Duke kept rolling Saturday, blasting NC State 41-3 for its third straight win, and the Blue Devils did it with another huge day from their sophomore star and another suffocating defensive effort.
The game was interrupted by a few very scary injuries, but when the dust settled, Duke had one-sided control from start to finish. The headline again belonged to the elite sophomore, who had just reignited his Heisman Trophy case last week with five rushing touchdowns against Boston College. He carried that momentum straight into Raleigh, piling up more than 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns before the third quarter was even over.
At this point, there’s not much left to say about the Louisiana native. He’s playing like the best running back in college football, powering a Duke team that keeps winning in dominant fashion and making a real case that he might be the most valuable player in the sport. He deserves to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation, and his production is making it harder and harder to leave him out of the real discussion any longer.
Duke’s defense was just as sharp. A week after holding Boston College to only two points and keeping the Eagles from ever finding a rhythm, the Blue Devils again smothered an offense that never found much room to operate. CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack struggled to create anything consistently, and Duke’s third-down work helped set the tone for the entire afternoon.
The secondary deserves a big share of the credit, especially transfer cornerbacks Dylan Flowers and Kyon Loud. That room was one of the bigger question marks on the roster entering the season, but Flowers, who came over from Western Kentucky, and Loud, who transferred from Montana, have been steady difference-makers. They came through with key plays again Saturday.
Duke has been the best second-half defense in college football this season, and the secondary has been a major reason why. The Blue Devils have also taken a step forward in the trenches over the last couple of weeks, but the transfer defensive backs for Manny Diaz and Jonathan Patke have been impressive for most of the year.
Now comes the biggest challenge yet. Duke heads into the most daunting game on its 2026 schedule next weekend with a road trip to No.
1 Miami. The Blue Devils will go to Coral Gables riding a three-game winning streak, with two of those victories coming by lopsided margins.
Miami is a different level of opponent than anyone Duke has seen so far, but the Blue Devils have done just about everything they could have asked for in the lead-up.
Maybe Diaz and his team can shock the world against the top team in the sport.
In Other News...
Duke Just Turned One Rival Rout Into A Massive Miami Test
Dukes lopsided win over NC State did more than pad the record, it reinforced just how complete this team can look when the defense sets the tone and the run game takes over. Nate Sheppard was the centerpiece of that performance, piling up 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a statement outing that put him squarely in the conversation for bigger individual honors while giving the Blue Devils another weapon to lean on as the schedule tightens.
Now the challenge gets sharper with Miami coming next, and that matchup will say plenty about whether Dukes recent surge is built to travel against a higher-end opponent. The Blue Devils have shown enough on both sides of the ball to make the ACC race interesting, but this is the kind of test that can clarify whether they are merely rolling through a good stretch or truly positioning themselves for a run at the championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Is Turning Dukes Miami Test Into Something Bigger
Dukes 41-3 win over NC State did more than pad the record. It pushed the Blue Devils to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, and it came with one of the most complete performances they have put together this season. Nate Sheppard was at the center of it, leading the way with 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns while the defense kept NC State off the board in the end zone and held the Wolfpack to 217 total yards.
For a Duke team trying to keep building momentum, the timing matters as much as the margin. The Blue Devils have found a rhythm on both sides of the ball, and Sheppards breakout night gave the offense a clear identity while the defense backed it up with a suffocating effort. The bigger question now is how much of this can carry over as the schedule tightens and the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Sends Encouraging Early Message On Duke Freshman Joaquim Boumtje
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is already drawing attention in Durham, and not just because he arrived at Duke as the youngest player in program history. The 17-year-old freshman has flashed real promise early in the season, even if the adjustment has come with the usual bumps, including a modest outing against Coastal Carolina. For a team that is always under a microscope, his early minutes have become one of the more interesting development stories on the roster.
Jon Scheyer has been encouraged by what he has seen so far, pointing to Boumtje Boumtjes coachability and the progress he has made in a short time. The Duke coach said the freshman is ahead of schedule in his development and already providing impactful minutes, which matters for a player still learning the pace and physical demands of college basketball. The next step is the one every young player faces: turning that early promise into consistency as the season keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]