Duke heads into Saturday’s trip to Raleigh with the betting edge, but not much of one. The Blue Devils are listed as five-point favorites against rival NC State, setting up a matchup that could get uncomfortable quickly for Manny Diaz’s team.
That’s because the Wolfpack are coming in with some momentum of their own. Just a week after NC State fired head coach Dave Doeren following 14 years in charge, the Wolfpack delivered what was arguably their strongest showing of the season, rolling past California 31-10.
Duke, meanwhile, has already spent plenty of time this month in upset-alert territory after back-to-back October losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. The Blue Devils may be favored, but the number says this one is expected to be tight.
A big part of Duke’s case starts with Nate Sheppard, who erupted for a Duke record with five rushing touchdowns in last week’s 47-2 win over Boston College. NC State will have to find a way to slow him down, especially with the Wolfpack sitting 53rd in rushing defense and allowing 131.00 yards per game.
On the other side, Duke’s defense gets a tough assignment in NC State quarterback CJ Bailey. He’s thrown for 1,955 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions this season, giving the Wolfpack a steady passing threat to pair with their ground game.
And near the goal line, NC State has another wrinkle ready. Backup quarterback Will Wilson leads the team with eight rushing touchdowns, and the Wolfpack like to turn to him in close.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on the CW.
In Other News...
Dukes Bowl Picture Is Taking Shape In A Way Fans Will Notice
Dukes bowl picture is starting to come into focus after a 47-2 rout of Boston College pushed the Blue Devils into bowl eligibility for a fifth straight season. The win not only kept the momentum rolling, it also gave the program another reminder of how steady the climb has been under this run of success, with the postseason now firmly part of the conversation again.
Nate Sheppards school-record five touchdowns only sharpened the attention around where Duke might land next, and the early projections have already put the Blue Devils in a range of intriguing matchups. Different outlets have floated possible pairings with Arizona, Nebraska, South Florida, Wisconsin and Oregon, which means the waiting game now shifts from whether Duke will be bowling to where the Blue Devils will be headed when the bracket finally settles. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Brought Back A Familiar Name To Scheyers Staff
Duke is bringing a familiar face back into the program for the 2026-27 season, adding former Blue Devil Rodney Hood to Jon Scheyers staff as a coaching intern. Hoods return gives the program another link to its recent past, and it comes after an eight-year NBA career that kept him around the pro game long after his time in Durham ended.
Hoods next step in coaching follows his most recent work with the Memphis Hustle in 2024, and hell now be part of Scheyers staff as he continues that transition. For Duke, it is another sign of a program that has leaned on its former players in different ways, with Scheyer publicly backing Hood as he moves from playing into coaching. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Huge Road Test As Injured Defense Meets Clemson
Dukes ACC Championship opener at Clemson arrives with plenty of context attached, starting with a road setting that has not been kind to visiting teams and a matchup against one of the leagues more familiar postseason names. The Blue Devils head into the first-round game at Historic Riggs Field on Nov. 4 with Jack Ottley and Ethan Congleton carrying much of the creative and finishing load, a useful pairing as Duke tries to navigate a tournament bracket that sends the winner on to face either North Carolina or California.
The bigger concern is what Duke can bring defensively after dealing with injuries that have complicated the back line and forced the staff to manage minutes carefully. A few players have returned recently, which gives the Blue Devils some needed stability, but this is still the kind of test that can expose any lingering rust. Against Clemson, Duke will need those reinforcements to hold up quickly, because one slip in a single-elimination setting can end the season in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]