Duke’s week came with a little bit of everything: a Halloween football date at Wallace Wade Stadium, a trick-play road win that turned on one snap, and a basketball roster that keeps looking deeper by the day.
The football side of the story started in Charlottesville, where Duke pulled out a 19-16 comeback win at Virginia thanks to a double-pass wrinkle known as “Bunny.” Running back Nate Sheppard took the snap, fired a 28-yard touchdown pass to freshman Brody Keefe, and gave the Blue Devils the spark they needed. Coach Manny Diaz said the staff believed the game could be won on that play.
There was also late-game breathing room on defense. Patrick Smith-Young ended things with an interception of Beau Pribula, and Duke’s front kept pressing all night with five sacks and eight tackles for loss. The margin was only three after kicker Gavin Strange missed the extra point, which only made the “Bunny” play feel even bigger in the final accounting.
Now Duke turns back home for Boston College on Saturday at noon. The timing brings back memories of the wild 2015 Halloween loss to Miami, the one that ended on eight laterals and led the ACC to suspend the entire officiating crew.
On the basketball side, Duke closed its exhibitions with a pair of impressive wins over high-level opponents and kept showing why expectations are so high. The No.
2 Blue Devils rolled past No. 8 Tennessee, 103-64, then went into Allen Fieldhouse and beat No.
17 Kansas, 90-84, in Duke’s first trip to The Phog since 1988.
John Blackwell made an immediate case as a go-to scorer. The Wisconsin transfer and preseason All-ACC first-team pick put up 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting against Tennessee, helping supply the offense Duke lost when Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans went to the NBA. Against Kansas, Patrick Ngongba II carried a heavy load with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Blackwell added 23.
Duke’s depth showed up in another way against Tennessee, too. Deron Rippey Jr. came off the bench and scored 21 points in 21 minutes, a reminder that coach Jon Scheyer has real options beyond the obvious names.
That depth could shape the opening lineup when Duke starts the season against Army. Scheyer could go with Caleb Foster, Blackwell, Dame Sarr, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Ngongba, but the roster appears loaded enough that the rotation may be the bigger story.
And the future keeps getting brighter. Duke added another piece to its 2027 class in five-star forward Asa Montgomery, a top-10 recruit from Hillgrove High in Georgia. He joins Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul in that group.
In Other News...
Duke's Nate Sheppard Carries A Bigger Concern Into Boston College
Duke got back on track with a road win at Virginia, snapping a two-game skid and giving the Blue Devils a little breathing room as they turn their attention to Boston College. A big part of the offense has been sophomore running back Nate Sheppard, who has emerged as one of the more important pieces in the backfield and ranks among the national leaders in rushing yards and carries.
Sheppards presence is even more valuable now because the recent version of Dukes offense has needed him, even if his latest outings have been somewhat limited. With Boston College up next and a tougher stretch beyond that against NC State and Miami, Duke would love to get him rolling again before the schedule stiffens further. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Loss Stings But Mia Minestrella Is Closing In On History
The early hole was too much for Duke to overcome in a 2-1 loss to 22nd-ranked Florida State, but Mia Minestrella still managed to give the Blue Devils a spark with her latest milestone. Florida State built a 2-0 lead before Minestrella answered in the 31st minute, trimming the margin and adding another chapter to a senior season that has kept her in the programs record conversation.
Minestrellas goal was her 46th of her career, a total that keeps her closing in on history even as Duke settles back into conference play at 9-2-4 overall and 4-2-3 in the ACC. Florida State left with a road win and improved to 8-2-3 overall and 4-1-2 in league action, but for Duke, the larger individual storyline remains Minestrellas pursuit of another landmark before the season runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Diaz Just Put Dukes Roster Uncertainty In The Spotlight
Manny Diaz used a recent radio appearance to shine a light on a problem that has become impossible for college football programs to ignore: the uncertainty around the transfer portal and the rules that govern it. For Duke, the issue is not just philosophical. It is a practical headache that affects roster building, player movement and the planning that has to happen well beyond the current season.
Diaz pointed to the confusion created by recent player transfers and the absence of clear direction for the 2027 recruiting cycle, all while the sport waits on unresolved NCAA rule disputes. The lingering tampering case involving Clemson and Ole Miss is part of that larger cloud, and for the Blue Devils, the bigger concern is simple enough: without structural clarity, it is hard to know what the next roster looks like, or even how to properly prepare for it. [Read more 🡒]