Duke is 2-0, and now the Blue Devils are back at Wallace Wade for their ACC opener against Stanford.
After changing the preseason pick last week and backing Duke to go into Illinois and pull out a close one, the Blue Devils delivered with a 31-27 road win. That puts the focus squarely on Saturday, where Duke enters as a 10.5-point favorite and has a chance to keep the momentum rolling.
The biggest question starts on the ground, where Nate Sheppard has been the engine through the first two games. Duke wants to run the football, Stanford knows it, and the real issue is whether the Cardinal can slow it down.
The expectation here is simple: keep feeding #20 and see if the Nate Train keeps rolling. 🚂
There’s also reason to watch Walker Eget and the passing game again. Last week, the offense took a step forward through the air, and the goal now is to do it again.
Duke doesn’t need Eget to carry everything if the run game is humming, but the passing attack still needs to keep developing. Make the throws that are there, protect the football and keep the offense moving.
The other major test is mental. Duke just came off a big road win at Illinois and now returns home as the favorite.
That’s exactly the kind of spot where a team can get caught looking backward or ahead. The challenge is to avoid the trap, come out sharp, and not give Stanford any reason to think it can steal one at Wallace Wade.
There’s one more thing on the calendar Saturday that has nothing to do with the game itself: fans who ordered their tickets early will receive their ACC Championship replica rings. And yes, one is headed into the Duke collection.
As for the prediction, the expectation is that this one won’t be nearly as tense as last week. Duke should control the game with the run, keep the passing game trending up, and make things hard on Stanford defensively. With FanDuel listing Duke at -10.5 and the total at 51.5, the pick is Duke to cover and the UNDER.
DUKE 31, STANFORD 14
Let's get to 3-0. Go Duke! 🔵😈🏈
In Other News...
Duke's 2027 Recruiting Fight Just Got A Lot More Complicated
The early shape of Dukes 2027 recruiting board is already getting more complicated, and North Carolina is part of why. The Blue Devils have a head start with one commitment from five-star wing Kager Knueppel, and they are expecting a visit from Asa Montgomery, but the Tar Heels have been moving quickly under new coach Michael Malone and are making a real push to stockpile elite talent in the same cycle.
UNC has already brought in CJ Rosser and Jordan Page on official visits, and it has more five-star traffic still to come through Chapel Hill, which only raises the pressure on Duke to keep pace. For a program that usually expects to be in the thick of every major recruiting battle, the issue is not just landing a headline name, but making sure the overall class does not tilt too far in one direction while the roster picture for the future keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Could Get One Boost While Facing A Secondary Concern
Dukes first availability report for the Stanford matchup offered a little bit of good news on one side of the ball and some uncertainty on the other. Wide receiver Javen Nicholas is listed as probable and could finally make his Duke debut after missing the first two games, a potential lift for an offense still looking to settle in as the schedule toughens.
The concern is in the secondary, where safety DaShawn Stone is questionable heading into the game. Manny Diaz has already pointed to the challenge Stanford presents at quarterback and across its defense, so Duke may need every available piece to keep pace while also sorting through a key question mark on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Volleyball Heads To Indianapolis With Rare Early Momentum
Duke volleyball heads into Indianapolis to wrap up its non-conference schedule with matches against Butler and Long Island, carrying something it has not had in a long while: early-season traction. The Blue Devils have opened the year 7-1 and built a five-match winning streak, their best eight-match start since 2012, giving this trip a different feel from the usual late-September tune-up.
Ashby Zubchevich and Nataly Moravec have helped steady the lineup, while Nikki Quinn has been the engine in the middle, setting the offense at a national level and keeping Duke in rhythm. The bigger question now is whether the Blue Devils can carry that momentum out of non-conference play and into the stretch that tends to reveal what a promising start is really worth. [Read more 🡒]