Duke football rolls to fourth win. Three takeaways from Blue Devils’ 45-17 win at MTSU

A big first quarter propelled Duke to its fourth consecutive win to start the football season.

The Blue Devils scored four touchdowns in the first period and endured a weather delay before completing a 45-17 win over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday night at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy fired three touchdown passes, and Blue Devils running back Star Thomas turned in his second consecutive game with more than 100 yards performance while scoring two touchdowns.

It’s the second consecutive season Duke has started 4-0. The Blue Devils play nothing but ACC opponents the rest of the regular season, starting with rival North Carolina (3-1) at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Here are three takeaways from Duke’s win over MTSU:

Murphy keeps delivering

Duke’s starting quarterback, who joined the program as a transfer from Texas last December, turned in another strong performance. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 216 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

Murphy averaged a healthy 15.4 yards per completed passes.

His three touchdown passes give him 11 through four games. He’s now completed 92 of 143 passes for a 64.3% completion percentage this season.

Tight end Nicky Dalmolin caught two touchdown passes, including a 71-yard scoring strike in the first quarter on Duke’s first possession after MTSU had taken an early 7-0 lead. Both of his touchdown catches came during Duke’s 28-point, first-quarter onslaught.

Dalmolin caught four passes for 100 yards.

Duke defense creates more havoc

The Blue Devils benefited from four MTSU turnovers with Duke recovering three fumbles and intercepting one pass. The Blue Devils’ offense converted all four turnovers into touchdowns.

Entering the game No. 2 nationally in tackles for losses, the Blue Devils tallied 12 more against the Blue Raiders. Six were quarterback sacks. Linebacker Alex Howard had 3.5 tackles for losses, including 1.5 sacks, while also recovering a fumble.

Targeting penalty sidelines Stinson again

Jaylen Stinson tied for Duke’s team lead in tackles, with seven, in last week’s 26-21 win over UConn, but the Blue Devils played most of Saturday’s game at Middle Tennessee without the senior safety.

Stinson was penalized for targeting, earning him an ejection from the game, in the first quarter. He was called for hitting MTSU quarterback Nicholas Vattiato above the neck as he slid to the turf following a 5-yard scramble.

That sent Stinson to the sideline for the rest of the day. He will be available again when Duke plays UNC on Saturday.

It’s the second targeting penalty he’s been called for in Duke’s past five games. The first happened in last season’s Birmingham Bowl against Troy. Since that one occurred in the second half, Stinson had to sit out the first half of Duke’s season-opening 26-3 win over Elon on Aug. 30.

Against MTSU, Duke put freshman DaShawn Stone in at safety to replace Stinson. He recovered a fumble later in the first quarter and later intercepted a pass. Stone finished with two solo tackles against the Blue Raiders.

Duke saw a second player called for targeting when Wesley Williams received that penalty for a hit on Vattiato late in the second quarter. But that call was reversed after the mandatory replay review, which allowed Williams to stay in the game.