RALEIGH - Anyone expecting another lackluster offensive effort by Duke was completely mistaken. Duke (0-10, 0-7 in the ACC) had totalled only 17 first-half points in their first nine games, but scored 21 Saturday against N.C. State (6-3, 3-3).
But it was the Wolfpack who needed the game to ensure a Peach Bowl invitation, and an 80-yard game-winning touchdown drive that concluded with 32 seconds left gave N.C. State a 35-31 victory in front of 51,500 fans at Carter-Finley Stadium.
"It was a game of big plays on both sides and they came up with a few more than we did," coach Carl Franks said. "They have been in more close games than we have, and they know how to get the win. We need to figure out how to get over that hump."
It was a day of surprises for the Blue Devils, starting with Duke quarterback D Bryant. Bryant threw for a career-best 23 completions and 310 yards, and he broke a Duke record by completing 16 consecutive passes. Bryant also threw for three touchdowns in the first half, one less than Duke has thrown for all season.
"It looked easy and it felt easy, so that must be a sign that I'm getting better," Bryant said.
But there was still evidence that the quarterback, now with five starts to his name, had a long way to go.
"When we kept running those reverses, those weren't supposed to be reverses," Bryant said. "We ran it about three times and I kept seeing it as a reverse, I don't know why."
As an example of how good an inexperienced quarterback can be, Duke needed to look no farther than the opposing sideline. While Bryant was only 5-of-13 in the second half, N.C. State's Philip Rivers was 23-of-33 for 239 yards. All told, the freshman QB threw for a career-best 413 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a seven-yard scramble-all this despite being constantly harassed by Duke's defense and not having a running game.
The
"We blitzed almost every play," outside linebacker Kendral Knight said. "We just tried to put pressure on a young quarterback, make him make bad decisions."
Still, when N.C. State was able to pick up the blitz, it was rewarded with its biggest plays. The Wolfpack had touchdown passes of 58, 36 and 42 yards, and wide receiver Koren Robinson finished with seven catches for 156 yards. Duke was also hurt by the absence of linebacker Todd DeLamielleure, who leads the team with 78 tackles but was out with a rib injury.
It was Duke which had the first big play-a 67-yard reception by Mike Hart that led to Duke's first touchdown. Rivers countered with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Robinson, but the Blue Devils responded with a 10-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a Kyle Moore touchdown to put Duke back in the lead.
The Blue Devils came back for a third time in the half with under a minute to go. A pass interference penalty brought the ball to the Wolfpack 31, but two penalties moved the offense backwards. It was a typical drive in the game, as the two teams combined for 25 penalties and almost 200 penalty yards. Bryant then evaded two defenders and found Moore in the endzone for a second time in the quarter, putting Duke in the lead at halftime 21-17.
The inspired effort made an impression on the opposing sideline.
"You have to tip your hats to Duke," N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. "Carl Franks is a good coach with a smart offensive mind. But their kids being 0-9 came in here and played like they were 9-0, which is a great tribute to the coaching staff to get them ready under that adversity."
After the break, Duke continued where it left off. After the defense stopped N.C. State, freshman
But Duke's lead would not last through the end of the quarter. On the Wolfpack's ensuing drive, N.C. State converted on three third downs before finally stalling at the three-yard line. When Duke got the ball back, Franks took a chance by going on fourth-and-2 from State's 43, but Bryant fumbled the snap. The Wolfpack needed only five plays to capitalize, and the two-point conversion tied the game at 28.
"I didn't get the snap up," center Troy Andrews said. "It's a lapse in my procedure and the way I play."
Still, Duke did not give up, and used a 17-play drive that ended with a Garber field goal to take its first fourth-quarter lead of the season at 31-28.
"Our guys are pretty resilient," Franks said. "They're not going to hang it up and quit. You're going to have your back against the wall a bunch of times in your life, and you're not going to just sit there and let them keep shooting at you. You're going to fight your way out of it."
Duke had a reprieve when tight end Andy Vanderveer fumbled at the Duke 20, but it was not so fortunate on N.C. State's last possession.
"You can tell from [the Wolfpack's] drive in the last two minutes of the game, it's obvious they've had game situations," said freshman linebacker J.T. Cape. "You can practice two-minute drills all day, but without being in an actual game situation it's hard."
The Wolfpack had already been involved in three overtime games this season, while the Blue Devils had only played in one contest decided by fewer than 10 points.
This was the third straight game in the series decided in the last minute.
"I've come close three years in a row now," Andrews said. "It's tough to swallow. But hey, we fought hard, they fought hard, and that's football-whoever fights harder wins."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.