DURHAM – The only differences between the perfect script and reality were the procedural penalties and missed field goals.

And you can live with those when you win 30-0.

Otherwise, this win by Duke over Temple on Friday night was exactly what was ordered with the hiring of Mike Elko as coach.

“You feel the energy is different,” linebacker Dorian Mausi said. “It’s something you can’t really explain but if you look at everybody’s face … after knowing what you’ve been through the past eight and a half months, it’s like you’re reaping the rewards and everything.”

Nobody at Duke needs a reminder that things haven’t been so smooth for the past few years; that’s why there’s a new coaching staff.

It’s the central reason Elko was happy for his players after this dominant performance.

“By the end of the game it was really more about the players,” Elko said. “I was just so happy for them, that they got the reward they deserve for the work they put in for the last 8½ months.

“We asked them to believe in a first-time head coach and a brand-new staff and they didn’t have to, they really didn’t. And they’ve bought into everything we’ve asked them to do.”

Duke’s new quarterback, Riley Leonard, was so good that for his first 15 passes of the game, even his bad throws were completions.

Leonard completed his first 15 throws, coming up one short of the program record for consecutive completions. One of those was an on-the-run throw against his body intended for Jordan Moore, his former competition at QB turned receiver.

The ball sailed over Moore’s head … and into the arms of a diving Eli Pancol.

“Shout-out to Eli Pancol for catching that for me because that was not going to him,” Leonard said with a laugh.

When something like that happens, it’s a decent indicator that it’s your night.

“Yeah, definitely … the ball was in our favor tonight,” Leonard said. “It was just great for me to know that I can make a mistake and my team has my back, so that was really cool to have happen.”

Duke’s defense dictated its own terms against the Owls.

Temple crossed midfield twice, both times in the second half when Duke was already ahead by three touchdowns. Temple had 50 yards at halftime; Duke had three drives of at least 75 yards by that time.

If the word in the preseason was that simply hiring Elko, a defensive savant, wasn’t going to turn Duke’s defense into a strong unit overnight … well, that was proved false for at least one game.

“We challenged our guys to be physical and they were,” Elko said of the defense. “I thought our D-line really, really set the tone and controlled the line of scrimmage. … They tried to attack us a little bit out wide and I thought our kids did a really good job running things down on the perimeter.”

The praise didn’t stop there – Elko was proud of how deep Duke went into its defensive depth. Of note there was backup linebacker Cam Dillon forcing a fumble, and backups Da’Quan Johnson, Michael Reese and Nick Morris Jr. recording three tackles apiece.

Duke more than doubled-up Temple in first downs (25-12) and total yards (500-179). The only turnovers of the game were two fumble recoveries by the Blue Devils in the second half – a point of emphasis for this team since the staff’s arrival.

“That’s something that we’ve been really preaching,” Elko said. “For us to win the turnover battle 2-nothing is something that I think is really important and will be good for us moving forward.”

It all added to the program’s first shutout since 2015, and the first shutout of an FBS team since 1989.

That was the famous 41-0 win at UNC, after which coach Steve Spurrier gathered the Blue Devils to take a photo in front of the scoreboard.

Elko got an impromptu history lesson on that one.

“I’m happy with how we played on defense, we did an amazing job,” Elko said. “We weren’t here to win this game, just a game.

“We’re trying to build something really special here.”

Consider one building block laid.