Duke comes home Saturday with something it badly needs: a chance to turn one win into two.
After dropping two straight, the Blue Devils bounced back at Virginia last Friday night and now return to Wallace Wade to face Boston College. Duke is 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, while the Eagles arrive at 4-3 and 2-2 in league play. Both teams have spent the last week trying to build on a little momentum, which makes this one feel like a useful measuring stick for each side.
The biggest battleground could be the ground game. Duke’s offense is built around the run, with Nate Sheppard front and center, and the numbers back that up.
The Blue Devils are third in the ACC in rushing yards per game at 189.7, while also sitting fifth in average rushing yards allowed at 107.1. That balance will be tested by a Boston College team that has leaned on the same formula lately.
The Eagles just put up a huge rushing performance in a 49-27 win at Georgia Tech, carrying the ball 47 times for 399 yards and five touchdowns. Boston College is fourth in the ACC with 181.0 rushing yards per game, but its defense has been more vulnerable, allowing 151.1 rushing yards per game to opponents. If this game turns into a trench fight, Duke will need to control both sides of that equation.
Boston College’s recent run has made it a tricky opponent. The Eagles have won two in a row, following up that road win in Atlanta with a 27-21 home victory over Pitt. For a team that had its share of rough patches in the 2025 campaign, that stretch has been a welcome lift for Bill O’Brien’s group.
Duke is trying to find the same kind of lift after its own uneven start to conference play. The Blue Devils looked sloppy in their last home game, a 24-20 loss to North Carolina, so this matchup offers a clean shot at a reset. They’ve shown enough to look like a real ACC threat, but after stumbling once league play began, they need to start stacking wins again.
In Other News...
Duke Fans Have One Huge Reason To Watch Asa Montgomery Today
There is plenty happening around Duke right now, but the spotlight today is on the recruiting trail, where five-star small forward Asa Montgomery is expected to announce his college commitment. For a program that keeps landing in the conversation for elite talent, this is the kind of decision that can shape both the immediate future and the long view, especially with the Blue Devils already carrying momentum from a roster that includes names like Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul.
The timing adds to the buzz, too, with former Duke standouts Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer off to strong starts in the NBA and the football program gearing up for a key home game against Boston College during a demanding stretch. Still, for basketball fans, Montgomerys announcement is the headline worth circling, because it could give Duke another major piece to build around and keep the programs talent pipeline rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Freshmen Just Gave Jon Scheyer A Real Rotation Problem
Duke is coming out of preseason with something every coach wants and every rotation chart hates: options. As the Blue Devils get ready to host Army in their regular-season opener, a handful of freshmen have already made the case that they belong in the mix, with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard all showing different flashes of what they can bring. For Jon Scheyer, the early challenge is less about finding talent than figuring out how to sort through it.
The upside is obvious, but so is the uncertainty that comes with freshmen learning the pace and demands of college basketball. Some of those roles figure to change from game to game as Duke settles in, which gives the staff flexibility but also creates a tricky balancing act once the games start counting. The opener should offer a first real look at how much trust Scheyer is willing to place in that young group right away. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Real Test As Boston College Brings New Momentum
Boston College is showing up to this Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with a little more life than its record might suggest, and Duke will have to be ready for it. The Eagles have pieced together back-to-back comeback wins, leaning on the kind of late-game resilience that can change the feel of a season, and now they get their first meeting with Duke since 2022 in a game that should tell both teams something.
For the Blue Devils, the timing is interesting after a close win over Virginia, the kind of game that can either sharpen a team or leave it vulnerable if the edge slips. Duke will be watching its own health as well, with Walker Eget expected to play despite a recent finger injury, while Boston College brings Mason McKenzie, Bo MacCormack III and a bit of momentum into a matchup that suddenly looks more demanding than it might have a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]