Duke heads into Raleigh with momentum, a Heisman push, and a lot to prove.
Thursday brought a full-court press from the Blue Devils as they started promoting Nate Sheppard for the Heisman Trophy ahead of their Week 10 meeting with NC State. That campaign makes sense given what Sheppard has done.
He’s one of the nation’s top rushers and ranks second in the FBS in scrimmage yards. After last week’s historic performance against Boston College, he’s part of a Duke team that looks like it’s finally clicking.
The challenge now is turning that into another win on the road, 20-plus miles down Interstate 40. Duke knows what it can be, and Manny Diaz knows it too. The question is whether the Blue Devils can actually handle their business against the Wolfpack and keep themselves in the hunt for another shot at the ACC Championship.
A lot of that starts with Sheppard. Duke can lean on him as much as it wants, and he’s already shown he can carry that kind of load. He has won games almost by himself, and the Blue Devils would not be sitting at 6-2 without him.
There’s more to watch than just the run game, though. Walker Eget is still developing at quarterback, and the next month could be important in shaping a more reliable passing attack. On the other side of the ball, Duke has one of the 20 best defenses in the sport, with enough depth and talent at every level to create problems and pressure opposing quarterbacks.
That said, the Blue Devils still have to clean up the self-inflicted stuff. Weird, conservative drives and bad penalties have held them back at times, and Diaz deserves some blame for that inconsistency. Even so, this is a strong team when it stays out of its own way, which is saying something for a program near the bottom of the NIL money rankings for football.
Rivalry games rarely follow the script, and Duke knows that better than most. Losing to North Carolina still stings, and the Blue Devils can’t afford another setback in a rivalry game or in any game at all.
NC State is not going to roll over just because Dave Doeren was fired mid-season. CJ Bailey is still a threat at quarterback, and the Wolfpack defense has shown flashes.
This is not the kind of easy night Duke had against Boston College. It feels like a fight waiting to happen in Raleigh.
And that’s why this one matters so much. Duke has the chance to show it belongs among the ACC’s biggest threats, even if nobody seems to be saying it out loud.
Beat NC State, and the stage gets even bigger with the No. 1-ranked Miami Hurricanes waiting next week. That makes this rivalry week Part No. 2 a critical one.
In Other News...
Duke Just Delivered A First Half That Changes The ACC Mood
Duke spent the first half turning the rivalry game into a showcase, and Andrew Pellicciottas return of a missed 50-yard field goal attempt for a 109-yard touchdown at the horn only sharpened the statement. By halftime, the Blue Devils were in complete control against NC State, with Nate Sheppard and Walker Eget helping power an offense that kept the pressure on and left the home crowd with little reason to believe a comeback was coming.
The bigger picture is what makes the start so notable for Duke. A 31-3 halftime lead does more than tilt one game, it changes the mood around a season, especially when the Blue Devils are pairing explosive special teams work with steady offense and a defense that has made life miserable for an ACC opponent. The question now is whether they can carry that same edge through the rest of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Hot Start Is Raising An Even Bigger Question
Dukes early season has opened with the kind of lopsided wins that make people take notice, but the bigger takeaway so far is the way Jon Scheyers group has carried itself through them. The Blue Devils have looked sharp in their first two blowout games, and the message coming out of the locker room has been less about the scoreboard than the habits behind it. Dame Sarr pointed to the teams focus on fundamentals and constant improvement, which fits the tone Scheyer has tried to establish from the start.
For a program with championship expectations, the hot start is useful only if it turns into something sturdier. Dukes players keep talking about the collective mindset, and that matters when the season is still young and the margin for error feels small. The early results have been encouraging, but the real question hanging over this group is how far that approach can take it when the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Gets A Timely Boost For A Road Test That Matters
Duke heads into an ACC road trip to NC State with a little more momentum and a little more health than it had a week ago. The Blue Devils just handled Boston College, and now they get a chance to keep building against an in-state rival they have beaten in each of the last two meetings, a stretch that has helped make this matchup feel a bit more meaningful than a standard midseason conference game.
The injury report is where the encouraging news really starts to matter. Several Duke players are listed as probable, and one key defensive piece is set to return after missing the past two games, which gives the Blue Devils a better chance to match up with an NC State team that has been hard to pin down. The Wolfpack have flashed plenty of scoring in their wins, but they have also given up a lot of points in their losses, leaving Duke with a road test that feels winnable if it can carry over the same edge it showed last time out. [Read more 🡒]