Duke had its chances in a tight road fight at Georgia Tech, but the Blue Devils left Atlanta with their first loss of the season after a 28-25 defeat.
The setback drops Duke to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, and it came against a Georgia Tech team that entered below .500. For Manny Diaz and his group, it was still a hard-fought game, but one that leaves plenty to clean up before the rest of the season rolls on.
The biggest bright spot for Duke was Nate Sheppard, even though he clearly wasn’t at full strength. The running back went to the medical tent early and played through the game with a taped foot, but that didn’t stop him from carrying the offense. Sheppard piled up 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, while also catching seven passes for 91 yards to lead the team in receiving.
It was the first game this season in which Sheppard didn’t top 100 rushing yards, but he was still Duke’s most dangerous player by a wide margin. Whatever discomfort he was dealing with, he still powered the Blue Devils’ offense and gave them a real shot to win.
The issue again came down to penalties. Duke’s discipline problems showed up throughout the game, especially in the first half, and they became costly in a major way.
One drive late in the opening half was extended by flags after Duke had initially defended well and looked ready to get the ball back. Instead, Georgia Tech stayed on the field, moved nearly the length of the field and finished with a touchdown after Duke gave up 30 free yards along the way.
That kind of self-inflicted damage has been a theme for Duke this season, but this time it directly altered the game. The Blue Devils had chances to get off the field and didn’t do it cleanly enough.
Duke still had a final shot after Georgia Tech grabbed a 28-25 lead with under a minute remaining. The Blue Devils pushed the ball deep into Yellow Jackets territory and reached a 4th-and-3 at the Georgia Tech 16-yard line with less than 10 seconds left. With starting kicker Cosme Salas out, Diaz sent freshman Gavin Strange out to try to tie the game and force overtime.
Strange missed, and Duke’s comeback bid ended there.
The Blue Devils now have to move on quickly, with North Carolina coming to Durham on Oct. 17.
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The Blue Devils entered the break down 14-10 after two quarters, with linebacker Luke Mergott helping steady the defense and running back Nate Sheppard briefly leaving before returning. What has stood out most is how little room either offense has found on late-down chances, leaving Duke in a familiar early-season road spot where clean execution matters just as much as talent. [Read more 🡒]