Duke is facing off against UConn at home for its third game of the 2024 season. With 30 minutes to go, the Blue Devils are out to a 17-7 lead against the Huskies:
Five observations
Backfield resurgence: Third time’s the charm for the Blue Devils’ run game, which showed glimmers of magic against the Huskies. Duke’s average of 6.0 yards per rush against UConn was a welcome change from its struggles against Elon and Northwestern, where it averaged 2.2 and 3.1 yards per rush, respectively. The feat was more impressive considering Jaquez Moore’s ankle-injury absence, which left Peyton Jones and Star Thomas to pick up most of the carries.
Transfer quarterback battle: Quarterback Nick Evers was back on the field for the Huskies after sitting out of their last game with a head injury, but the redshirt sophomore couldn’t quite replicate Joe Fagnano’s 328-yard passing performance from Week 2. Murphy, by contrast, found an early rhythm. By the end of the first quarter, he had passed for 70 yards to Evers’ 30. In the second, he threw a deep 36-yard touchdown pass to Eli Pancol and finished out the half with 152 total yards. However, Murphy’s pass with 3:55 left in the second quarter was intercepted by Langston Hardy, who returned the ball for a 64-yard touchdown.
Ground game: Duke’s rush defense struggled early on, allowing 50 rushing yards by the end of the first quarter. The Blue Devils’ aggressive defensive strategy often bent under Husky pressure, with the Blue Devils allowing 95 total rushing yards in the first half. However, Duke was able to hold UConn scoreless on offense, with no plays in the red zone.
More of Moore: Although wideout Jordan Moore took time to heat up against Northwestern, he came out of the gate hot against the Huskies. After connecting with Murphy twice in the first five minutes to help clinch the Blue Devils’ first touchdown, he returned UConn’s punt for eight yards. But the graduate student was only getting started, and he connected with Moore on several additional passes in the second quarter to finish the half with a promising 67 receiving yards.
A strong community: Energy was high as the Blue Devils celebrated their home crowd on Durham Day. Mayor Leonardo Williams honored local heroes for their contributions to the community, filling Wallace Wade Stadium with roaring ovations from attendees. Durham public schools bus driver Deona Washington, Welcome Baby program manager Patience Mukelabai and city manager Wanda Page were among the eight honorees recognized on the field.
By the numbers
Sixth: Three minutes into the second quarter, Todd Pelino booted a 53-yard field goal and increased Duke’s lead to 10-0. The kick — tied for sixth-longest in program history — marked a career-high for the junior from Cornelius, N.C.
Second: Halfway through the second quarter, Pancol connected with Murphy on a 36-yard pass. The catch scored him his fourth touchdown in three games, tying him for the second-most receiving touchdowns in the country. All the more impressive considering the graduate receiver returned to the starting lineup after a season-ending injury held him out last year.
First: Heading into Week 3, Duke’s 27 tackles for loss led the country. The Blue Devils added four more in the first half against UConn — two by linebacker Cameron Bergeron — which could keep them in the running for first as the week continues.
A play that mattered
On the first passing play for the Blue Devils, Murphy completed a deep pass down the right to Moore, advancing Duke 45 yards. A 20-yard rush by Peyton Jones got the Blue Devils into scoring position, where Murphy and Moore connected again on a short slant pass to score Duke’s first touchdown of the night. With 9:34 remaining in the first quarter, the quick lead against the Huskies gave the Blue Devils confidence and momentum — which they capitalized on to grow a 17-7 lead heading into the locker room.
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Abby DiSalvo is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.