Tag: ACC football

Former Duke football star Aeneas Peebles returns to Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday

With the Virginia Tech Hokies coming to Durham on Saturday, a former four-year Duke football star makes his return to Wallace Wade Stadium.

The Duke Blue Devils play their last home game of the 2024 college football season on Saturday, and a former member of the program will be on the visitor’s sideline.

Defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles spent four seasons in Durham, totaling 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks between his 48 games in a Duke uniform. However, once former head coach Mike Elko left to helm the Texas A&M Aggies, he entered the transfer portal and ended up in Blacksburg.

Through his first 10 games of the 2024 season, Peebles has three sacks, but he hasn’t added to that total since a road game against Stanford on October 5. He’s amassed 28 total tackles, including 5.0 for a loss, and he had his best game against Rutgers back in Week 4. He ended that performance with five tackles and 1.5 TFLs.

While Peebles has found success along a defensive front that sits third among ACC teams with 31 total sacks, the Blue Devils didn’t exactly lose the split. Duke’s 28 sacks are fifth in the conference, and under first-year coordinator Jonathan Patke, the team has 85 TFLs in 10 games.

Duke fans can watch the Blue Devils try to beat their former teammate on ACC Network at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the latest USA TODAY Sports bowl projections?

Check out where the Duke Blue Devils fit on the college football bowl schedule in the latest USA TODAY Sports projections.

With seven wins in their first 10 games, the Duke Blue Devils have done more than cement their place on the bowl calendar. Head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team look poised for a primary spot on the schedule.

According to the latest projections from USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith, Duke fans can book a trip to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for a January 3rd game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Golden Gophers have rebounded well from a 2-3 start to the season. They beat the USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, and a ranked Illinois Fighting Illini squad during a recent four-game win streak. Minnesota already reached six wins, which is helpful with a closing schedule that includes the Penn State Nittany Lions and Wisconsin Badgers.

Smith still thinks the Miami Hurricanes are in line for the ACC title, setting them up for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff bracket. The SMU Mustangs, Miami’s likely opponent in the championship game, didn’t make the 12-team field.

Duke football rises one spot in latest USA TODAY Sports ACC power rankings

Following their bye week, Duke moved up one spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports ACC power rankings.

Duke was inactive for Week 12 of the college football season, letting the Blue Devils rest up on their bye week. However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t move in the Week 13 edition of the USA TODAY Sports ACC power rankings.

Ehsan Kassim put the Blue Devils sixth out of the conference’s 17 teams, one spot higher than last week this week.

Following a 5-0 start, Duke had lost three of four before their 29-19 victory over the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh. Simply put, they needed the bye.

The teams ranked ahead of the Blue Devils are, in order, the SMU Mustangs, Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, Syracuse Orange, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Louisville, who was ranked No. 4 last week, dropped below Duke after a stunning road loss to Stanford.

The Blue Devils will host Virginia Tech on Saturday. It will be a big-time test for Duke, as the Hokies bring one of the ACC’s top rushing offenses.

Duke’s strength lies in their passing defense, but their rushing defense can be a weakness at times. It is worth noting, though, that Duke led the country in tackles for loss for most of the season.

Duke football sticks within the top 30 of the USA TODAY Sports re-rank

The Duke football team, idle in Week 12, stuck within the top 30 of the USA TODAY Sports re-rank.

With only two weeks left in the 2024 regular season, the Duke Blue Devils remain close to the top of the college football world.

USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg released his updated ranking of every FBS college football team after Week 12, and the Duke Blue Devils moved up two spots to 27th.

In his first season as the program’s head coach, [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] won his first five games to kick-start what is currently a 7-3 campaign. With the Blue Devils’ most recent win in Raleigh, the team beat both the North Carolina Tar Heels and NC State Wolfpack in the same season for the first time in more than a decade.

If Duke can beat either Virginia Tech or Wake Forest over the next two weeks, the Blue Devils could clinch their third straight eight-win season.

