For the first time since 2013, the Duke Blue Devils run the state of North Carolina.
Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and wide receiver[autotag] Jordan Moore[/autotag] teamed up for a 39-yard touchdown on the final play of the game in Winston-Salem on Saturday, handing Duke a 23-17 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The win, Duke’s ninth of the season, cemented a sweep of the other three ACC schools from the state. The Blue Devils mounted a 20-point comeback against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Week 5 and handed the NC State Wolfpack a 29-19 win in Raleigh in Week 11, completing a trifecta they haven’t achieved since that fateful 10-win season under David Cutcliffe.
In a similar fashion to the Tar Heels game, Duke needed three late touchdowns to beat the Demon Deacons. Murph completed 16 of his 20 second-half passes for 153 yards and ran for another score after the break, ending the regular season with a school-record 26 touchdown passes.
None of the other three teams entered Week 14 with more than six wins for the year, either, so the Blue Devils will finish multiple games above the rest of the state.