Eron Riley walked over to sections 20-23 in Wallace Wade Stadium after the Blue Devils' win over Navy, the students chanting his name in the sweltering heat.
But they weren't just honoring him for his statistical dominance, or the fact that he and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis became the most prolific scoring tandem in school history. Rather, Riley was a crucial part of something bigger-the Blue Devils' second victory of the year.
"It's a great feeling," Riley said of the postgame celebration. "I haven't had that feeling too many times before this, so just to have the student section rooting for you and behind you all the way is a great feeling to have."
The senior wide receiver finished the contest with 137 yards and three touchdowns. He got Duke on the board early, catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Lewis on third-and-12 during the Blue Devils' first possession.
It was Duke's third third-down conversion of the drive-the first of those coming on a completion to Riley on third-and-12, as well-setting a trend for the rest of the afternoon. The Blue Devils converted 10-of-16 third downs for the game.
Riley's second touchdown came on third-and-goal from the five-yard line and put his team back in front midway through the third quarter. Lewis rolled right off a play-action fake and delivered it to Riley just before getting hit. Riley spun past a Navy defender, then barely extended the ball over the goal line to give Duke a three-point lead.
Once again, scoring a touchdown on third down provided an enormous lift for the Blue Devils-and the Midshipmen noticed.
"That's the first thing I said [to Riley after the game]-'You do your thing out there,'" Navy wide receiver Tyree Barnes said. "They're very confident. I feel the same way with [quarterbacks] Kaipo[-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada] and Jarod [Bryant]. I feel if they throw me the ball, I'm going to catch it, and I'm pretty sure they feel the same way."
As impressive as Riley's first two touchdowns were, the final one may have been the most important of all. Riley had a chance to show off his speed, which he said he doesn't get to do very often, by catching a 10-yard dig and then sprinting down the right sideline for a 49-yard score that put the Blue Devils up 41-31 in the fourth quarter.
That touchdown had a larger significance than giving Duke the game-winning 10-point lead, though. It had historical implications as well. With it, Lewis and Riley took possession of first place for a quarterback-receiver duo in program history with 17 career touchdowns.
"Going into the game, I didn't know anything about that," Riley said. "It feels good to break a record, but at the same point, it's better to get a win."
And that was the biggest difference from last year's game in Annapolis, when Riley exploded for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He had touchdown receptions of 76, 35 and 69 yards in that contest, but he didn't score in the fourth quarter.
Navy outscored Duke 14-0 in the final period, clinching a 46-43 comeback victory.
This year, however, Riley executed in the clutch, paving the way for another Blue Devil win. Especially considering Duke's struggles running the ball, Riley's production in the passing game was even more crucial.
"They did a lot of unorthodox things up front, which made it difficult to run the ball," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "But as it showed, it left them very susceptible to the pass, and Eron's our middle-of-the-field guy.
"A lot of good things in that regard are going to happen when a team plays like Navy plays."
Good things have happened for Riley for two straight years now. And both times, the big target has been a big help for his quarterback.
"I love Eron," Lewis said. "It definitely makes things a lot easier when you throw a 10-yard dig and he turns it into a 50-yard touchdown. It makes life a lot easier for me."
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