Chandler Rivers turns an interception into a touchdown against Florida State

The Duke offense couldn’t find the end zone in the first quarter against FSU, but defensive back Chandler Rivers found a way to score.

The offense isn’t the only way a football team can score points.

In the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles on Friday night, the Duke Blue Devils punted on each of their first four possessions to fall behind by three points. Star defensive back Chandler Rivers decided he’d take care of the problem himself.

On a third-and-9, Rivers shadowed FSU’s Jalen Brown and kept his eyes on quarterback Brock Glenn. The Seminoles tried for an out route on Rivers’ side of the field, and the Duke corner read it the entire way.

Rivers undercut Brown’s route, practically running the break for him, and jumped in front of the pass for an interception. All of a sudden, there was nothing but 36 yards of empty space between him and the end zone. The junior outran the FSU offense all the way to the painted grass, giving the Blue Devils a 7-3 advantage despite the slow offensive start.

The interception, Rivers’ first since last year’s game against the Seminoles, was Duke’s fifth of the season. The Blue Devils forced a fumble on the following possession, resulting in another touchdown to take a 14-3 lead.