Duke got exactly the kind of weekend Jon Scheyer wanted and Manny Diaz desperately needed.
On one side, the Blue Devils basketball team walked into Allen Fieldhouse and came out with a 90-84 exhibition win over Kansas, handling the pressure of a tight game in a tough building. On the other, Duke football found a way to stop a skid and keep late-game frustration from swallowing another Saturday, edging Virginia 19-16 behind a bold trick play in the final minute.
In football, Diaz had to get aggressive to end Duke’s two-game losing streak. With fewer than 90 seconds left, he approved a double pass that caught Virginia flat-footed. Walker Eget threw to Nate Sheppard behind the line of scrimmage, Sheppard sold the run, then uncorked a 28-yard touchdown to freshman Brody Keefe, who was left alone in the end zone.
The setup mattered just as much as the call. Two snaps earlier, Eget had hit Sheppard on a swing pass to the left for 13 yards. Duke then ran a look that made it seem like the same play was coming back the other way, only this time Sheppard became the passer and the Blue Devils grabbed the lead.
Virginia still had one last chance, but Patrick Smith-Young finished the job. He picked off Beau Pribula’s desperate fourth-down throw to seal the 19-16 win and push Duke to 6-2.
Basketball, meanwhile, got the kind of measuring-stick game Scheyer was looking for. He knew Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse would test Duke, and that was the point. The Blue Devils answered the challenge with poise, pulling away late for the 90-84 win.
Patrick Ngongba led the way with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while John Blackwell added 23 points. Duke had already cruised through its first two exhibitions against Belmont and Tennessee, but Kansas offered a far more demanding read on where the team stands. The response suggested a group with size, depth, skill, and enough composure to handle a close game when it mattered.
That exhibition finished Duke’s three-game preseason slate. The regular season opens next Monday in Cameron Indoor against Army.
In Other News...
Dukes Overachieving Start Is Being Driven By An Unexpected Group
Dukes strong start has not just been about a few returning faces settling into bigger roles. A surprising core of transfer additions has helped shape the Blue Devils identity on both sides of the ball, with wideout Jonah Burton emerging as the teams leading receiver after stops at Baylor and Idaho State. He has given the passing game a reliable target, while Rutgers transfer CJ Campbell has added balance as a complementary back.
The impact has been just as noticeable in the secondary, where cornerbacks Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers have become key pieces after arriving from Montana and Western Kentucky. Their presence has helped stabilize a defense that looks more comfortable and more competitive than it did a year ago. For Duke, the story of this fast start keeps circling back to a group that did not arrive together, but has quickly become central to what the team is building. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Allen Fieldhouse Win Made Two Early Difference-Makers Hard To Ignore
The most encouraging part of Dukes early preseason run is not just that it handled Belmont and Tennessee before outlasting Kansas in the toughest test yet, but that the Blue Devils are already getting meaningful production from a couple of players who were not expected to carry the entire load. Junior center Patrick Ngongba looked far more imposing inside, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds while showing the kind of physicality and passing that can make him more than just a paint presence. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell also made his mark, scoring 23 points with a style that fit the moment because he did not try to force much of anything.
Against Kansas, that balance mattered. Duke also cleaned up one area that had the potential to tilt a close game the other way, shooting 81.8% from the line in a victory that turned into a useful early measuring stick. The longer this preseason stretch goes on, the more these two stand out as players who can change the look of the rotation, which makes the next test worth watching closely for a team still sorting out how its pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Has A Chance To Reclaim Momentum Against Boston College
Duke comes back to Wallace Wade Stadium with a chance to build on its road win over Virginia and steady itself in ACC play. At 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference, the Blue Devils are back in a familiar spot: good enough to matter, but still looking for a result that can keep the momentum from slipping. Boston College arrives in the same league lane at 4-3 and 2-2, which gives this matchup a little extra weight beyond an early November-like checkpoint.
Nate Sheppard gives Duke a clear offensive anchor as the Blue Devils try to stack wins and protect their position in the conference race. The running back has been one of the seasons most productive players with 875 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and his workload figures to matter again in a game that could hinge on control and tempo. Kickoff is set for noon ET, and for Duke, this is the kind of home opportunity that can tell you a lot about where the season is headed. [Read more 🡒]