Duke opened the Manny Diaz era’s third season the same way it has started each of the last two years: with a 1-0 record.
The Blue Devils handled Tulane 17-3 on Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium, and the result was built on a defense that never let the Green Wave get comfortable. Tulane didn’t score until the fourth quarter, and it managed only 3-of-14 on third down while finishing with 258 yards of total offense.
On offense, Duke is still sorting things out. The passing game was the clear trouble spot, with San Jose State transfer quarterback Walker Eget struggling in his Durham debut. Duke finished with just 13 catches for 131 yards.
The one player who did everything he could to announce himself was sophomore running back Nate Sheppard. He ripped through Tulane for 35 carries, 227 yards and two touchdowns, a Week 1 performance that put the nation on notice.
Duke’s opener also carried some context. The Blue Devils took major hits in the transfer portal this offseason after winning the ACC Championship in 2025, losing quarterback Darian Mensah, their top three receivers and several other key contributors to the NFL Draft. That left the program with lowered outside expectations entering the year.
Diaz addressed that directly after the win, pointing to the mindset inside the locker room.
"At a time, in an offseason when nobody really believed in Duke football, and it was easy to suggest that we would take a step back- not that we're proclaiming anything, but what I can proclaim is the guys in that locker room, they pushed back on that," Diaz said. "They believed in themselves.
They believed in this program. They believe in how we win at Duke."
The challenge gets bigger quickly. Duke heads to Illinois next Saturday for a road matchup against a team that opened with a 42-23 win over UAB.
For now, the takeaway from Duke’s first game is pretty simple: the defense looks ready, Sheppard looks special, and Diaz has another early win in his pocket.
In Other News...
Duke Football's NFL Presence Just Sent A Message About The Program
The NFLs cutdown day offered a useful snapshot of where Duke football stands right now, and it was an encouraging one. Thirteen former Blue Devils landed on active 53-man rosters ahead of the regular season, a sign that the programs alumni pipeline is still producing players who can stick at the highest level.
Dukes reach did not stop there. Four more former Blue Devils opened the year on reserve/injured lists with a designation to return, while four others stayed in the league on practice squads. Add in a 2026 NFL Draft and free-agent period that sent three players off the board and brought eight more into pro camps, and the picture is clear enough for anyone around the program: Duke has turned NFL presence into another recruiting point, even if the full payoff of this years class is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Ground Game Suddenly Carries Real Weight Against Illinois
Illinois comes into the matchup with some early-season questions after a shaky Week 1 showing against UAB, a performance that left its defense with work to do and nudged the Illini down in ESPNs Football Power Index. Even so, the market still leans their way heading into Week 2, which makes Dukes ground game one of the more interesting pressure points in the game plan.
The Blue Devils have a legitimate rushing threat in Nate Sheppard, and that gives this game a very different shape than the usual underdog script. If Illinois wants to control the afternoon, the obvious answer is to load up against the run and make Dukes quarterback carry more of the burden, but that approach comes with its own risk if the Devils can keep winning early downs on the ground. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Week 1 Win Exposed One Question That Could Define The Season
Duke opened the season with a 17-3 win over Tulane, and the blueprint was clear from the start: lean on the run game, play stout defense and let the game come to them. The defense held up its end, with Bryce Davis, Tyshon Reed and Nick Morris Jr. part of a group that helped keep Tulane from finding much rhythm, while the offense showed enough balance to suggest there is room for growth after a strong first step.
The bigger question, though, is how the Blue Devils will handle the passing game as the schedule stiffens. Walker Egets first start for Duke left some things to sort out, and Jared Richardsons involvement was limited enough to stand out in a win that otherwise checked a lot of boxes. If Duke is going to build on an encouraging opener, the next few weeks may show whether the offense can evolve beyond a run-heavy script. [Read more 🡒]