Duke’s week went from frustrating to flat-out rough, and the Blue Devils are suddenly searching for a reset.
Manny Diaz’s team fell to North Carolina, 24-20, in a game that followed the same painful pattern Duke saw the week before against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils used a fourth-quarter touchdown to grab the lead, only for the defense to give it right back almost immediately with a quick scoring drive by the Tar Heels.
The start was just as rocky. Duke got buried early, trailing 17-0 in the second quarter before flipping the script and scoring the game’s next 20 points. That rally was enough to move the Blue Devils in front late, but North Carolina answered with the touchdown that ultimately decided the game and brought the Victory Bell back to Chapel Hill.
Walker Eget’s interception on Duke’s final possession ended any chance at a last-ditch comeback.
The loss drops Duke to 4-2 after a 4-0 start, and the timing makes the skid sting even more. The Blue Devils now have only a short week to shake it off before heading to Virginia for a Friday night matchup.
There was better news for a former Duke standout on the basketball side. Isaiah Evans turned in his strongest preseason performance for the Minnesota Timberwolves, finally getting a real chance to show what he can do after a quiet Summer League and limited run earlier in the preseason.
In Minnesota’s final preseason game on Friday night, Evans played 30 minutes against the Bulls and delivered 21 points and three assists. He also hit 5 of 10 shots from beyond the arc.
With the regular season right around the corner, Evans made a clear case to the Timberwolves’ front office and coaching staff that he belongs in the rotation.
It was also a strong weekend across several other Duke programs. No.
6 Duke women’s soccer rolled past SMU, 5-0, behind Mia Minestrella’s hat trick. Duke women’s cross country won the Upstate Invitational, with Anna Callahan taking the women’s 5K in a personal-best time.
Field hockey edged Louisville, 1-0, on Alaina McVeigh’s goal six minutes into the match, with the Blue Devils’ defense doing the rest. And Duke volleyball picked up a 3-2 road win over Notre Dame, as Nataly Moravec and Ashby Zubchvich combined for 47 kills.
In Other News...
Duke Loss Now Overshadowed By Kimari Robinson Sideline Backlash
A brief moment during Dukes game has turned into a bigger talking point than the result itself, with cornerback Kimari Robinson drawing criticism after swatting the arm of a female athletic trainer who was trying to attend to injured teammate Landan Callahan. The exchange happened quickly on the field, but it was enough to set off a wave of reaction from fans on social media and add an unwelcome off-field storyline to the night.
The attention now shifts to whether the school will respond, since it remains unclear if Robinson will face any disciplinary action. For Duke, the incident has layered another distraction onto a loss that already stung, and it has left the program dealing with questions that go well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Three Duke Alumni Just Sparked An NBA Shooting Debate
Bleacher Reports preseason look at the NBAs best shooters put three Duke alumni in the spotlight, a reminder of how often the Blue Devils have fed the league elite perimeter talent. Kyrie Irving, Luke Kennard and rookie Kon Knueppel all made the cut, with Kennards place hardly a surprise given that he ranks second all-time in career 3-point percentage and Knueppel already made history by setting the record for 3-pointers by a first-year player.
The interesting part for Duke followers is who missed out. Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum were not included, which is the sort of omission that can quickly turn a simple rankings list into a bigger debate about what separates great shooters from the games most dangerous scorers. For a program that has long branded itself on spacing and skill, seeing three former Blue Devils on the list only adds another layer to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Are Back To Debating Manny Diaz And The Quarterback Situation
A sloppy first half helped doom Duke in a 24-20 loss to North Carolina, and the frustration around it quickly shifted to the bigger-picture questions hanging over the program. Even with Nate Sheppard battling through an ankle injury and still leading the offense in multiple categories, the Blue Devils could not overcome the early mistakes, leaving fans to revisit the same concerns that tend to surface when a game slips away late in the season.
Manny Diaz is once again at the center of the conversation, with the spotlight now on both his staff choices and the quarterback situation. Walker Egets performance and mobility are under the microscope, and after a night like this, the debate around whether Duke has the right answers under center is only getting louder. [Read more 🡒]