Just like every other major college football ranking, the Oregon Ducks took the top overall spot. With the ACC in a chaotic three-team race for the conference title, Myerberg has Miami (10th) and SMU (11th) as the best teams in the league. The Clemson Tigers (14th) remain alive, but they’d need an upset or two to make it to Charlotte.

Duke run defense set for tough matchup against Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten in Week 12

Ahead of Duke’s matchup with Virginia Tech, get to know the Hokies’ biggest offensive threat: running back Bhayshul Tuten.

At 7-3, the Duke Blue Devils could build upon an already impressive 2024 football season over the final two games. The first of those chances comes on Saturday night when they face the Virginia Tech Hokies.

The Blue Devils’ defense has been their strength so far this season, specifically the secondary. However, their run defense hasn’t been the greatest, which could make for a poor matchup with the Hokies.

Duke has allowed 149.3 yards per game on the ground this season, 71st among FBS teams. The Blue Devils improve on a per-play basis, moving up to 44th at 3.83 yards allowed per carry, and they’ve only given up 10 rushing touchdowns in 10 games, but it’s a far cry from their pass defense (12th in yards per attempt).

On the flip side, the Virginia Tech rushing offense ranks 36th in the nation with 185.3 yards per game. The Hokies are one of five ACC teams averaging more than five yards per attempt, and that is mostly carried by running back Bhayshul Tuten.

On the season, Tuten amassed 951 yards and 12 touchdowns on 146 attempts, an average of 6.51 yards per tote. He’s eclipsed 100 yards five times, including a 266-yard performance against Boston College that included three trips to the end zone.

Quarterback Kyron Drones also deserves attention for the Hokies’ offense on the ground. The redshirt junior has added 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Those two have more than 69% of the team’s rushing production in 2024. If Duke is to win this game, the key will be limiting Tuten and Drones.

Start time announced for UNC-NC State football regular season finale

You can now start planning for the UNC-NC State football regular-season finale.

No matter who the North Carolina Tar Heels beat in any given football season, there’s one opponent in recent years who they can’t seem to get past: NC State, their in-state rivals from just 30 minutes down the road in Raleigh.

Last year, UNC (6-3, 3-3 ACC) started 6-0 before its epic collapse put it back in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) were part of North Carolina’s late-season slide, stomping the boys in Carolina Blue by a 39-20 mark in Raleigh.

It’s now State’s turn to play in Chapel Hill this season – and you can bet it’ll be a loud, chippy game.

Earlier on Monday, we learned that the Tar Heels and Wolfpack will kick their regular-season finale off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

This is just late enough to have a nighttime atmosphere (it starts getting dark at 5:30 p.m.), but early enough as to where fans – and players – can celebrate afterwards.

If you remember NC State coach Dave Doeren’s infamous words about UNC after last year’s game, he said, “those pieces of **** haven’t beaten us in 1,460 days.” I have no issue with Doeren firing his players up and taking friendly jabs at North Carolina, but saying this about kids is crossing the line.

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The Tar Heels are playing their best football of 2024, winning their past three games behind a combination of Omarion Hampton and strong defense, to climb back into bowl contention. This comes after UNC’s coldest stretch, in which four consecutive losses had fans questioning how much longer Mack Brown would be coaching.

The Wolfpack, ranked in the preseason, are sitting at .500 overall after a quarterback switch and inconsistent play. They will travel to Georgia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 21 before heading up to Kenan.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Omarion Hampton’s record-breaking game against Wake earns him weekly ACC honors

UNC star running back Omarion Hampton picked up ACC Weekly Honors for the third time this season.

At this point in the college football season, are you surprised at the type of year UNC junior running back Omarion Hampton is experiencing?

In North Carolina’s 31-24 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday, Hampton rushed for a career-high 244 yards on a career-high 35 carries. Hampton also added what would be the game-winning touchdown, channeling his inner Saquon Barkley on a 6-yard, hurdle-and-score with just over two minutes remaining.

Hampton led all FBS rushers with his Week 12 output – and climbed up the Tar Heel record books. Hampton moved into a third-place tie with Marquise Williams (2011-2015) for his 35th rushing touchdown, plus he now owns the program record for consecutive 100-yard games (eight).

