Devil’s in the details: Women’s soccer pulls off historic win, football turns defensive leaf

They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details  — and the numbers:

1

In its first official Tobacco Road showdown of the year, Duke women’s soccer secured a historic victory against No. 2 North Carolina. In the final moments of the first half, graduate student Maggie Graham slipped the ball past Tar Heel goalkeeper Clare Gagne to score the only goal of the night. The Atlanta native secured the Blue Devils their first-ever home win in program history. Despite an injury to junior standout Kat Rader earlier in the game, the Blue Devils kept their momentum with a strong defensive performance, ending the match with a 1-0 win. Remaining calm and collected in the second half, Duke blocked all three shots made by the North Carolina offense. Two of the attempted goals were made in the final five minutes, but the Blue Devils held strong as the field turned frantic. The Duke squad walked away from Koskinen Stadium energized by a victory against the winningest team in North Carolina sports history.

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This past Friday, Duke volleyball faced off the Davidson Wildcats for the first time in program history. Coming off of three consecutive losses, this game was a much-needed victory for the Blue Devils. Four Duke players notched double-digit kills: junior Kerry Keefe (16), freshman Breonna Goss (13), senior Rylie Kadel (11) and senior Rachel Richardson (10), helping to secure a 3-1 victory against the Wildcats. Goss had no errors, leading to an impressive hitting percentage of .684. The Blue Devils’ defense also stepped up, with 23 digs by freshman Mailinh Godschall. Led by veteran coach Jolene Nagel, the team’s hard work in the preseason seems to be finally paying off, with a strong showing by the team’s freshmen. The victory against the Wildcats was followed by a 3-0 Duke sweep against Florida International University Saturday. 

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Duke football kicked off the season with a bang, securing a commanding 26-3 victory against Elon Aug. 30. The Blue Devils’ offense, led by transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy, passed for 291 yards and added 59 yards on the ground. However, it was Duke’s defense that stole the show. The Blue Devils held Elon to just 140 yards, marking the first time in 99 games — since 2016 — that they achieved such a feat. The defense racked up eight sacks and 82 tackles, stifling Elon’s defense at every turn. Cameron Bergman and Alex Howard anchored the defense, combining for 15 tackles. Duke’s defense limited Elon’s passing game to an average of 4.6 yards per attempt and held its rushing attack to 0.8 yards per carry. With a strong start on both sides of the field, the Blue Devils set the tone for an exciting season ahead.