“Good Team, Bad Record”
DURHAM, NC – With 38,217 fans in attendance on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 5) to watch this ACC match up, the Duke Blue Devils remain winless in conference play. The Virginia Tech (VT) Hokies held on to finish 24 – 21. The Blue Devils are 3-6 overall but fell to 0-5 in conference play after this lost. Duke Coach David Cutcliffe says he has “a good team, with a bad record” and that they have nothing else to work on now but winning games.
The Hokies quickly took control in the first quarter. Trevon McMillian put the first points on the board for VT with a 14-yard run. Hokies up 7-0 with 7:35 left in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils follow suit and score a touchdown off junior running back Shaun Wilson’s rush to the end zone. Score tied at seven would remain into the second quarter when Duke’s freshmen kicker AJ Reed’s 30-yard field goal attempt is blocked and returned for a Hokie’s touchdown.
Wilson attempted to get the team’s momentum back with a punt return but Hokies remained in control despite a sack by defensive end Marquies Price. Hokies QB Jerod Evans rushed to the end zone on a 4th and 1 for another Hokies touchdown. Score now 21-7 and would remain going into halftime despite another touchdown attempt late in the half by Duke.
Duke started off the second half with a 29-yard run by QB Daniel Jones attempting to get this game going in their favor but he’s sacked on the play and Blue Devils are forced to punt. Joseph Ajeibe had the longest run of his career for 28 yards and Daniel Jones finished the job for Duke’s 2nd touchdown and the score was now 21-14, with 4:00 left in the 3rd quarter. After a 5-yard completion by Jones he now holds the Duke record for most completions by a freshman QB in a single season with 182. Score remains 21-14 going into the 3rd.
In the fourth Duke corner back Breon Borders held the Hokies to a FG attempt on 3rd & 5. The kick was good and Hokies now have a 10-point lead over the Blue Devils, 24-14. Borders with his 34th season pass break-up forcing the Hokies to punt… again, now holds the spot for 2nd most pass interferences in school history!
Daniel Jones had his 2nd rushing TD of the game and cuts the Hokies lead to 3; score now 24-21 VT. As the game heated-up, targeting was called on VT and #22 Terrell Edmunds was ejected from the game. Original call on the field was a Duke fumble.
Back and forth on the field as the time winds down and VT walks away with a victory. Shaun Wilson finished with 20 rushing yards and is followed by QB Daniel Jones with 18. Jones also threw for 148 yards. Cutcliffe on the loss: “The only reality is they made more plays then we did and we have to just move on. We are getting better.”
Duke will host rival North Carolina on their senior night Thursday, November 10th at 7:30 pm.
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