Duke Bounces Back In Home Opener As They Beat NC A &T
After getting blown out by Alabama in Atlanta Duke returned to Durham and bounced back winning their home opener by a score of 45-13.
With the win the Blue Devils extended their home-opening winning streak to eight consecutive and improve to 10-2 in home openers under head coach David Cutcliffe. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
Redshirt senior Quentin Harris finished 30-of-42 for 345 yards and four passing touchdowns, while carrying the ball 13 times for 83 yards and an additional score. The Wilton, Conn., native went 21-of-29 for 254 yards through the air in the opening half alone. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
Three of Duke's five touchdowns on the night were first career scores. Jalon Calhoun (2), Mataeo Durant and Eli Pancol all found the end zone to hand them No. 1 on their career TDs chart. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
Defensively the Blue Devils were led by Dylan Singleton, who racked up an impressive nine tackles. Koby Quansah, Brandon Hill, and Victor Dimukeje chipped in with five, four and four take downs, respectively. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
The Aggies jumped on the scoreboard early in the opening period after converting on a 40-yard field goal. Duke responded by scoring their first touchdown of the year to jump in front 7-3. The Blue Devils watched Harris and Calhoun connect on a 38-yard score on the play. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
North Carolina A&T used a 66-touchdown yard run by Jeremiah Martin early in the second quarter though to put Duke on its heels. The Blue Devils went unfazed however as they recorded three-straight scores within a little over a three-minute span to break the game open at 28-10. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
The three consecutive scores started after Duke sophomore Durant marched into the end zone on a 22-yard touchdown catch-and-go for the Blue Devils' second TD of the game. Leonard Johnson then broke up a pass to force a fumble on the Aggies' next possession. Singleton fell on the loose ball to put the Blue Devils in great scoring position. On the first play after the turnover, Duke found an additional six as Harris connected with Pancol for a 39-yard touchdown. The Duke Blue and White closed out the half with one final touchdown following a six-yard scamper by Harris.”according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
The Blue Devils added an additional 10 points in the third quarter following a career-long 50-yard field goal by AJ Reed and another Harris-to-Calhoun touchdown connection. Defensively, redshirt freshman Rocky Shelton II recorded a blocked North Carolina A&T punt, the first for his young Duke career. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
Sophomore Durant cashed in one more time when he rushed for one yard for his second touchdown of the evening to extend Duke's lead to what ended up being the final score of 45-13.”according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
To close out the night, the Duke defense forced a second fumble on the Aggies. Tre Hornbuckle stripped the ball and Shelton gathered it to give the Blue Devils back possession. “according https://goduke.com/news/2019/9/7/football-blue-devils-top-aggies-in-home-opener.aspx
Meanwhile NC A &T had a setback in this game.
When you have the type of success the North Carolina A&T program has had over the past decade it is easy to forget the team that defeated them 45-13 on Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium is from a Power Five conference called the ACC and their name is Duke. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
While not the in the elite category of their men’s basketball team, the Blue Devils have won three straight bowl games, had a quarterback drafted in the top-10 of the NFL Draft last spring and they have all the advantages that come with being Duke. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Despite being major underdogs on Saturday, however, the Aggies did take the lead twice before the final three minutes of the second half derailed any hopes they had of upsetting the Blue Devils. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
“Our young men didn’t quit, and they kept playing,” said N.C. A&T coach Sam Washington. “You have to understand, that’s a Power Five football team. But heck, we were in it for a long time, and I thought we still had a shot in the second half. There is a lot to be said about these young men and where we are. There are just things we need to do better and do them consistently.” “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
N.C. A&T scored the first points of the game after stopping the Blue Devils on 4th-and-1 from the Duke 40-yard line. Seven plays later, junior placekicker Noel Ruiz booted a 40-yard field goal to give the Aggies a 3-0 first-quarter lead with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter. “according to N.C. A&T scored the first points of the game after stopping the Blue Devils on 4th-and-1 from the Duke 40-yard line. Seven plays later, junior placekicker Noel Ruiz booted a 40-yard field goal to give the Aggies a 3-0 first-quarter lead with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Duke took their first lead 75 seconds later as Quentin Harris took advantage of an Aggies defensive back falling to connect with Jalon Calhoun for a 38-yard touchdown pass. N.C. A&T, who came into the game with three wins over Division I-FBS programs in three years, started to give the Aggie faithful hope they would take down the biggest giant of them all as junior running back Jah-Maine Martin ran 66 yards for a touchdown to give the Aggies a 10-7 lead four minutes into the second quarter. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
