Duke left Atlanta with a loss on Saturday, but the Blue Devils did enough to make the trip feel a lot more encouraging than the final score would suggest.
Georgia Tech got the win, yet Duke spent most of the afternoon giving itself chances to steal one on the road. The Blue Devils erased an 11-point third-quarter deficit and then produced a strong final drive that put them in range to either tie the game or push it to overtime. At 4-1 overall, they still have plenty to build on.
Walker Eget was a big reason Duke stayed in the fight. The San Jose State transfer didn’t light up the highlight reel, but he kept the offense on schedule and delivered when the Blue Devils needed it most.
He finished 26-of-41 for 259 yards and a touchdown, and his 41 pass attempts were easily a season high. He also helped extend a drive with his legs late in the game.
With Nate Sheppard dealing with a taped foot for much of the afternoon, Eget’s steady play mattered even more.
Sheppard still produced anyway. Even while clearly not at full strength, the sophomore carried the load for Duke’s ground game with 27 rushes for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
He also added seven catches for 91 yards and led the Blue Devils in receiving. CJ Campbell chipped in with six carries for 46 yards and two receptions for seven yards, and Duke finished with 159 rushing yards on 35 carries.
That was the team’s lowest rushing total of the season, but it still came with real impact.
The passing game had its moments, too, even if some bigger plays slipped away. Eget missed on a few deep throws that could have turned into chunk gains, but Duke still moved the ball through the air effectively.
The Blue Devils finished with 26 completions for 259 yards and a touchdown, and seven different players caught multiple passes. Jared Richardson paced the receivers with four grabs for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Duke still doesn’t appear to have a clear No. 1 wideout, but the group keeps making things work. Jeremiah Hasley is starting to separate himself as the team’s most reliable pass-catching option.
Against Georgia Tech, he caught six passes for 39 yards and now leads Duke with 19 receptions and 234 receiving yards. Nate Kurisky added two catches for 14 yards.
Hasley could have had an even bigger afternoon, but he and Eget weren’t quite able to connect on a few chances.
Up front, the offensive line kept doing its part. Eget wasn’t sacked once, and he has now taken just one sack all season. There have been a few rough spots here and there, but the unit has held up well through five games.
There’s also still room for Duke’s defense to grow into what it can be, especially along the line. The Blue Devils have real talent and depth there, but they’re still waiting for it to fully show up. Bryce Davis led that group with four total tackles and a tackle for loss, and Duke finished with four tackles for loss overall.
The linebackers were a little uneven, though they still left their mark. Luke Mergott topped the team with seven total tackles and five solo stops.
Nick Morris Jr. added three tackles and a tackle for loss, while Kendall Johnson had three tackles. Even with the inconsistencies, that group continues to look like one of Duke’s best.
The secondary handled its business, too, even without creating a takeaway. Kyon Loud led the defensive backs with six total tackles as Georgia Tech passed for 218 yards. The Yellow Jackets moved the ball at times, but Duke’s back end did enough to keep the game within reach.
Special teams had a tougher spotlight. With Cosme Salas out, freshman Gavin Strange stepped in and made his first kick from 35 yards, then missed from 33 yards on the try that would have sent the game to overtime. That miss mattered, but it wasn’t the story of the loss by itself.
Kade Reynoldson also gave Duke a weapon in the punting game. He averaged 49.0 yards on four punts and placed three of them inside the 20.
In Other News...
Duke Still Has A Transfer Question Heading Into North Carolina
Dukes first loss of the 2026 season came in a 28-25 setback to Georgia Tech, and even in defeat there were reasons to think the offense can keep carrying its weight. The Blue Devils battled through costly penalties, but receivers Jared Richardson and Jaivon Solomon helped keep the attack moving, while linebacker Luke Mergott stood out on the other side of the ball in a game that still felt competitive deep into the finish.
Still, the bigger question for the stretch ahead is whether the transfer additions can become more than background pieces as the schedule tightens. Duke has leaned on a few familiar names early, but players like Owen Wafle and Javen Nicholas have not yet made a major imprint this season, leaving the Blue Devils with some uncertainty to sort out before North Carolina comes into view. [Read more 🡒]
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The more interesting layer is what could happen if the calendar keeps moving in Dukes favor. The program has also picked up a crystal ball prediction for five-star forward Asa Montgomery and five-star 2028 prospect Colton Hiller, who recently took an official visit to Durham, while Scheyer has openly pointed to the growing possibility of top recruits reclassifying and reaching college sooner. If that trend keeps picking up, the Blue Devils may be positioning themselves not just to land elite talent, but to land it earlier than everyone else expects. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Proved It Can Grind Out Ranked Road Wins
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The game was tied 2-2 after regulation and overtime, which turned the finish into a test of nerve as much as execution. For Duke, it was the kind of road result that can matter in October, a reminder that the Blue Devils can impose themselves against a ranked opponent even when the margin stays razor-thin until the final shootout sequence. [Read more 🡒]