DURHAM – Graduate student quarterback Gunnar Holmberg rushed for four touchdowns to help lift Duke past Kansas, 52-33, Saturday afternoon at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Holmberg finished his night rushing 17 times for 88 yards and four touchdowns. The Wake Forest, N.C., native also went 22-of-29 passing for 328 yards with a touchdown. His four rushing scores tied the program record for rushing touchdowns in a game, becoming the first Blue Devil to achieve that mark since Brandon Connette did so in 2013.
The home side finished with 607 total yards in the contest for their third game with 500-plus yards this season. Duke has now earned 2,178 offensive yards over it’s opening four games for the most since 1970.
Saturday’s game was a back-and-forth affair with both teams taking turns holding the lead in the opening half. Senior running back Mataeo Durant put the Blue Devils on the board first when he broke free for a 57-yard jaunt midway through the first period. He finished the game with 124 rushing yards on 21 carries with a score.
Kansas answered with a field goal before both teams combined for 35 points in the second quarter. The two teams traded touchdowns in the period before the Jayhawks scored one final time before the half to take a 24-21 edge into the break. A Holmberg four-yard rush and a 26-yard strike to junior wide receiver Jalon Calhoun accounted for Duke’s two scores.
The Jayhawks extended their lead to 27-21 early in the third quarter, but the Blue Devils would not waver. Duke rattled off three consecutive touchdowns after Jordan Waters and Holmberg (two) rushed into the end zone to take a commanding 42-27 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Redshirt sophomore Charlie Ham connected on a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to extend the Blue Devil lead. The Jayhawks would finally halt Duke’s scoring with a touchdown of their own to pull within 45-33 with a little less than nine minutes to play. Fortunately, Holmberg punched in his fourth rushing touchdown of the game a few minutes later to ultimately seal Duke’s victory.
Senior wide receiver Jake Bobo led the Duke receiving corps with 105 yards on seven receptions. Saturday’s performance boosted him over the career 1,000-yard receiving mark, becoming the 39th Blue Devil to achieve that feat.
Defensively, Duke was led by redshirt junior linebacker Shaka Heyward and sophomore safety Jaylen Stinson with nine and eight tackles respectively. Heyward and redshirt junior safety Nate Thompson each recorded an interception, marking the first time since 2019 the Blue Devils recorded two-plus interceptions in back-to-back contest.
Duke is back on the road for a noon contest with nearby North Carolina at Kenan Stadium on Oct. 2. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
