Extra Point: Duke football vs. Virginia

The Blue Devils got another gritty performance from their defense on their way to a 20-13 Homecoming win against Virginia that made Duke bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. The Blue Devils broke a 13-13 tie midway through the fourth quarter on a Thomas Sirk jump pass and were able to get the stops they needed to climb to the top of the Coastal Division standings.

Revisting the three keys to the game:

• More production from the passing game: Quarterback Anthony Boone had a better day in the air than he had against Georgia Tech, accumulating 176 yards and a touchdown and completing 22 of his 37 attempts. The Weddington, N.C., native got off to a strong start and did most of his damage in the first half, going 16-of-21 for 125 yards and one touchdown. Although there was not much production through the air in the second half, the Blue Devils got All-ACC wideout Jamison Crowder and Issac Blakeney 14 touches, which bodes well as Duke tries to eclipse the 200-yard passing mark for the first time in more than a month.
• Stop the run: The Blue Devils kept Kevin Parks in check, holding him to a respectable 75 yards on 16 carries, only one of which was for more than 20 yards, and no touchdowns. Parks was hot entering the game, having just come off a performance against Pittsburgh in which he rushed for a career-high 169 yards, but Duke’s defense was formidable and swarmed to the ball like it did last week against the Yellow Jackets. Due in part to the play of cornerbacks Breon Borders and Bryon Fields, Duke was able to contain the outside run, and not let Parks gain large chunks of yardage for the Cavaliers. As a team, Virginia only rushed for 144 yards, a great sign for a Blue Devil defense that allowed more than 200 yards in its previous four contests.
• Better second half production: In the second half, Duke scored only 10 points. Although 10 points was all the Blue Devils needed to win, more consistent offensive production could have been better. The Blue Devils went three-and-out on three of their five second half possessions, and made the game much closer than it needed to be when they failed to score a touchdown in the red zone early in the third quarter. Duke's defense has been outstanding late in games, but Boone and the offense might need to increase their production against stiffer competition as the season wears on.

Three key plays:

• With 9:30 left in the opening quarter, Boone found tight end Erich Schneider for a touchdown on a play-action pass. The one-yard touchdown was the end result of Duke’s opening drive, and set the tone of the game. The Blue Devils' first touchdown came after an opening defensive stop and allowed Duke to punch first in the decisive Coastal Division matchup.
• In the second quarter, Virginia kicker Ian Frye missed a 52-yard attempt wide-right. Had he made this field goal, Virginia would have tied the game at 10 on a huge play because of the rarity of such long field goals in college football. The kick would have shifted momentum in favor of the Cavaliers right before the half, and may have changed the outcome of the game entirely. The miss by Frye kept the score 10-7, with the Blue Devils ahead, and gave the defense a much needed stop. The Cavaliers still managed to tie the game at 10 going into the locker room, but they could have taken the lead for the first time on their next possession if Frye had been able to give a better effort.
• With 7:27 left in the game, Duke had the ball facing second and goal at the Virginia three-yard line. In came Sirk under center, with Boone lining up wide as a wide receiver. The 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore faked like he was going to run up the middle like he usually does in the Blue Devil goal-line package before lobbing a jump pass to a wide-open David Reeves in the back of the end zone. The touchdown gave Duke a 20-13 lead, which the Blue Devils preserved en route to a victory.

Three key stats:

• Three penalties for 30 yards: The Blue Devils played technically sound football, only being called for three penalties in the entire game, which accounted for just 30 yards given up. This is the least amount of penalties and penalty yardage Duke has given up all year. The Blue Devils' discipline allowed it to control most of the game despite giving up 465 yards of offense.
• Zero turnovers for Duke to one for Virginia: It is a cliche, but whoever wins the turnover battle usually wins the game. The Blue Devils had zero turnovers for the first time this season in ACC play, and were able to recover a fumble by Virginia receiver Miles Gooch on the game's opening possession. Coming across the middle, Gooch was hit hard by All-American safety Jeremy Cash, and dropped the ball, which defensive end Jonathan Jones then recovered. On the resulting drive, Duke put the ball in the end zone for the first score of the game. Limiting turnovers and penalties will continue to be keys for the Blue Devils, who have established themselves as one of the most disciplined teams in the nation and as a squad that won't beat itself.
• No missed field goals: Kicker Ross Martin continues his unbelievable season for the Blue Devils, with yet another perfect day kicking the ball. Martin drilled two short, but very important field goals from 19 and 25 yards out to extend his streak of games without a field goal missed this season to seven. Duke’s all-time leading scorer has yet to miss this season and gives the Blue Devils a weapon very few teams can hang their hat on.

And the Duke game ball goes to… Shaquille Powell

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