Duke is rolling again, and the timing could hardly be better.
The Blue Devils have stacked three straight wins and have absolutely flattened Boston College and NC State over the last two weeks, outscoring those opponents 88-5. They’re still waiting on a spot in the AP Top 25, but that could change fast if they keep this up. A win next weekend would almost certainly push them into the poll.
What’s coming next is a heavyweight test: No. 5 Miami.
The Hurricanes fell from the No. 1 spot after losing to now-No. 3 Notre Dame, and another loss would be a major surprise.
Still, Duke has found its groove at exactly the right time.
Early in the season, the Blue Devils built their identity around a simple formula. The defense was flying, and the offense ran through sophomore running back Nate Sheppard, who looked like the best back in college football. Walker Eget and the rest of the offense were doing their part too, but the engine was clearly Sheppard and the ground game.
Then came two straight losses, and the offense started to lose some of its edge. That picture has changed in a hurry. Manny Diaz’s team has turned things back around and suddenly looks like one of the ACC’s most dangerous teams again.
Sheppard has been the spark. Over Duke’s last two games, he has rushed for 314 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 carries, good for 8.3 yards per attempt.
He’s also added two catches for 36 yards. Eget has stayed steady, and the passing game has started to spread the ball around a little more.
During Duke’s two losses, Sheppard had 176 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries.
After the win over NC State, Sheppard pointed to the way Duke got back to what worked so well in the first four games.
"It felt great. You know, I felt like we really got back to those, you know, Illinois, Tulane, those early season, how we were running the ball and stuff like that. And, you know, those guys up front, they tee it off and do what they do, and I just made it right," Sheppard said.
Duke is heading into its toughest game of the season on the road, and Miami is a dangerous opponent. But the Blue Devils are playing like the team that opened the year 4-0, with the defense, the offense and Sheppard all clicking at once.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Weighs In On A CFP Change Duke Fans Should Watch
As the College Football Playoff moves toward a 24-team format, Manny Diaz is already thinking about what the change could mean for the sport beyond just the bracket itself. The Duke coach said he does not support eliminating conference championships, arguing that a playoff should still begin inside the leagues and reward teams for what they do on the field rather than leave so much to committee judgment.
Diaz also pointed to a likely side effect Duke fans should keep an eye on: the growing uncertainty around bowl games in an expanded playoff era. If more teams are pulled into the postseason picture, those traditional December matchups could lose some of the relevance they have carried for years, even as the postseason itself gets bigger and more inclusive. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Needs One More Scoring Threat To Take Down Duke
Michigan State heads into the Championship Classic with a clear formula in mind: lean on Jeremy Fears to steady the offense, get enough production from the center spot, and keep Duke from dictating the game with its defense. The Spartans have the kind of structure that can make a high-profile nonconference matchup interesting, especially if their key pieces hold up against the pressure that comes with facing a team like Duke.
What Michigan State still needs, though, is one more scorer it can count on when the Blue Devils start taking away the primary options. An additional double-digit threat would go a long way toward making this a real test for Duke, because the margin for error shrinks quickly when the defense is this good. The question now is whether the Spartans can find that extra punch in time to make the matchup far more competitive than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Mia Minestrella's Winner Put Duke On The Verge Of History
Mia Minestrella delivered the kind of moment Duke womens soccer has built its reputation on, stepping to an overtime penalty kick and burying it in a 5-4 comeback win over Wake Forest. The seniors finish tied the programs career goal record at 47 and sent Duke into the ACC Championship semifinals, while also helping the Blue Devils reach their 500th program victory.
For a team that had to climb all the way back in one of the biggest comeback wins in ACC Championship history, the night carried more than one layer of significance. Minestrellas latest goal added to a career already packed with big moments, and it left Duke on the verge of history with the tournament still ahead. [Read more 🡒]