Duke football heads into its Week 5 idle stretch with a spotless 4-0 record, and Manny Diaz’s group has already checked off one notable milestone along the way.
The Blue Devils rolled past their lone FCS opponent, William & Mary, 62-7 on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Wallace Wade Stadium. That outburst gave Duke its second 4-0 start under Diaz and produced the program’s highest point total in a game since 1949.
So no, Duke does not play this week. The Blue Devils are off in Week 5 of the 2026 college football season and will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 10, when they head to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech in ACC play.
That trip comes with the Yellow Jackets also coming off an idle week after a 34-27 loss at Stanford in Week 4. Duke, meanwhile, opened conference play with a 35-7 win over Stanford in Week 3.
After the Georgia Tech game, Duke’s next home date is set for Saturday, Oct. 17 against UNC, with the Blue Devils aiming for a third straight win over the Tar Heels.
Duke football 2026 schedule
Sept. 5: 17-3 win vs. Tulane
Sept. 12: 31-27 win at Illinois
Sept. 19: 35-7 win vs. Stanford*
Sept. 26: 62-7 win vs. William & Mary
Oct. 10: at Georgia Tech*
Oct. 17: vs. UNC*
Oct. 23: at Virginia*
Oct. 31: vs. Boston College*
Nov. 7: at NC State*
Nov. 14: at Miami*
Nov. 20: vs. Clemson*
Nov. 28: at Wake Forest*
In Other News...
Former Duke Star Suddenly Faces Troubling Start To Year Two
Kon Knueppels second year with the Charlotte Hornets has gotten off to an unwelcome start, with the former Duke standout set to miss the teams preseason after suffering a hamstring injury. Charlotte is also without Grant Williams for the exhibition slate because of a separate hamstring issue, a reminder that even before the games count, the Hornets are already trying to manage their depth and keep key pieces on track.
Knueppel arrived in the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and followed that up with a strong rookie season, which is why this early setback draws attention beyond Charlotte. The bigger concern now is simply getting him back to full speed without any lingering issues, and the Hornets are planning a re-evaluation during the first week of the regular season as they wait for a clearer picture. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Have Every Right To Question This Top 25 Snub
Duke has given voters plenty to consider lately, and not much of it should have led to being left out of the Top 25 entirely. The Blue Devils have won eight straight and backed that run by capturing the ACC championship, yet the rankings continue to treat them like a team on the outside looking in. For a program that has stacked wins and handled its business down the stretch, that omission is hard to ignore.
The frustration only grows when teams with shakier recent rsums keep finding a spot in the poll, which has only fueled the broader debate about how much conference reputation matters. Missouri is still sitting at No. 25 even after a loss to Mississippi State, and that kind of contrast is exactly why Duke supporters are wondering what more their team was supposed to do. Add in the roster turnover and transfer movement that have shaped how this season has been viewed, and the snub starts to look less like an oversight and more like a trend. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Biggest Early Problem May Finally Be Improving
Dukes 62-7 romp over William & Mary did more than keep the Blue Devils unbeaten at 4-0 for the second time under Manny Diaz. It also offered a cleaner look at one of the earliest trouble spots of the season, with the team showing some real progress in an area that had been dragging down its first three weeks.
Diaz pointed to the improvement in his postgame press conference, even while making clear the issue is hardly solved. Penalties still loom as a concern once conference play arrives, and the costly ones in particular remain the kind of mistake that can change a game fast if Duke doesnt keep tightening things up. [Read more 🡒]