Duke football upends Wake Forest to clinch share of Coastal Division title

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—It was not the start that they had hoped for, but the Blue Devils continue to finish games.

After going down 14-0 in the first quarter, No. 25 Duke recovered behind the play of quarterback Anthony Boone and stout fourth-quarter defense to defeat Wake Forest 28-21 at BB&T Field. With the win, the Blue Devils clinch at least a share of the ACC's Coastal Division title and have a nine-win season for the first time since 1941.

"I don't think I've been around a group of players that have committed to doing everything you ask them to do as well as this team," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "I'm just a little bit almost at a loss for words because the emotions are pretty strong of what those guys accomplished. The nine wins—72 years is a long time."

Boone completed 24-of-29 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, completing a string of 14 consecutive passes at one point. His favorite target was junior wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who reeled in 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon.

"This week our passing game really did it for us," Boone said. "Once you find a groove, it feels like you're out there routes versus air. Everything is smooth, and that's kind of what happened."

Shutting out Wake Forest (4-7, 2-6 in the ACC) in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils (9-2, 5-2) are now allowing an average of 3.1 points in the game's final period this season. Duke has outscored opponents 117-34 in the fourth quarter, and that plus-83 margin ranks best in the FBS.

"We're finishing," defensive end Kenny Anunike said. "Our defense may bend, but we never break. Yeah, they might score on us, but we're going to come back swinging."

The Blue Devils surrendered their first points of the game when wide receiver Issac Blakeney coughed up the football at the end of a 2-yard reception, and Wake Forest's Thomas Brown scooped it up and went 59 yards for a touchdown. The Demon Deacons would add to their lead when quarterback Tanner Price found Spencer Bishop for a 6-yard touchdown in the opening minute of the second quarter.

Duke's offense was anemic at the beginning of the game, as the Blue Devils gained just 55 yards on their first four offensive drives. After Boone and Brandon Connette took two series apiece at quarterback, Duke went with Boone as its primary option under center, and the offense finally found its rhythm.

"We tried to grind the run, and Nikita Whitlock did a great job of having pressure and getting into the backfield," Boone said. "We knew coming into this game he was going to be tough to block.... We found our way to catch a groove and that's where our offense got rolling."

Boone capped off two second-quarter scoring drives with touchdown passes to Crowder and Max McCaffrey to pull the Blue Devils even heading into halftime.

Price led a scoring drive for Wake Forest to start the third quarter, rumbling in from 12 yards out to give the Demon Deacons a lead. The Blue Devils have trailed in the second half in five of their last six games.

After Wake Forest's top corner, Merrill Noel, left the game with an ankle injury Duke mounted a quick response when Boone hit Crowder over the top on the next play for a 58-yard score, picking at backup Allen Ramsey II.

"We took advantage of an opportunity and answered, which was huge," Cutcliffe said. "When we called the deep ball, we had a reason for calling it. You don't know how happy I was that it worked."

A 3-yard touchdown run by Connette on the Blue Devils' next drive gave them a 28-21 advantage.

Duke's defense took over the game from there. With Wake Forest driving inside the red zone, the Blue Devils brought the blitz and got back-to-back sacks from Anunike to push the Demon Deacons out of field goal range and preserve the lead. After Duke's offense stalled on its next drive, a fumble recovery by Kelby Brown kept Wake Forest off the scoreboard.

A 47-yard field goal attempt by kicker Ross Martin was knocked down by the wind, but redshirt senior Ross Cockrell picked off Price as the Demon Deacons tried to tie the game, sealing the victory.

The Blue Devils will take on arch rival North Carolina next weekend in Chapel Hill with a chance to earn a trip to the ACC championship game to take on No. 2 Florida State. The Tar Heels posted a whopping 80 points through three quarters of action in a victory against Old Dominion Saturday.

"Every time we've won a game, obviously, the next one gets bigger, and the challenge gets bigger," Cutcliffe said. "And this will be our greatest challenge of the year coming forward."

Although Duke has at least a share of the division title firmly in tow, Boone said his team is far from finished.

"It means a lot, but none of us came here to share anything," he said.