Durant Named ACC Player of the Week

DURHAM NC – Senior running back Mataeo Durant was named ACC Running Back of the Week following his record-breaking performance in Duke’s opening game of 2021.
 
A native of Plum Branch, S.C., Durant rushed 29 times for a single-game record 255 yards and three touchdowns against Charlotte. His yardage eclipsed the previous school record of 245 yards set by Shaun Wilson in 2014 against Kansas. In addition, his total rushing yardage ranks 25th in ACC history.
 
Durant’s touchdown runs covered five, 59, and 53 yards, to become just the sixth player in program history to record two 50-plus yard scores in a single game. Both of his 50-plus yard touchdowns were in the fourth quarter and handed him 130 yards in the period to set the Duke single-quarter record.
 
In the second period, Durant led the Blue Devils on a nine-play, 63-yard scoring drive in which he rushed seven times for 63 yards and the score.
 
His 8.79 yards per rushing attempt in the game also marked the 10th-highest single-game average in Duke history. Durant finished his night adding two receptions for 37 yards to total 292 all-purpose yards, the fifth-highest single-game total in program lore.

The ACC’s other weekly honors included Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec (co-quarterback) and Zay Flowers (wide receiver), Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong (co-quarterback), N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu (offensive lineman), Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson II (defensive lineman), Clemson’s James Skalski (linebacker), Virginia Tech’s Chamarri Conner (defensive back), Wake Forest’s Ja’Sir Taylor (specialist) and Jasheen Davis (co-rookie) and Syracuse’s Duce Chestnut (co-rookie).