DURHAM – An inauspicious start didn’t do much to deter Duke in a thorough 24-7 win against Virginia Tech on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke gave up a touchdown on the Hokies’ second play and that was all of the scoring for the visitors; Duke’s offense sputtered initially but took a lead halfway through the second quarter and put the game away with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

“Despite how the game started, I still feel like we were ready,” coach Mike Elko said. “We responded to a little bit of a slow start. … I thought defensively, we played our best effort of the year.”

Quarterback Riley Leonard accounted for all three of Duke’s touchdowns, two through the air to Nicky Dalmolin and Jontavis Robertson, and added a 5-yard touchdown run. Leonard threw for 262 yards, his most since the loss at Kansas in the fourth game of the season.

Duke (7-3, 4-2 ACC) guaranteed that it won’t have a losing record in league play for the first time since 2015, which is also the last time the Blue Devils won three straight ACC games. Securing the winning league record and a fourth win is the goal next weekend with a trip to Pittsburgh.

Elko said on Monday he felt some tightness from his team last weekend at Boston College, and that he felt it would dissipate with the Blue Devils notching bowl eligibility.

“Challenged the guys last week that we started this thing to become the best football team we could be this year and not just to become a bowl-eligible football team,” Elko said. “I thought they handled that challenge really well.”

Duke struggled to get its rushing game going in the first half. Of the Blue Devils’ 79 rushing yards in the first half, 30 came on scrambles by Leonard.

The numbers didn’t show it as much, but Duke’s rushing game got going more in the second half. The final tally was 162 yards on the ground — including 31 yards on the first three plays of Duke’s touchdown drive that made this a three-score game early in the fourth quarter.

“We had to win our matchups, that’s what it came down to,” Leonard said. “The O-line gave me as much time as I needed in the pocket to deliver the ball, and then our receivers were just out there making plays all day.”

That last part was never more evident on a couple of fourth down conversions, both of which preceded Leonard’s pair of touchdown passes.

Trailing 7-3 midway through the second quarter, and Leonard having been picked off at the 2-yard line on Duke’s previous possession, Duke kept the offense on the field for a fourth-and-7 from VT’s 37. Leonard threw a 13-yard pass Robertson.

On the next play, Leonard threw a dime to Dalmolin in the front corner of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.

In the fourth quarter and holding a 17-7 lead, Duke faced fourth-and-5 from VT’s 24. Under pressure, Leonard threw behind Jordan Moore, who made a one-handed catch reaching behind his body on a crossing route, picking up 18 yards in the process.

Leonard’s pass to Robertson in the end zone on the next play was good for a 6-yard touchdown and effectively iced the game, with the Blue Devils leading by three scores with 9:28 left.

“That was a great catch by Jordan,” Elko said. “It wasn’t the best ball and he was able to make a great catch on it. … When you make it a three-score game, it changes everything.”

Leonard figures he owes some guys a dinner for making those plays.

“I love those boys. I’ve gotta take them out to dinner or something,” Leonard said. “Those dudes made some plays for me.”

Robertson had a season-high five catches for 81 yards, and the touchdown was the first of the third-year receiver’s career.

The first minute or so of this game was a borderline disaster for the Blue Devils, but they slowly wrestled control into their favor afterward.

Duke’s first drive started at the 12-yard line after an ill-advised kick return. Leonard led Jalon Calhoun about one foot too far on the first play, a deep shot down the sideline that was just past the senior receiver’s fingertips.

The Blue Devils went three-and-out, and punter Porter Wilson’s punt only traveled 38 yards after leaving the side of his foot.

Grant Wells launched a 53-yard touchdown to Kaleb Smith on the Hokies’ second play — for what turned out to be VT’s only points of the game.

Of note was that Jerry Magallanes was the referee. It was the first time he’s referee’d a Duke game since the 2015 loss to Miami, in which Miami’s game-winning kick return touchdown was upheld after replay review.