Jordan Moore has run the entire gamut of Duke football.
Moore had the game of his life last season against North Carolina, catching six passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns. However, in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss, his efforts came up short, a symbolic microcosm of the second half of Duke’s 2023 season.
Exactly 300 days later against Northwestern, the Blue Devils found themselves in a similar situation — down one score in overtime. Quarterback Maalik Murphy immediately knew who he would go to, tossing a beautiful deep pass to Moore for a touchdown on Duke’s first overtime play. Moore did what he had done the entire game: run a slant route to convert.
“We sort of faked the slant and then ran a slant-and-go on the safety,” head coach Manny Diaz said. “[The safety] dove down, and we got the coverage we were looking for. [Moore] ran a great route and [Murphy] made a great throw. It was a great answer for us to get momentum back in the game.”
In double overtime, Murphy instantly looked Moore’s way again, and the receiver powered forward on yet another slant route for a 22-yard gain, setting up the go-ahead touchdown throw.
Duke football had played ugly. The offense had looked disoriented for much of the game. But it won, largely credited to Moore’s performance in the clutch. However, he was modest about his production, instead focusing on the ways he could improve.
“Some of the plays that I felt like I should have made, I didn’t,” Moore said. “But [the team] called in my way again, and I felt like I had to make the most of my opportunities.”
Moore’s performance was anything but average. The graduate student hauled in 11 catches, the most by a Blue Devil since Jalon Calhoun’s 2022 showing against Wake Forest, and he led both teams with 121 receiving yards.
The first half was not kind to Moore, who only recorded two catches on a single drive in the second quarter. Short slant routes proved ineffective against the Wildcats’ back-seven, especially for linebacker Xander Mueller, who broke up a short pass from Murphy intended for Moore in the first quarter. Despite his initial lack of production, the wideout was no worse for wear.
“The game’s not won in the first quarter,” Moore said. “We keep fighting, we keep getting body blows, and we have faith in every single one of our teammates to make plays.”
Moore got to work in the third quarter, with three right-slanted routes resulting in catches for seven, 14 and nine yards. But his efforts appeared to be in vain, as the quarter was a comedy of errors for the Blue Devils. A three-and-out, Murphy interception and a turnover on downs granted the Wildcats with the ball at the start of the fourth quarter, up three.
The Blue Devils forced another defensive stop to put the ball back in Murphy’s hands. Moore opened up his fourth quarter with a 15-yard catch-and-run in the open field, and the Blue Devils marched into field goal range. Once again, the Sykesville, Md., native’s drive-starter seemed all for nought; Todd Pelino’s 33-yard attempt flew wide right, and the Wildcats took over with two minutes remaining.
Then, after yet another crucial stop by the Duke defense, the Blue Devil offense trotted onto the field for its final drive of regulation. On the second play, Murphy unloaded a deep ball down the right sideline to Moore, but the wide receiver couldn’t bring it in over defensive back Josh Fussell. To everyone watching, this was a large missed opportunity for the Blue Devils.
“I thought that was going to be the game-winner,” Diaz said.
“[Murphy] made a great throw, and I should have come down with it,” Moore said. “But we have to keep playing the next play.”
After a brief injury scare, Moore converted a second-and-10 on yet another right-slanted route. Duke marched to the 4-yard line, and Pelino booted the game-tying kick to send the contest into overtime. Two Moore-led drives and a fourth-down stop later, the game — and Moore’s incredible outing — was history.
The play of Moore’s companions in the receiver room boosted Duke in the contest while allowing him more room to operate. Graduate wideout Eli Pancol secured just two catches, but both were for crucial touchdowns. Fellow graduate Javon Harvey only had a singular catch, but it converted a third-and-1 with under two minutes left in regulation to inch closer towards field-goal range.
“I’m so happy that we can be a part of a team where if someone’s lacking, another person can pick it up,” Moore said. “Nobody ever points fingers. We always keep playing and we’re a family.”
Heading back to Durham to take on UConn Saturday, the Blue Devils have lots of room for growth. In regulation against the Wildcats, their turnovers and missed capitalization on Northwestern’s mistakes nearly lost them the game. Led by Jordan Moore, however, Duke hopes to parlay the determination it exhibited in Evanston, Ill., for the rest of the year.
After all, a game — or a season — isn’t won in the first quarter.
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