After registering a career-high 109 rushing yards and four touchdown passes—not to mention running in the game-winning two-point conversion—it's safe to say Thomas Sirk had a pretty good Saturday.
The rest of the league took notice of the first-year starter's performance in a hostile Virginia Tech environment, tabbing Sirk as the ACC Offensive Back of the Week. The Glen St. Mary, Fla., native's first weekly honors give Duke 21 honorees in the past 22 weeks in which it has played.
With the Hokies loading the box to stop the run, Sirk found space on several designed runs up the middle and to the edge. The redshirt junior received several nice blocks from his running backs—who had a tougher time solving the Virginia Tech defense, save for a 58-yard touchdown burst by Shaun Wilson—and was able to keep Duke ahead of the chains for much of the game.
Sirk's shifty run on the game's final play marked Duke's second straight overtime game that has ended with Sirk in the end zone and the Blue Devils ahead on the scoreboard. He plowed in from a few yards out to give Duke a 51-45 road win at Pittsburgh last November.
The No. 22 Blue Devils will look to stay unbeaten in ACC play when they host Miami Saturday at 7 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium before looming showdown with North Carolina and the Panthers, both of whom are also unbeaten in conference action.
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