DURHAM — The Duke football team improved to 7-3 with a decisive 24-7 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another while the defense limited the Hokies to just 281 total yards.
After clinching bowl eligibility last week, the Blue Devils (7-3, 4-2) locked up their first seven-win regular season since 2018. Duke rattled off 24 unanswered points after the visiting Hokies (2-8, 1-6) scored on their opening possession.
Leonard finished 19-of-31 passing for 262 yards leading the Blue Devils to a 427-281 edge in total yards and nearly double the time of possession (38:59-21:01). Shaka Heyward led the defense with nine tackles and an interception, while Brandon Johnson had six stops and both of Duke’s sacks.
How It Happened
- The Hokies opened the scoring early, finding the end zone on their second offensive play of the game following a 53-yard touchdown reception by Da’Wain Lofton.
- Duke responded with a Todd Pelino 25-yard field goal to cut into the deficit at 7-3.
- The Blue Devils jumped in front 10-7 with a little over six-and-a-half minutes to play in the half after Nicky Dalmolin registered a 24-yard touchdown reception for his fourth scoring catch of the season.
- On Duke’s first drive of the second half, Leonard directed an 11-play, 62-yard drive, capped by his five-yard rushing score to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to 17-7.
- Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Duke registered its third-straight touchdown to create a 24-7 gap between the teams. Leonard connected with Jontavis Robertson on a six-yard touchdown reception for Robertson’s first career scoring catch.
Notables
- Duke defeated Virginia Tech in Durham for the first time since 1981 (W, 14-7).
- Mike Elko becomes the first Blue Devil head coach to record seven wins on their first season since Fred Goldsmith coached Duke to an 8-4 record in 1994.
- The Blue Devils registered their 10th and 11th scoring drives of 10-plus plays this season after earning two against the Hokies.
- Duke posted its first three-game winning streak in ACC play since 2015.
- Senior Jalon Calhoun became the 11th player in program history with 2,000 career receiving yards after finishing with 94 yards on five receptions.
- Leonard recorded his 10th rushing touchdown of the year, which is the most in a single-season by a Duke quarterback since Brandon Connette set Duke’s record with 14 in 2013.
- Leonard also became just the second Blue Devil quarterback in program history to rush and pass for 10-plus touchdowns in the same season (Connette, 2013 [14 rushing & 13 passing]).
- Saturday marked the third time Leonard has thrown for two touchdowns in his career, and the first since he did so against North Carolina A&T earlier this year.
- Dalmolin earned his fifth touchdown reception as a Blue Devil.
- Robertson recorded his first career touchdown reception and finished with a career-high 81 yards on five catches.
- The Hokies failed to register a sack on the day, marking the first time since Nov. 18, 2021, against Louisville, that Duke didn’t relinquish a sack.
- Duke recorded a season high in time of possession, holding the ball for 38:59 to mark the most since October 10, 2020, against Syracuse (39:43).
- Johnson recorded Duke’s two sacks on the day and has 5.5 for his career.
- The Blue Devils have had one player with 2.0 sacks in three consecutive games.
- Heyward posted his third career interception in the fourth quarter.
- The Duke defense held the Hokies to just 281 yards of total offense, marking the fewest yards allowed to an ACC team since holding Miami to 259 in 2019.
Up Next
- The Blue Devils travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 19 for a noon kickoff on ACC Network at Acrisure Stadium.
- The Panthers defeated Virginia on Saturday, 37-7, to become bowl eligible.
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