Three takeaways as Duke football keeps 10-win season in reach by beating Virginia Tech

An explosive start and anxiety-inducing finish bookended Duke football’s 31-28 Senior Day win against Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4 ACC) on Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium.

The Blue Devils (8-3, 4-3 ACC) emerged victorious in a mistake-laden matchup despite three first-half turnovers, a late-game fumble recovered by Virginia Tech, inconsistent passing from quarterback Maalik Murphy and a late push by the Hokies and their third-string quarterback, William Watson III. The Blue Devils earned their eighth win of the fall — marking three straight seasons of eight or more wins since 2021’s disastrous 3-9 finish.

Duke can thank its defense once again for this win. After Blue Devil running back Star Thomas fumbled the ball with less than two minutes remaining, and Virginia Tech was gifted one last drive and a chance to clinch a comeback win, Duke’s defense shut the Hokies down.

The Blue Devils forced two straight incomplete passes and sacked Watson III for a loss of three yards. Then, after a Virginia Tech timeout with a minute and a half remaining, Duke linebacker Tre Freeman pulled down Hokies wide receiver Jaylin Lane — forcing a turnover on downs.

There were plenty of highlights — wide receiver Eli Pancol led all players with a career-high 188 yards — but the Blue Devils’ many errors will no doubt give its coordinators plenty of film to cut up and analyze as Duke moves forward.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Duke defense disrupts early, mitigates damage later

Duke’s defense came out aggressive, with cornerback Chandler Rivers and the secondary disrupting Virginia Tech’s passing attack early and forcing punts on the Hokies’ first three drives.

Despite these early successes, Virginia Tech’s offense broke through with a 65-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Collin Schlee to wide receiver Ali Jennings, who wove through Duke’s secondary and all the way to the end zone. That explosive play — rare for the Blue Devils’ dominant defense this season — allowed Virginia Tech to respond after two early Duke touchdowns, making the score 14-7 after 10 minutes of play.

Still, the Blue Devils’ defense regained composure. They were able to, for the most part, mitigate the damage done by two straight Murphy interceptions in the first half — highlighted by safety Terry Moore’s end-zone pass breakup after pressure from linebacker Alex Howard and defensive end Wesley Williams. That play midway through the second quarter forced the Hokies to take a field goal attempt after what looked like a prime touchdown opportunity in the end zone — allowing Duke to maintain a narrow lead heading into halftime.

As the Hokies charged back late in the game, the Blue Devils continued to step up on defense and erase opportunities. All in all, Duke totaled eight sacks, 14.0 tackles for loss, one interception and six pass breakups.

Pancol shines on Senior Night

Murphy and Pancol showcased their chemistry with three first-half touchdowns that electrified Wallace Wade Stadium. Murphy’s strong arm connected with Pancol for an 86-yard bomb on the first Duke snap of the game, igniting the sideline as the wideout danced into the end zone. Moments later, the pair struck again with a 77-yard touchdown, with Pancol beating Virginia Tech defenders in a footrace to the end zone after a short reception.

In the second quarter, a deep pass to wide receiver Jordan Moore for 58 yards set up Pancol’s third touchdown of the night. Murphy’s ability to deliver the back-shoulder throw paid off when Pancol used his 6-foot-3 frame to snag a 7-yard score, capping off a five-play, 75-yard drive to put Duke up by four at the half.

These plays represented Murphy at his best — delivering deep balls that exploited gaps in Virginia Tech’s coverage. But, as has often been the case with Murphy this season, these highlight-worthy plays don’t tell the full story.

Murphy regains composure after 3 interceptions

Murphy was as inconsistent as he was explosive on Saturday, recording 332 yards through the air, seven passing plays of 15 or more yards and three interceptions.

Duke’s hot start cooled when Virginia Tech’s defense forced back-to-back interceptions in the first half. The first came late in the opening quarter, when Murphy’s pass on second-and-10 was picked off by Hokies cornerback Dorian Strong at Virginia Tech’s 43-yard line. The Hokies capitalized on the turnover, tying the game at 14-14 early in the second quarter.

Strong struck again early in the second quarter, intercepting Murphy on third-and-7. That set up a Hokies field goal on the ensuing drive, allowing Virginia Tech to take a brief 17-14 lead. These miscues underscored Murphy’s inconsistency in the first half, as his decision-making wavered following an impressive start.

Despite the first-half struggles, Murphy was able to adjust. Duke’s first drive in the third quarter was evidence of this. The Blue Devils opened the second half with a balanced drive of seven plays for 74 yards in just over three minutes. While it was considerably less flashy than how Murphy opened the game, the efficient and accurate drive was exactly what Duke needed to regain control of the matchup after a messy start.

The Blue Devils failed to score in the final quarter, but in the end, Murphy delivered just enough to allow his team to squeak by with a win.