Nate Sheppard Powers Duke in Blowout Win
DURHAM, N.C.- The Duke Blue Devils welcomed the Boston College Eagles to Wallace Wade Stadium, where they earned a 47-2 victory. The win moves the Blue Devils to a 6-2 overall record and 3-2 in ACC conference play, making them eligible for a bowl game.
Running back Nate Sheppard finished with 97 rushing yards and made history today by scoring five rushing touchdowns, a single-game record. He now holds Duke’s single-season record for total scrimmage touchdowns with 18. Today with 14 rushing touchdowns, tying a single-season record. Sheppard had this to say after his terrific performance: “It feels great. I came in here wanting to set records, especially at the running back position, and to be able to do that is a lot of credit to those guys up front getting me in position so many times and the guys out wide making plays.” When asked if he believes he’s the best running back in the country, he responded, “Yes, I feel like I’m definitely in that conversation for sure.”
In the first half, Duke put together an impressive sequence of events that showed offensive efficiency and defensive discipline. The Blue Devils put themselves in a good position with a commanding 27-2 lead, showcasing their offensive execution. Duke also converted 13 first downs, totaled 235 yards of offense, established the ground game, avoided turnovers, and went a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone.
Heading into the second half, the question was whether Duke’s defense could keep limiting the Eagles’ offense, and they answered it decisively. The Blue Devils overwhelmed Boston College, recording six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and causing two forced fumbles. To add insult to injury, Duke’s offense wasted no time extending their lead, scoring in the first two possessions and pushing the lead to 41-2 on 20 unanswered points; kicker Gavin Strange tacked on two field goals to secure the victory.
Duke Head Coach Manny Diaz summed it up perfectly after the game saying “This game provides more evidence on what this team could be, we have six wins the guys understand that the two games that went against us came down to a play or two, but close losses are losses and so i think the team has confidence and when they prepare like they did this week and everybody just does their job and trust their teammates and again I keep saying with us, play fast play free don’t worry about expectations we start worrying about where we’re going to end up at the end of the year that’ll trip us up, just stay humble and play fast.”
The Blue Devils controlled both lines of scrimmage, ran the ball effectively, and put together a shutout performance on defense, with everything coming together in a complete performance by all three phases of the team. Quarterback Walker Eget did a good job controlling the pace of the game, finishing 11-for-18, 201 yards, and a touchdown pass. Overall, Duke finished 7-for-7 in red zone conversions, with 21 first downs, 382 total yards of offense, led in time of possession, and held the Eagles to 2 points and just 213 yards of offense.