They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details—and numbers:
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Defense has been central to Duke football’s success the past few weeks, and nobody has exemplified that fact more than junior safety Terry Moore. The Blue Devils struggled in the middle of their encounter with UConn, as the Husky offense moved the ball efficiently and its defense scored points of its own. Early in the fourth quarter, though, Moore hawked the ball down for a momentum-shifting interception, his second such turnover in that many weeks. The takeaway proved a turning point in the game, allowing Duke to battle back from a 21-20 deficit and escape with a 26-21 victory. The safety has become a nightmarish matchup for opposing offenses and a large part of the Blue Devils’ defensive prowess.
-Tyler Ruben
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Duke men's soccer fell to North Carolina in a sold out Koskinen Stadium Friday, as the Blue Devils celebrated Alumni Weekend. The game ended with a 2-1 scoreline, as Tar Heels’ forward Martin Vician slotted a game-winning goal into the bottom corner, off a controversial uncalled handball. The winner came after two first-half goals, first by Duke forward Adam Luckhurst in the 12th minute, his fourth goal of the season, and then by North Carolina’s Lucas Ross with three minutes before halftime. A total of six cards were issued to players during a rough match between bitter rivals. Notably, a key ejection took place toward the end of the game, putting Duke out of contention as Blue Devil midfielder Trevor Burns received a red card after a video review, inciting the wrath of the home crowd. Burns’ first red card of the season will leave a sour taste in Duke’s mouth heading into its next fixture at Stanford.
-Dean Harder
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Scoring sprees and defensive dominance have characterized the start of Duke women’s soccer’s season. In a triumphant 7-0 victory over Missouri Sept. 19, sophomore forward Mia Minestrella recorded a brace, while five other teammates also got onto the score sheet, marking the most goals scored for the Blue Devils this year. The victory marked Duke’s fifth win in a row, but consistent scoring is not all that has led to the team’s success. The Blue Devils have played a total of 485 minutes since their last goal conceded, making it five full matches since Duke has picked the ball out of its own net. The now No. 8 Blue Devils will hope to extend this streak as they travel to Clemson Thursday, hungry for revenge following last season’s 1-0 defeat at home.
-Dean Harder
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Despite coming up short in its game against Saint John’s, Duke volleyball presented a robust defensive front in the face of the Red Storm’s attack. In its 3-1 loss, the Blue Devils recorded 17 total blocks in response to Saint John’s 136 attempts. That figure marks a sharp increase in the productivity of the defense and the program’s highest tally since 2019. While the impressive defensive performance was a manifestation of a great team effort, ten of the blocks came at the hands of senior Rylie Kadel, who tied her own career-high. Despite falling to 4-5 on the season, the Blue Devils mounted a near-comeback in the fourth set, nearly turning the match around. The effort will give fans hope that a talented defense will lead to close victories moving forward, starting with a challenging matchup at home against Michigan State Friday.
-Tyler Ruben
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