Duke’s first loss of the season came in a 28-25 defeat to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and the Blue Devils had to fight through a game that asked more of them than anything they’d seen so far.
The second-half rally gave Duke a chance, but it wasn’t enough to finish the comeback. Still, there were a few clear bright spots even in the loss.
Walker Eget didn’t put up a stat line that jumps off the page, but he made enough plays with both his arm and his legs to keep Duke alive late. With Nate Sheppard not at 100%, the offense looked different, and Eget helped steady it when the Blue Devils needed him most. He wasn’t spotless - some deep throws missed the mark - but he delivered several key moments that gave Duke a shot.
Luke Mergott was just as important on the other side of the ball. The linebacker made his presence felt early and often, especially in the first half, finishing with seven total tackles, five solo tackles, a pass deflection, and a tackle for loss. Duke’s defense was solid for much of the game, and the linebacker group continues to be one of the team’s strengths.
The Blue Devils also showed some real backbone on money downs after falling behind by double digits in the third quarter. Again and again, they found a way to stay on the field in third- and fourth-down spots that could have buried the comeback. Duke finished 10-of-17 on third down and converted its lone fourth-down attempt.
On the flip side, the run game never fully took control the way Duke probably wanted. Sheppard was clearly limited, and even with CJ Campbell involved, Georgia Tech did enough to keep the Blue Devils from consistently hammering away inside.
The Yellow Jackets came in with the ACC’s worst run defense statistically, but after their bye week they were noticeably better in that area. Duke still found some success on the ground, mostly on the perimeter, while inside runs didn’t produce much.
Penalties were another major issue. Duke cleaned things up in the second half, but the first two quarters were costly, with five penalties for 56 yards before halftime. One Georgia Tech scoring drive late in the first half was especially damaging, as Duke handed over 30 free yards after the Yellow Jackets started near their own goal line.
In the end, the second-half response was real, but the early mistakes were too much to overcome in Atlanta.
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This time, Duke arrives with a defense that has been tougher and a rushing attack that has helped stabilize the offense. Georgia Tech comes in at 1-3 and is looking for a lift of its own, which makes this a useful checkpoint for Duke before the schedule gets any less demanding. [Read more 🡒]
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Instead, the Blue Devils let a winnable game unravel in painful fashion. Penalties kept handing Georgia Tech extra chances, and when Duke still had a path to force overtime, freshman kicker Gavin Strange missed the late field goal try that would have tied it. The 28-25 loss drops Duke to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in league play, a frustrating result in a game that was there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Sloppy First ACC Road Test At Georgia Tech
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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 🡒]