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  • Duke Football Dominates Boston College From Start To Finish In A 47-2 Blowout

Duke Football Dominates Boston College From Start To Finish In A 47-2 Blowout

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Football

DURHAM, N.C. – A school-record five rushing touchdowns from sophomore Nate Sheppard plus a dominant defense led Duke to a 47-2 victory against Boston College on Saturday inside Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

With the victory, Duke (6-2, 3-2 ACC) earned bowl eligibility for the fifth consecutive season.

Duke's defense held the Eagles to zero-for-six on third downs in the opening 30 minutes and Sheppard punched in scores from one, two and 54 yards. Tight end Jeremiah Hasley added his first score of the season on a five-yard pass from Walker Eget to give the Blue Devils a comfortable lead of 27-2 at the half. Sheppard added two more ground scores on the opening two drives of the second half for the school record. 

The Blue Devil defense finished with 11.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and nine quarterback pressures while holding the Eagles to just 213 total yards. Boston College's two points were the fewest by a Duke opponent in conference play since a 41-0 victory by the Blue Devils over North Carolina on Nov. 18, 1989. Duke's 45-point win is its second-largest margin of victory in ACC play since it joined the league in 1953.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Following opening-possession punts from both squads, Duke covered 80 yards on 10 plays on its second drive and took a 7-0 lead with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Nate Sheppard. A season-long 44-yard reception by Javen Nicholas on third-and-five aided the drive. 
  • A six-yard sack by Kobe Smith and an 18-yard punt return by KD Cotton set up the Blue Devils at the Boston College 35-yard line and Sheppard's second TD of the opening quarter. CJ Campbell got Duke to the Boston College 18-yard line before a pass interference call moved the ball to the three-yard line. Two Sheppard runs later, it was 13-0 Duke. Boston College returned an unsuccesful PAT attempt for two points, making it a 13-2 scoreline at the 3:34 mark of the first quarter. 
  • Sheppard added a career-long TD run of 54 yards with 9:06 remaining in the opening half to push Duke's lead to 20-2. 
  • The Blue Devils capped their first half scoring with a five-yard TD strike from Walker Eget to Jeremiah Hasley with 2:14 to go. Consecutive completions by Eget of 32 yards and 31 yards to Sheppard and Jaivon Solomon, respectively, helped move Duke down the field during the drive.
  • After forcing Boston College into a three-and-out, Sheppard scored his fourth touchdown of the game with a four-yard burst at the 10:41 mark of the third quarter. A 32-yard Hasley snag and a roughing the passer penalty moved Duke to the BC six-yard line to set up Sheppard. 
  • Sheppard added his school-record fifth rushing score of the game with a one-yard blast with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter. 
  • Duke completed the scoring in the fourth quarter with a pair of field goals by Gavin Strange, including a career-long 41-yarder.

UP NEXT
Duke travels to NC State next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. kick on The CW.