Duke's Difficult Season Continues With Loss At Wake Forest

The 2019 season has been a difficult one for Duke and it continued in their most recent game in Winston Salem against Wake Forest dropping them to 4-7 on the season while losing their fifth straight game.

The Blue Devils led 10-3 early in the second quarter but saw the Demon Deacons score 17 straight points to create a gap between the teams. Duke battled back to take the 27-26 lead midway through the fourth quarter after redshirt sophomore Damond Philyaw-Johnson ran back his second kickoff return for a touchdown of the game. Unfortunately, Wake Forest responded with a 14-yard rushing score to pull in front 32-27. The Blue Devils were never able to recover. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/11/23/football-duke-drops-contest-39-27-at-wake-forest.aspx

Philyaw-Johnson made Duke history Saturday after he found paydirt twice on kickoff returns to become the first Blue Devil to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a single game. He also is just the second player in ACC history to return two kickoffs for a touchdown in a game (Justin Miller, Clemson vs. Florida State in 2004). “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/11/23/football-duke-drops-contest-39-27-at-wake-forest.aspx

The Pensacola, Fla., native's touchdown in the first quarter got Duke on the board as he returned the kick 97 yards for the Blue Devils' first kickoff return since Shaun Wilson (96 yards) did so at Notre Dame on Sept. 24, 2016. His second return of 98 yards was the 10th-longest kickoff return for a touchdown in program lore. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/11/23/football-duke-drops-contest-39-27-at-wake-forest.aspx

Redshirt senior quarterback Quentin Harris finished the game 14-of-23 for 163 yards and one score. Mataeo Durant led the Blue Devils running game with 71 yards on seven carries. Noah Gray was Duke's top receiver with a career-high seven catches for 76 yards and one touchdown. Jalon Calhoun and Darryl Harding Jr. followed closely with 33 and 22 yards, respectively. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/11/23/football-duke-drops-contest-39-27-at-wake-forest.aspx

On the defensive side of the ball, Duke had four players register double figure tackles in a game for the first time this season. Marquis Waters posted a team-best 13 tackles. Waters' final tackles total marked his first game this year with double digit takedowns and the second of his career. Koby Quansah, Dylan Singleton and Shaka Heyward also recorded double figure tackles with 12, 11, and 11, in the contest, respectively. Quansah's performance lifted him over the 100+ tackles and 10.0+ tackles for loss threshold on the season. “according to https://goduke.com/news/2019/11/23/football-duke-drops-contest-39-27-at-wake-forest.aspx

While Duke lost yet another game Wake Forest got another win and improved to 8-3 on the season.

– Behind a season-high 334 rushing yards, Wake Forest defeated in-state rival Duke 39-27 on Senior Night at BB&T Field. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Following wins over North Carolina and NC State earlier this season, the Demon Deacons won the Big Four Championship for the first time since 2007 and the eighth time in school history. Wake Forest improved to 30-18 against Big Four opponents since 2001. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

In a game which featured a rain-soaked first half, the Demon Deacons (8-3, 4-3 ACC) used a balanced ground attack while limiting the Blue Devils (4-7, 2-5 ACC) to only 290 total yards. Behind quarterback Jamie Newman who rushed 29 times for 144 yards and a touchdown, Wake Forest's ground attack featured Kenneth Walker who had 113 yards on the ground and Cade Carney who tallied 71 yards rushing. Each recorded a rushing touchdown in the win. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Wide receiver Kendall Hinton recorded six catches for 189 yards and a touchdown as Newman had 284 yards passing on the day. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

How It Happened:
Nick Sciba started the scoring with a 38-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter. Duke countered with a 97-yard kickoff return from AJ Reed as the Blue Devils led 7-3 heading into the second quarter. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

After a Duke field goal put the Blue Devils up 10-3, Newman led the Demon Deacons on a 70-yard touchdown drive which included a 42-yard keeper from the quarterback to tie the game up. The score was the longest touchdown run of Newman's career. Sciba kicked a 34-yard field goal late in the quarter as the Demon Deacons led 13-10 at halftime. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Wake Forest came out of the locker room firing in the third quarter as Newman hit Hinton for a 62-yard touchdown pass. Duke kicked a field goal later in the quarter followed later in the third quarter by a 44-yard field goal from Sciba. It was the 31st consecutive field goal for Sciba which set the NCAA record dating back to the 1981-82 season. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Trailing the Demon Deacons 23-13 to start the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils scored a 23-yard touchdown making it a one-possession game. Sciba tacked on his fourth field goal of the game midway through the quarter extending his own NCAA record to 32 consecutive field goals made. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Duke scored on a 98-yard kickoff return on the following play as the Blue Devils took a 27-26 lead however Wake Forest struck back quickly. Newman hit Hinton for a 57-yard pass on the second play of the drive which put the Demon Deacons down on the Duke 14-yard line. Kenneth Walker then powered his way into the endzone for a 32-27 Wake Forest lead. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Later in the quarter, Carney bulldozed his way to the endzone on an 18-yard carry as Wake Forest closed out the game for the 39-27 victory. “according to https://godeacs.com/news/2019/11/23/football-wake-forest-rushes-past-duke-39-27.aspx

Duke will try to end their season on a high note Saturday when they host Miami for senior day.