Duke’s defense romped, but QB Maalik Murphy’s strong day was key to beating NC State

While Duke hasn’t needed Maalik Murphy to win a game with his passing this season, Saturday’s victory over N.C. State was an example of a game the Blue Devils probably don’t win without their quarterback having a strong day.

The defense ruled on both sides when Duke and N.C. State played at Carter-Finley Stadium. The teams combined for 115 rushing yards on 56 attempts (2.1 yards per carry) while finding success on 3 of 24 third downs.

Murphy, though, proved to be the better quarterback in his most efficient game of the season, and that’s why Duke left Raleigh with a 29-19 win.

Having completed 58.9% of his throws this season, Murphy picked apart N.C. State’s defense to complete 22 of 31 throws (71%). He passed for 245 yards, exceeding his season average of 235.1 yards per game. Plus, on a day when mistakes were magnified, he did not turn the ball over.

He even scored a rushing touchdown, the first of his career, to put the Blue Devils ahead for good in the third quarter.

“You needed someone of Maalik’s caliber of accuracy to make the plays that we did,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “In a game where everything was tough and it was going to take a high level of execution to move the football, I thought he came through and gave us a chance. And a rushing touchdown, so, you know, that created a lot of joy in our locker room to celebrate that.”

The celebration marked Murphy’s accomplishments and a return to success for the Blue Devils. They’d dropped their past two games to two of the ACC’s top teams, losing 28-27 in overtime to No. 13 SMU and 53-31 at No. 4 Miami.

Since Mike Elko arrived to coach the Blue Devils for the 2022 season, Duke has not lost more than two games in a row. Duke’s solid defense put it in position to halt the two-game losing streak on Saturday.

The Blue Devils held N.C. State to 3 of 15 on third downs and 84 rushing yards while forcing two turnovers. The forcing turnovers thing isn’t unusual as it was just two weeks ago that SMU turned the ball over six times against the Blue Devils.

But the Mustangs won that game because Murphy and the Duke offense couldn’t turn three fourth-quarter turnovers, when it took over the ball in SMU territory, into any points.

At N.C. State, the Duke offense scored 10 points directly off those turnovers.

Todd Pelino kicked a 50-yard field goal after Duke safety Cameron Bergeron forced and recovered an N.C. State fumble at the Wolfpack 32 in the first quarter.

In the fourth quarter, after Duke safety Terry Moore picked off a CJ Bailey pass and returned it to the Wolfpack 20, Murphy fired an 9-yard touchdown pass to Sahmir Hagans to give Duke a 26-12 lead.

Hagans was one of six Duke players who caught Murphy’s passes on Saturday as he adroitly worked through his progressions to find the open man.

“I just had to trust the guys,” Murphy said. “All I could do is kind of throw it into their vicinity, and they have to go out there and make the play honestly. Once the ball gets there to them, it’s all up to them to go and get it out the air. So I think my receivers, they’re great. It’s all I can ask for as a quarterback, guys that want the ball and go get the ball when they see it.”

Even as Murphy deflects praise, it’s important to point out he never put the ball in danger while finding those sure-handed receivers. That counts for plenty.

This is what Duke’s boosters ponied up the NIL cash in transfer portal season for when it lured Murphy to come to Durham last December when he left Texas. Duke needed a steady hand at quarterback after Riley Leonard chased college football’s now-legal riches to leave Duke for Notre Dame.

The 6-5, 230-pound Murphy has Duke (7-3, 3-3 ACC) in position to post its first nine-win regular season since 2014. The Blue Devils had back-to-back regular seasons with at least nine wins under coach David Cutcliffe in 2013, when they posted a school-record 10 wins, and 2014.

Before that, it takes a long, long, long trip backward in time to find any more. Duke had four nine-win regular seasons between 1933 and 1941. It failed to win any more than eight again until 2013.

Now, in his first season as Duke’s quarterback, Murphy is in position to lead this Duke team to a notable campaign. After an open week, Duke closes the season at home with Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3 ACC) on Nov. 23 and at Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3 ACC) on Nov. 29.

Yes, Duke’s accomplished defense will certainly have a lot to say about whether or not the Blue Devils can win out before heading to their bowl game.

But Murphy will, too. Saturday, he showed he’s up to the challenge.