It looked as if the Aggies would have the halftime lead because they still held the same four-point lead with 6 ½ minutes to play in the first half. But Harris and the Blue Devils took over at their own 19 and drove the ball 81 yards over nine plays. The drive ended with Harris finding a wide-open Mateo Durant in the end zone to give the Blue Devils a 14-10 lead with 3:10 to play in the first half. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
A fumble on the first play of the Aggies next possession kept Duke’s momentum going. Duke recovered Elijah Bell’s fumble at the Aggies 39. On the next play, Harris connected with Eli Pancol for a 39-yard touchdown pass to put Duke ahead by 11. An Aggies three-and-out allowed the Blue Devils to get one more possession before the end of the half. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Duke turned that into a six-play, 43-yard drive that took only 1:23 off the clock as Harris scored on a six-yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils a 28-10 halftime lead. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
“I thought it was a tale of two big plays in that second quarter,” said Washington. “I thought we had a good game plan and I thought the young men were executing that game plan. But the turnover took away “big mo.””according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500’
It gave them life, it gave them hope and they capitalized on it. Give them credit,” Washington concluded. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
The Aggies added another Ruiz field goal, a 36-yarder, to pull the Aggies to within 18 at 31-13 with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter. But the Blue Devils (1-1) scored another touchdown late in the third quarter to put the game away. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Martin led the Aggies with 82 yards rushing and a touchdown on 10 carries. Defensively, sophomore Joseph Stuckey led the Aggies with 15 tackles followed by senior Antoine Wilder who had 14, junior Alex Fumbah with 13 and sophomore Kyin Howard finished with 11. Bell moved into second place all-time on the Aggies receiving yards list passing Wallace Miles to finish the game with 2,270 career receiving yards. He only needs 33 more yards to become the school's all-time leader. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Duke took their first lead 75 seconds later as Quentin Harris took advantage of an Aggies defensive back falling to connect with Jalon Calhoun for a 38-yard touchdown pass. N.C. A&T, who came into the game with three wins over Division I-FBS programs in three years, started to give the Aggie faithful hope they would take down the biggest giant of them all as junior running back Jah-Maine Martin ran 66 yards for a touchdown to give the Aggies a 10-7 lead four minutes into the second quarter. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
It looked as if the Aggies would have the halftime lead because they still held the same four-point lead with 6 ½ minutes to play in the first half. But Harris and the Blue Devils took over at their own 19 and drove the ball 81 yards over nine plays. The drive ended with Harris finding a wide-open Mateo Durant in the end zone to give the Blue Devils a 14-10 lead with 3:10 to play in the first half. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
A fumble on the first play of the Aggies next possession kept Duke’s momentum going. Duke recovered Elijah Bell’s fumble at the Aggies 39. On the next play, Harris connected with Eli Pancol for a 39-yard touchdown pass to put Duke ahead by 11. An Aggies three-and-out allowed the Blue Devils to get one more possession before the end of the half. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Duke turned that into a six-play, 43-yard drive that took only 1:23 off the clock as Harris scored on a six-yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils a 28-10 halftime lead. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
“I thought it was a tale of two big plays in that second quarter,” said Washington. “I thought we had a good game plan and I thought the young men were executing that game plan. But the turnover took away “big mo.” “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500’
It gave them life, it gave them hope and they capitalized on it. Give them credit,” Washington concluded. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
The Aggies added another Ruiz field goal, a 36-yarder, to pull the Aggies to within 18 at 31-13 with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter. But the Blue Devils (1-1) scored another touchdown late in the third quarter to put the game away. “according http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Martin led the Aggies with 82 yards rushing and a touchdown on 10 carries. Defensively, sophomore Joseph Stuckey led the Aggies with 15 tackles followed by senior Antoine Wilder who had 14, junior Alex Fumbah with 13 and sophomore Kyin Howard finished with 11. Bell moved into second place all-time on the Aggies receiving yards list passing Wallace Miles to finish the game with 2,270 career receiving yards. He only needs 33 more yards to become the school's all-time leader. “according to http://www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=593291&SPID=74503&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211811094&DB_OEM_ID=24500
Duke will now hit the road for their first true road game of the season next Saturday when they visit Middle Tennessee.