Looking back at conference play so far, Duke football has been one of the more challenging teams in the ACC to really pin an identity to. The Blue Devils have won and lost in all sorts of ways. Offensive shootouts against top teams like then-No. 6 Miami, battles in the trenches against North Carolina and bizarre, near-inexplicable losses like the special teams lapse that led to Duke’s downfall against SMU have all been a part of the campaign. While it can be argued that the defense is the most important piece for head coach Manny Diaz’s group, it has certainly struggled in moments too.
That’s why Saturday’s road win against N.C. State was so important for the Blue Devils. For the first time all season against a Power 4 opponent, Duke put together a complete, all-around win in a hostile road environment. The score wasn’t outrageously high or low, nor were the turnover numbers as ludicrous as the SMU game. Instead, every single unit pitched in and did what it was asked to do.
“It was a complete performance in all three phases,” Diaz said after the game. “[That is] what you needed to win in an environment like this tonight. So really, really proud of our guys”
In the first quarter, it was the Duke defense that shined in particular. After an impressive boot by punter Kade Reynoldson that pinned the Wolfpack at its own 4-yard line, defensive end Wesley Williams broke into the backfield, taking down N.C. State quarterback CJ Bailey in the end zone to force a safety and get two points on the board for the Blue Devils.
Overall, the Wolfpack had just 41 yards of offense and no points in the first quarter, averaging just 3.2 yards per play. While the Blue Devil offense struggled to get started at first, the defense held onto the lead and kept the pressure coming. It finished the night with eight tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, causing plenty of issues for Bailey and his unit as they tried to pull themselves back into the game.
“We talked about starting fast as a team. That's one of the big things we stand on,” Williams said. “We practice starting fast a lot. So I think that kind of just showed through in the way we started defensively.”
Eventually, quarterback Maalik Murphy and his group found their rhythm, connecting first to Que’Sean Brown on the sideline then with receiver Jordan Moore in the end zone to mark a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
Then, in the second period, things started to shift in favor of the home team. Bailey got his legs under him and began to connect with his receivers. The Duke offense struggled to stay on the field, but again the defense held up. It stood tall when it mattered, forcing three promising Wolfpack drives to instead end in field goals rather than bigger scores.
Even the attack did its part to limit scoring. When N.C. State defensive back Tamarcus Cooley ripped the ball out of receiver Eli Pancol’s hands near the goal line and took off down the field as the clock ran down, it was tight end Jake Taylor who chased Cooley down to avoid the scoop-and-score to end the half. While the Duke offense was held scoreless in the second quarter, the Blue Devils still led 12-9 heading into the halftime locker room.
“Really the big key was limiting explosive plays,” Diaz said. “[The Wolfpack] were able to drive the ball, and then we just came up and just made red-zone stop after red-zone stop.”
Finally, in the third quarter, it was the offense that took control. It put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive down the field to score a touchdown and retake the lead after an early field goal tied things up. Perhaps there’s nothing more emblematic of how complete and cohesive this win was than when Murphy, not someone known for his rushing ability, pulled the ball on an option and jumped into the end zone himself, recording his first career rushing touchdown in a scenario where the Blue Devils certainly needed one.
“I don't run much. It was pretty exciting for [Diaz] to see me getting in there and just pull the ball in general. It just doesn't happen often,” Murphy said. “That was a fun moment for me, being in there, having the guys all hyped up around me.”
The Blue Devils closed things out nicely in the final period, putting another 10 points on the board and allowing just a touchdown. The defense stood strong again, keeping the Wolfpack out of the end zone to force a punt and a turnover on downs in N.C. State’s last two possessions of the evening.
Broadly, between the hostile environment, the two back-to-back losses and the added energy that comes with a school’s senior night, Duke handled things very well. The Blue Devils played a complete, confident game where each position group contributed meaningfully.
“There's certain things you just don't know how to do, or you don't know that you can do until you do it,” Diaz said. “And winning away is one of the hardest things to do in college and winning away on a senior night against a team that's desperate to get to win number six is the hardest thing, so the fact that our guys did it and that winning the game by 10 points is huge.”
Now, Diaz’s squad will rest up in a bye week before hosting Virginia Tech Nov. 23.
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Martin Heintzelman is a Trinity junior and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.