallace Wade faithful. Following the conversion, Audric Estime rushed for a 30-yard score, and the Fighting Irish went on to close out a win. To add fuel to the fire, Leonard was injured on a play which would not have occurred had Duke gotten a stop. As Notre Dame is a non-conference opponent, the Blue Devils ultimately control their own destiny for an ACC championship run, however, a win likely would have cemented them in the top 10 of the AP poll and as outside College Football Playoff contenders.