While Duke football’s dreams came true by beating Clemson, Blue Devils insist they belong
The mayhem Duke caused in ACC football circles Monday night allowed DeWayne Carter to be equal parts reflective and defiant.
An all-ACC tackle in his third season as Blue Devils captain, his group played a large role in Duke’s 28-7 win over No. 9 Clemson.
He played on the final three Duke teams coached by David Cutcliffe, all of which turned in losing records, losing 13 consecutive ACC games during one horrid stretch.
So when asked if could have imagined manhandling a top-10 team and then celebrating as students stormed Wallace Wade Stadium’s field, Carter paused to think, cleared his throat and offered the truth.
“No,” Carter said with a chuckle. “Honestly, no. But it’s funny what happens when you wait it out and you are where you’re supposed to be.”
But don’t take Carter’s appreciation for the moment, for such a monumental accomplishment as his team achieved Monday night, as any sign the Blue Devils weren’t worthy. Duke clearly was, shutting the Tigers out after halftime, forcing three turnovers, blocking two field goals.
“We work out in the summer, too,” Carter said. “We condition, too. At the end of the day, it’s about who wants it more on that field.”
Duke dominant
In the finale of college football’s first full weekend of games, the Blue Devils showed they were that team. Clemson has recent national championships while dominating the ACC for the majority of the last decade.
But it was Duke which tackled better on defense and took advantage of its chances on offense in an imperfect but resounding performance.
“What an amazing atmosphere that was for Duke football,” Blue Devils coach Mike Elko said, after notching the program’s first win over a top-10 team since 1989. “I think that carried us, you know, at the times when we were having to really dig our heels in and find ways to make plays. Having that stadium look like that, having those people look like that, is something that continues to drive us.”
It helped that, while Duke’s defense came up big in red-zone situations, the Blue Devils had the better quarterback.
“I’m kind of at a loss for words right now,” Duke quarterback Riley Leonard said. “God is good and so is our defense. So super grateful to have those guys out there.”
Big-time plays from Duke QB
Leonard didn’t have eye-popping passing numbers, with 17 completions on 33 attempts for 175 yards. Most importantly, he didn’t take a sack, and he didn’t throw an interception.
But he did turn in some attention-grabbing runs, none bigger than his 44-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter that put Duke in front for good at 13-7.
Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter appeared to have Leonard stopped for a loss on the third-down run. But Leonard escaped then ran behind powerful downfield blocks from tight end Nicky Dalmolin and wide receiver Jordan Moore down the right sideline to the end zone.
Leonard averaged 12.3 yards on his eight carries to lead Duke with 98 rushing yards. In addition to that touchdown, he gained 12 yards on a third-and-10 play in the first half.
On the first play of the second half, after Duke had squandered a chance for a field goal try and possibly the halftime lead when Jaquez Moore fumbled at the Clemson 28 with 10 seconds left in the second quarter, Leonard immediately restored faith with a 14-yard run.
It was later on that drive, on third down, that Leonard got loose for his touchdown run.
Carter, on the bench catching his breath on the muggy night, admitted he initially missed it.
“It was just fun to see it on replay,” Carter said.
A second-half shutout
Carter and the Blue Devils defense made sure Leonard’s touchdown was enough to fuel the upset. Duke added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, one on Jaquez Moore’s 9-yard run and the other on Jordan Waters’ 36-yard romp, but they only added to the stunning beatdown.
Duke did allow Clemson to gain 422 yards of total offense, with 209 through the air and 213 on the ground. It’s the first time in 109 games that Clemson has surpassed 200 yards in passing and rushing and lost the game.
So Carter and Duke’s defense have plenty to work on. But they tackled well to limit Clemson’s big plays and they made the biggest plays at crucial times to prevent the Tigers from scoring more than their second-quarter touchdown.
Just like that, the 9-4 record Duke posted last season appears within reach once again, even with more ranked teams like Notre Dame, Florida State and North Carolina ahead on Duke’s schedule.
“I think this game was very important to us because we didn’t play too many top teams in the country last year,” Leonard said. “So we didn’t really know where we were compared to them. But when we got out on that field, we quickly quickly realized that we can hang with these guys.”
The difference now is Duke is just as likely to be ranked when those games are played. It’s a new world but one the Blue Devils know they’ve worked hard enough to inhabit.
“For all the fan base to support us and storm the field,” Leonard said, “I mean, it’s something we’ve never experienced before as players. I’m so, so grateful to be in this situation and just be a part of the journey here.”
This story was originally published September 5, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "While Duke football’s dreams came true by beating Clemson, Blue Devils insist they belong."