RALEIGH, N.C. – Duke held the lead for a little over 41 minutes but couldn’t hold on down the stretch as NC State used 17 unanswered points to register the 31-20 come-from-behind victory Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Blue Devils (1-5, 1-5 ACC) took a 20-14 advantage into the break but saw the Wolfpack (4-1, 4-1 ACC) outscore them 17-0 during the second half to ultimately secure the win.
Redshirt junior quarterback Chase Brice finished the contest 24-of-40 for 190 yards and three interceptions. He was also Duke’s leading rusher with a career-high 86 yards on 14 attempts.
Freshman Dorian Mausi got Duke on the board first when he picked up a blocked punt and returned it 32 yards for the score. Fellow classmate Isaiah Fisher-Smith recorded his first career blocked punt on the play.
Duke added what would be its final 13 points in the second quarter when redshirt junior quarterback Chase Brice connected with junior wide receiver Jake Bobo for an eight-yard catch-and-score. Redshirt freshman kicker Charlie Ham chipped in with 46- and 29-yard field goals during the frame to hand the Blue Devils their six-point lead at the half.
Bobo led the Duke receiving corps with a career-high six receptions for 62 yards. Senior tight end Noah Gray brought in three catches for 20 yards to surpass Stan Crisson’s career receptions record by a tight end. He currently sits with 100 during his four-year tenure.
Senior running back Deon Jackson picked up 34 yards on the ground to become the eighth individual in program history to reach the 2,000-yard career milestone. He currently holds 2,031 yards and sits seventh all-time at Duke.
Redshirt sophomore linebackers Shaka Heyward and Rocky Shelton II led the defensive unit with eight tackles apiece. Redshirt junior safety Lummie Young IV and senior defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo each forced a fumble while redshirt junior cornerback Leonard Johnson and senior defensive end Drew Jordan recovered those fumbles, respectively.
Redshirt sophomore cornerback Jeremiah Lewis earned his team-leading second interception of the season when he picked off Devin Leary in the first quarter. The Blue Devils have now registered an interception in five of their six games.
Redshirt junior defensive end Chris Rumph II chipped in with four tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, marking his eighth career game with multiple tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Victor Dimukeje and Tangelo also added sacks.
Duke has an open date before it returns to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Oct. 31 for an out-of-conference matchup with Charlotte. Game details are still yet to be determined.
