Duke opened the season with a win over Tulane, and Manny Diaz didn’t waste much time turning that result into a statement about where his program stands.
The Blue Devils started fast against the Green Wave and never really let go of control. It wasn’t a runaway on the scoreboard, but Duke set the tone early and backed it up with a defense that made life miserable for Tulane all game long.
The Green Wave managed only 54 rushing yards, and they finished just 3-of-14 on third down. Tulane didn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter.
That kind of start mattered for Duke, especially after the offseason brought plenty of questions and plenty of outside doubt. The Blue Devils won the ACC last season, but many expected a step back this year after all the talent they lost. Instead, at least for one week, Duke answered with a clean opening performance and a win that helped reset the conversation.
Diaz made sure to frame it that way after the game.
"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."
Now the focus shifts quickly. Illinois is next, and that matchup brings a different kind of test. The Fighting Illini scored 42 points against UAB in their opener, which means Duke will need to keep pace with an offense that showed real pop right away.
For the Blue Devils, the offense has work to do. Walker Eget threw for just 131 yards in the opener, and the passing game was one of the clearer issues against Tulane. That’s the part Duke will need to clean up before taking on Illinois.
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Dukes path through the 2026-27 ACC schedule is now clear, and it looks like another season where the Blue Devils will have to navigate a league that is not offering many easy nights. The conference slate begins with Georgia Tech, and while Duke is still viewed as the favorite to win the ACC again, the broader draw brings the usual mix of danger, including Louisville, Miami, Virginia and North Carolina as teams capable of making the race tighter than it might first appear.
The pairing structure adds another layer to watch, with North Carolina remaining Dukes primary ACC partner and Virginia serving as the variable one for this season. For a program that expects to be in the title hunt every winter, the schedule is less about whether Duke will be challenged and more about how many different ways those challenges can show up before March. [Read more 🡒]
Duke May Have Found The Opening It Needs At Illinois
Duke opened the season with a win over Tulane, and now the attention shifts to a road trip to Illinois that could tell us a lot about how real this start might be. The Blue Devils did enough in Week 1 to create some optimism, and the matchup in Champaign looks like one where they can lean into what worked best early, especially on the ground.
Illinois had trouble slowing UAB in its opener, and that is the kind of vulnerability Duke will try to test with Nate Sheppard coming off a strong debut. Sheppard gave the Blue Devils a real running threat in Week 1, but if Duke wants to push for an upset, Walker Eget will need to help turn the offense into something more balanced instead of making the run game carry everything on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Heads To Illinois With Revenge On The Line
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The setup only adds to the intrigue, with broadcast details and weather all pointing to a clean stage for a game that should tell a lot about where Duke stands early. There are also a few personnel notes to keep an eye on as the week unfolds, and with revenge on the line, the focus now shifts to whether the Blue Devils can turn last seasons disappointment into something more meaningful on the field. [Read more 🡒]