NDL: S32W14 - Wake Forest (36) at Duke (29)
Deacons Send Devils Home Sad
Article By: In a hard-fought Tobacco Road showdown, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons held off the Duke Blue Devils, securing a 36–29 victory fueled by a balanced offensive attack and timely defensive plays.
Wake Forest jumped out to an early lead, scoring a touchdown in each of the first three quarters and then pulling away with 15 points in the fourth. Duke stayed close, rallying with 13 points in the second quarter and adding nine more in the fourth, but fell just short in a tightly contested game.
The offensive battle featured big yardage on both sides, with the Demon Deacons piling up 543 total yards—led by a strong passing game (310 yards) and solid rushing (152 yards). Duke was right behind with 462 total yards, powered by a slightly higher passing total of 317 yards and 102 rushing yards.
Wake Forest’s defense made the crucial difference, forcing four turnovers including three interceptions, while Duke managed just one turnover. This helped swing momentum in the Demon Deacons’ favor, especially down the stretch.
Third-down conversions told a stark story: Duke converted five of nine attempts while Wake Forest struggled to convert any of their nine. Despite this, Wake Forest capitalized on red zone opportunities, scoring touchdowns on four visits compared to Duke’s two.
Time of possession also leaned toward Duke, who controlled the ball for over 15 minutes in the second half compared to just under 13 minutes for Wake Forest, but turnovers and Wake Forest’s scoring efficiency made the difference.
Both teams displayed explosive plays, with significant punt and kick return yardage adding to the excitement, but in the end, the Demon Deacons’ opportunistic defense and consistent scoring was enough to hold off the Blue Devils in this fierce rivalry matchup.
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