Duke walked into Illinois in Week 2 and walked out with a 31-27 upset, a 2-0 start, and a loud message for anyone who spent the preseason dismissing Manny Diaz’s team.
This wasn’t just a road win. It was a second straight victory in a revenge spot against a team Duke had lost to a year ago.
For a group that got plenty of side-eye after losing Darian Mensah in the Transfer Portal, that matters. The Blue Devils were written off early.
They haven’t played like it.
Walker Eget was a big reason why. After a shaky Week 1 against Tulane, the San Jose State transfer answered the call in a way Duke had to love.
He settled things down at quarterback, fit right alongside Nate Sheppard and the run game, and delivered the kind of outing that can steady an offense for a lot more than one Saturday. Eget finished 15-of-21 for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
And then there was Sheppard, who looked like the best player on the field from start to finish. Illinois made him the focal point of its game plan and still couldn’t slow him down.
He ran for 147 yards on 24 carries, added five catches for 41 yards, and found the end zone three times. That kind of production makes everything else easier.
Duke also got a major boost from Jonah Burton, who has quickly moved from overlooked to essential. With so much attention on Jared Richardson and Javen Nicholas coming into the season, Burton has emerged as the transfer receiver making the biggest early impact.
Against Illinois, the Idaho State transfer caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, including a jump-ball score from Eget that showed the quarterback trusts him. That trust was obvious.
On the other side of the ball, Northwestern transfer Evan Smith delivered one of the defining moments of the game. Duke’s defense had its rough patches, but Smith came through with a clutch fourth-quarter interception of Illinois quarterback Katin Houser, a play that helped swing the game at a critical time.
Not everything went smoothly for Duke, though. Jared Richardson has opened the season as a non-factor.
After going catchless in Week 1, the Penn transfer didn’t record a target against Illinois and finished without a reception for the second straight game. There’s still time for him to get involved, but through two weeks, his role has been far quieter than expected.
The other concern was Duke’s first-half secondary. Illinois and Houser had their way early, scoring on every first-half possession, and Collin Dixon was a major problem with 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns before halftime.
Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke made the needed adjustments after the break, and Duke held Illinois to just three points in the second half. Still, that opening stretch looked a lot like last year’s version of the Blue Devils, and it’s the kind of thing that can’t be ignored.
In Other News...
Duke Just Won The Kind Of Road Test Fans Have Been Waiting For
For a program looking to prove it could handle a hostile road setting, this was the kind of response Duke needed. The Blue Devils knocked off Illinois 31-27 by taking control in the games middle stretch, turning a tight contest into one they could manage with sharper execution and more poise than they showed early. Walker Eget was a big part of that turnaround, and Nate Sheppard kept the pressure on with two touchdown catches as Duke found ways to make the critical plays when the game was still hanging in the balance.
What stood out most was how the Blue Devils handled the swings in momentum after the opening frustration. Eget settled in after a rough start and delivered a much cleaner night, while Sheppards late fourth-down conversion helped close the door on Illinois comeback chances. For Duke, the bigger question now is whether this was a one-off road success or the start of a team that can keep winning this way when the environment gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Eget May Have Just Changed Dukes Whole Season
Walker Egets first road start for Duke looked like the kind of step forward that can alter a season. After a shakier season-opening outing against Tulane, the quarterback looked far more settled at Illinois, finishing 15 of 21 for 206 yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Devils found enough offense to stay in control of a tough road game.
The afternoon did bring a tense moment late, when Eget went down in the fourth quarter and briefly left with an injury scare. Duke still closed out a 31-27 victory, and even with the uncertainty hanging over the final stretch, the bigger takeaway was hard to miss: Egets growth gave the Blue Devils a different look than they had a week earlier. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Suddenly Looks Capable Of Much More Than A 2-0 Start
Dukes 31-27 road win over Illinois did more than move the Blue Devils to 2-0. It gave the program a result that looked sturdier than a typical early-season upset, with Walker Eget throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns while Nate Sheppard kept piling up production in every direction and helped Duke control enough of the game to leave Champaign with a statement win.
The bigger concern, at least for anyone watching the final minutes, came when Eget had to be helped off the field late in the fourth quarter. Duke has already shown it can survive a tight game away from home, but the next step is learning whether the offense can keep its momentum if the quarterbacks status becomes part of the conversation after what was otherwise the kind of performance that makes a 2-0 start feel like the beginning of something more. [Read more 🡒]