Courtesy GoDuke.com
DURHAM – Duke couldn’t complete the full comeback Saturday afternoon, as it dropped a 23-20 overtime decision to Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Blue Devils scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to turn a 20-6 deficit into a 20-20 tie with eight seconds remaining in the game. Six of those 14 points came from a redshirt freshman Sahmir Hagans’ 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, Duke’s first since Jamison Crowder did so against Arizona State in the 2014 Sun Bowl. In overtime, Duke held the Yellow Jackets to a 37-yard field goal but were unable to convert on its field goal attempt of 52 yards to force a second overtime.
Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard finished 20-of-42 passing for 136 yards and one touchdown. His counterpart from Georgia Tech, Jeff Sims concluded his night 23-of-34 for 227 yards and one score.
Junior wide receiver Jontavis Robertson collected a team-high 41 receiving yards on three catches.
Redshirt junior DeWayne Carter and graduate student Cam Dillon led the defense with nine tackles each. Carter added one of Duke’s five tackles for loss in the contest.
Redshirt junior Charlie Ham converted on two-of-three field goals of 28- and 45-yards.
How It Happened
- Georgia Tech recorded a 22-yard field goal with 3:31 remaining in the opening frame to take the early 3-0 edge.
- The home side added an 18-yard touchdown reception by Nate McCollum midway through the second quarter to extend their advantage to 10-0.
- Duke cut the deficit down to 10-3 with two minutes remaining in the halftime after Ham converted on his first field goal of the night.
- Georgia Tech’s Sims connected with Leo Blackburn on a 37-yard touchdown during its first drive of the second half to extend the lead to 17-3.
- With a little over a minute-and-a-half to play in the third quarter, Ham converted on another field goal for the Blue Devils to pull the visitors within 17-6.
- The Yellow Jackets responded with a 23-yard field goal of their own on the ensuing drive to create a 20-6 gap between the teams, the largest of the game.
- Duke would not go away, registering 14 points over the final six minutes to knot the score at 20-20.
- Hagans’ punt return for a touchdown started the rally before Leonard found junior tight end Nicky Dalmolin from two yards out with eight seconds left to tie the game and ultimately force overtime.
- Unfortunately, the Blue Devils weren’t able to connect on their 52-yard field goal attempt in overtime to answer Georgia Tech’s 37-yard field goal that put the home team up 23-20.
Notables
- Saturday’s game marked Duke’s first overtime contest since Dec. 26, 2015, when it defeated Indiana 44-41 at the Pinstripe Bowl.
- Sophomore running back Jaquez Moore led all Duke rushers with 12 carries for 59 yards.
- Dalmolin caught three receptions for nine yards and registered his second touchdown of the year.
- Redshirt junior R.J. Oben recorded Duke’s only sack in the game, and now has six in his career
- The Duke defense recorded five tackles for loss.
- Ham converted on a 45-yard field goal just before halftime, his longest field goal of the season.
- Redshirt junior punter Porter Wilson punted four times for 177 yards and an average of 44.3 yards.
- Hagans finished the evening with three punt returns for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Up Next
- The Blue Devils welcome North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 15, for an 8 p.m. Tobacco Road showdown for the Victory Bell at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
- North Carolina defeated Miami on the road Saturday, 27-24
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