The sobering result of Saturday's game was all too familiar for the Blue Devils, but the inability to keep the score close seemed to be an even more crushing setback for a team that has been competitive for most of the season.
After establishing a 13-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game, the then-No. 12 Hokies made an assortment of big plays on special teams that propelled them to a 43-14 domination of Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium.
"We've been doing pretty good as a ball team of fighting, fighting, fighting every week, but this week we didn't fight," defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase said. "They're a great team on special teams, and that's what I think really got us today. We had our backs to the wall too many times as a defense, and as an offense we didn't score as many points as we needed to."
After staying competitive deep into their three most recent games and only losing by narrow margins of 3, 10 and 5 points, respectively, the Blue Devils never really threatened Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-0 in the ACC). Duke (1-6, 0-4) scored its first points on a 1-yard Thaddeus Lewis quarterback sneak that capped off an 11-play, 71-yard drive. The touchdown left the Blue Devils behind by only six points with a minute remaining in the first quarter, but the Hokies went on to score 30 unanswered points. Duke's only other score-a 19-yard Brandon King touchdown reception-came in the fourth quarter with the game already well out of reach at 43-7.
"That was a great drive, one of the best we've had all season," running back Re'quan Boyette said of Duke's first scoring drive. "We ran down the score, but for some reason, we got the ball back, and we couldn't capitalize on them again."
One area that plagued Duke Saturday was its special teams unit. Although the Hokies didn't come close to repeating their three-touchdown kick-return performance from last week at Clemson, they were spectacular in coverage, as they took advantage of poor execution by the Blue Devils. Kick returner Jabari Marshall fumbled two kickoffs-both of which were recovered by Virginia Tech. As a result, head coach Ted Roof pulled Marshall from the game and replaced him with running back Ronnie Drummer for the opening kickoff of the second half.
"We have worked and worked and worked with [Marshall] on ball security, and we've just got to continue to work to get that done," Roof said.
Duke's punting unit also struggled Saturday. Punter Kevin Jones averaged a mere 35.1 yards on his kicks, and Virginia Tech added a block on a Jones punt in the second quarter. That play gave them possession of the ball on the Duke 2-yard line and led to an easy Branden Ore touchdown run the very next play.
"We worked all week long about not making mistakes in the kicking game and taking care of the football," Roof said. "You can't do that against Virginia Tech. You can't fumble the ball on kickoff returns. You can't let them block a punt...because they're good enough as it is without helping them."
Even when Virginia Tech lost starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor early in the second quarter to a high ankle sprain, the Blue Devils struggled to stop the Hokies. Quarterback Sean Glennon, who lost his starting job after Virginia Tech's 48-7 loss Sept. 8 to LSU, stepped in for Taylor and gave Duke's secondary fits. Glennon finished the game with 258 yards in the air and two touchdowns, eluding Duke pass rushers on a number of his 16 completions.
"Glennon came in and provided a spark for them and threw the ball very well," Roof said. "A couple of times, I thought we had him for sacks and let him slip away, and we've got to make those plays."
The environment surrounding Duke's homecoming game was even tilted in favor of the visitors. Wallace Wade might as well have been dubbed "Lane Stadium South," as around 10,000 Hokies fans clad in maroon and orange filled the visiting team sections of the stadium. The Virginia Tech supporters easily outnumbered Duke fans and loudly chanted "Let's Go Hokies" as the final quarter began.
"It was hard not to hear it," Boyette said of the Hokie-friendly cheering. "They always bring a great crowd, but that didn't have anything to do with how we played."
With a bye-week ahead before their Oct. 27 game at Florida State, the Blue Devils will have some extra time to evaluate what they can do to prevent another poor showing against a talented foe in the Seminoles.
"We've got five games left," Roof said. "We've got to be smart with what we're doing, but at the same time do a very in-depth, self-scout of what we're doing bad and what we're doing good."
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