Duke steamrolls to ACC opener win

DURHAM – Duke got back to its quick-start recipe and in related news, the Blue Devils won their ACC opener 38-17 against visiting Virginia on Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium.

It snaps a 13-game losing streak in ACC play for Duke and a seven-game losing streak in this series against Virginia.

The Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0 ACC) jumped out to a 21-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter, and the closest Virginia (2-3, 0-2) came for the rest of the game was the 14-point halftime margin.

Duke did exactly what it needed to do at the start of the second half: It notched a three-and-out, and then marched 72 yards in six plays, the last of which was a 1-yard sneak by Riley Leonard, his second touchdown of the game on the ground.

That put the Blue Devils up 28-7; they added a touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter when Jaquez Moore raced 59 yards on his first carry of the game.

The Blue Devils struck first with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Jalon Calhoun, capping an 87-yard drive that was aided by two 15-yard penalties on Virginia.

Another first-quarter touchdown came in the final minute, with the Blue Devils in good field position after Ryan Smith blocked a punt. That 58-yard drive – with another personal foul called on Virginia – ended with Leonard’s 2-yard sneak.

Duke has outscored opponents 66-7 in first quarters this season.

That didn’t end the excitement of the first quarter, though: Virginia fumbled the kickoff and Terry Moore recovered it.

Jordan Waters punched in a 1-yard touchdown run on a leap over the line.

Virginia got on the board with Brennan Armstrong’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Perris Jones on a short route, with Jones winning the race to the front left pylon.