Duke had a weekend that covered just about every corner of the program, and the Blue Devils kept stacking wins.
The loudest one came from the football team, which blew past NC State 41-3 to improve to 7-2. Manny Diaz’s group never let the game breathe, and Nate Sheppard did the heavy lifting on the ground with 217 rushing yards. Duke was already up 24-3 near halftime when Andrew Pellicciotta slammed the door with a 109-yard kick-six after a Wolfpack field goal try came up short as the second quarter expired.
That result fits the way Duke has been playing lately. The Blue Devils have outscored their last two opponents 88-5, and now they head to Coral Gables for a huge matchup this weekend against Darian Mensah and Miami. A win there would make the ACC and CFP races a lot more interesting.
On the women’s basketball side, Duke handled Florida Atlantic 78-56 on Sunday and got Toby Fournier back in the lineup for the first time this season. Fournier, who had missed the opener with an injury, played 19 minutes, scored 10 points and pulled down 5 rebounds while Kara Lawson worked her back in. Autumn Fleary led the scoring with a career-high 14 points, and Aaliyah Crump added 13 to give Duke three players in double figures.
The game itself came together late. It had originally been set for North Texas in San Antonio, but a late cancellation forced Duke and Lawson to scramble for a replacement.
They landed on Florida Atlantic about two days before tip and traveled to Fort Lauderdale to get it played. The Blue Devils are back on the road Thursday against Norfolk State.
Duke women’s soccer delivered the most dramatic finish of the bunch, rallying for a 5-4 overtime win over No. 4 Wake Forest in the ACC Championship on Sunday. Wake Forest struck first and built a 2-0 lead that held until the 54th minute, but Duke answered with three goals in a 10-minute burst from Cameron Roller, Yuna Marui and Sam Courtwright to go up 3-2.
Wake Forest tied it soon after, then Courtwright scored again to put Duke back in front. Wake answered once more in the 72nd minute, sending the match to overtime, where Mia Minestrella buried the penalty kick that sent Duke through.
That win sends the Blue Devils to Cary for Thursday’s ACC semifinal against North Carolina.
In Other News...
Duke Just Got A Heisman Debate Fans Will Love
Nate Sheppard gave Duke plenty to talk about after a breakout performance that turned heads well beyond Durham. The running back piled up 217 rushing yards and found the end zone three times, the kind of day that can change the way a season is discussed, and head coach Manny Diaz wasted no time making the case that Sheppard belongs in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Duke fans know the award race usually tilts toward quarterbacks, and the current betting board reflects that with several passers and even one wide receiver sitting ahead of Sheppard. Still, Diazs endorsement adds some real weight to the argument, especially if Sheppard keeps stacking performances like this and forces voters to pay attention to a back who is making a loud case in a crowded field. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Sends Encouraging Early Message On Duke Freshman Joaquim Boumtje
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje has already become one of the more intriguing early storylines around Duke, not because everything has come easy, but because the freshman is showing enough to make the growing pains worth watching. The 17-year-old has had his share of uneven moments, including a modest outing against Coastal Carolina, yet he has still carved out meaningful minutes and flashed the kind of promise that stands out this early in the season.
Jon Scheyer has made clear the freshmans development is moving in the right direction, pointing to Boumtje Boumtjes coachability and the progress he has already made. For a player adjusting to college basketball while carrying the distinction of being the youngest player in Duke history, the process is still very much underway, and the next step will be how quickly he keeps turning those early reps into reliable impact. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Is Turning Dukes Miami Test Into Something Bigger
Dukes rout of NC State did more than pad the win column. The 41-3 finish pushed the Blue Devils to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, and it came with the kind of balance coaches love to see this time of year. Nate Sheppard powered the offense with 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while the defense kept NC State out of the end zone and held the Wolfpack to 217 total yards.
For a team trying to keep its place in the ACC race, the timing matters as much as the margin. Duke has now put together a performance that looked complete on both sides of the ball, and Sheppards breakout night only raises the stakes for what comes next. The bigger question is how much of that momentum carries into a tougher test ahead, where the Blue Devils will need to show this was more than just a one-night surge. [Read more 🡒]