Making the grade: Duke football vs. Virginia Tech

It wasn't pretty, but Duke is going bowling for the second straight year. The Blue Devils barely scratched by then-No. 16 Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va, earning their sixth victory of the season 13-10. Despite a subpar performance from the offense, the defense and special teams carried Duke to victory, its first win against a ranked opponent on the road in more than 40 years.

Offense: D-

Pass: It's easy to overlook that the offense was abysmal for the majority of the game—especially quarterback Anthony Boone and the passing attack. Boone managed merely 107 yards on 7-of-25 passing in the game. He threw four interceptions on the day, the same number as Hokie counterpart Logan Thomas, yet Thomas managed 21 completions for 214 yards in the air. Boone simply looked out of sync, overthrowing wide receiver Jamison Crowder multiple times. The Blue Devils did just enough in the air to move the ball at crucial times, but by no means was this passing attack what we've come to expect from a David Cutcliffe squad.

Rush: Not much was happening on the ground either. Duke's leading rusher was Boone who had a nine-yard run for the Blue Devils sole touchdown of the day in the third quarter. Boone and running back Jela Duncan combined for 82 yards on the ground on 18 attempts to account for the majority of Duke's rushing attack. The single most important play of the game came from backup quarterback Brandon Connette, who on a fourth-and-1 took the snap, spun around two defenders, and dove for the first down which sealed Duke's victory. Despite a couple bright moments, the running game for the Blue Devils was subpar at best.

X's and O's: Duke's offense just looked bad against the high caliber defense of Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils failed to convert a single third down in the game on 11 attempts and barely managed to complete Connette's fourth down run that sealed the game. Duke scratched by the Hokies this week relying heavily on the defense and special teams to win the game. Moving forward, the offense will need to contribute more, especially if the Blue Devils want to take a step forward from simply making a bowl game.

Defense: A+

Pass: Everyone on the defense deserves a moment of recognition. These columns have often pointed out the deficiencies in pass coverage and pressure on the quarterback, but this week was the exception. Led by linebacker Kelby Brown, who had 14 tackles and an interception on his way to winning the National Defensive Player of the Week award, the Blue Devil defense was exceptional. Thomas threw four interceptions in the game in pivotal moments. One of the more spectacular picks came from cornerback Ross Cockrell, who made a diving interception in the end zone, which kept the Hokies from taking a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. The effort and results in pressure situations were simply exceptional for the pass defense Saturday.

Rush: The rush defense was strong for Duke overall. Thomas' large frame was difficult to bring down. He ran the ball more than any other Hokie, including for Virginia Tech's sole touchdown. The Blue Devils did just enough to hold the Hokies in check despite 46 rushing attempts and nearly 40 minutes of ball possession on the part of Virginia Tech's offense. Duke made the plays it needed to, bending but not allowing the Hokies to break out for large gains on the ground.

X's and O's: This game was not about the numbers for the defense. Yes, the Blue Devils gave up nearly 400 yards of offense. However, that was not the story. Duke came through when it needed to most and kept Virginia Tech to a paltry 10-point performance. Interceptions and key stops on third and fourth down sealed the game for the Blue Devils. The defense looked crisp. There was solid run defense and pass coverage with strong play on the line. If Duke keeps this trend of grind-it-out defense alive for the remainder of the season, expect more positive results.

Special Team: A

In combination with the defense, special teams won the game for Duke. Kicker Ross Martin connected on two 50-plus yard field goals in the second quarter to give Duke a 6-0 lead. On the defensive side, the Blue Devils put enough pressure on Hokie kicker Cody Journell to force him to miss two important field goal attempts from inside 45 yards. Duke won the game by kicking and playing defense well, displaying strength in more areas than throwing the ball downfield.