After reading all this, it should come as no surprise that Hampton was named ACC Running Back of the Week. This was Hampton’s third time earning the honor – and seventh time overall in his career.

Sitting outside of the Top 5 FBS rushing yardage leaders before the Wake Forest game, Hampton climbed to second with 1,422 rushing yards in 2024. The one man he trails is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, the should-be Heisman Trophy winner, who currently has 1,893 yards and has the Broncos in the thick of CFP contention.

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Hampton could very well pass 2,000 yards if he continues at his current pace, though he’d have to average 193 rushing yards over UNC’s final three games.

North Carolina ships up to Boston College on Saturday, Nov. 23, hosts NC State for its regular-season finale on Nov. 30, then will play in a bowl game for the sixth-consecutive season – at a date TBD.

There’s no question Hampton is one of the best running backs in Tar Heel history. Is he THE best running back?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Broadcast information revealed for the Week 14 Duke football game at Wake Forest

The ACC revealed the kickoff time and broadcast information for Duke football’s regular-season finale against Wake Forest.

The Duke Blue Devils will play their final regular-season football game of the year on ACC Network, the conference announced on Monday.

Duke travels to Wake Forest in Week 14 for an in-state battle with the Demon Deacons, and the ACC slotted them for a noon kickoff in their Week 14 schedule.

The Demon Deacons lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday, a second straight defeat that dropped them to 4-6 for the season. They’ve won just two of their six conference games in 2024, and those victories came against Stanford and NC State, two teams with a combined 4-9 record in ACC play.

Wake Forest has looked especially vulnerable on the defensive side of the ball. The Demon Deacons have given up more than 437 yards per game this season, the 16th-most among FBS teams. For comparison, Duke sits third in the ACC with 341.0 yards per contest.

The Blue Devils could earn bragging rights over the entire state of North Carolina with a win. Duke chased down North Carolina after falling behind by 20 points back in Week 5, and when paired with a Week 11 win over NC State, one more victory would give it a season sweep.

Duke football earns two votes in updated AP Poll after Week 12

The Associated Press revealed its updated college football rankings on Sunday, including two votes for the Duke Blue Devils.

The Duke Blue Devils received two votes in the updated AP Top 25 College Football Poll on Sunday, one more than they did last week.

Head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his players got a weekend off after defeating the NC State Wolfpack last Saturday, improving Duke’s record to 7-3 for the season and 3-3 against ACC opponents. In Diaz’s first season with the program, the Blue Devils got off to their first 5-0 start since 1994 and defeated the Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the same year for the first time since 2013.

With Louisville’s last-second loss to Stanford, only three teams from the ACC remained within the top 25 after Week 12. The Miami Hurricanes (11th) and SMU Mustangs (13th) seem destined for a clash in the conference championship game with a place in the College Football Playoff on the line.

However, if Miami loses once or the Mustangs lose twice, the Clemson Tigers (17th) would slide into place as a potential challenger.

The top five teams remained unchanged with the Oregon Ducks remaining atop the nation despite only beating the Wisconsin Badgers by three points. With their two votes, the Blue Devils unofficially sit in a tie for 35th with Colorado State and James Madison.

Duke football receives close to a dozen votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll

Despite Duke football sitting on a Week 12 bye, the Blue Devils received nine votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll on Sunday.

The Duke Blue Devils took the weekend off in Week 12, but they still received nine votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll released on Sunday.

In his first season with the program, head coach Manny Diaz has reversed some trends in Durham. He took the school to its first 5-0 start in 30 years, and with Duke’s 20-point comeback over the North Carolina Tar Heels and 29-19 victory over NC State, the Blue Devils swept both of those schools in one season for the first time since 2013.

Duke’s 7-3 record is tied for the fourth-best among ACC teams, and the ESPN Football Power Index gives them more than a 26% chance to sweep Virginia Tech and Wake Forest for a 9-3 regular-season record.

The Miami Hurricanes, also on a bye this weekend, broke back into the top 10 to narrowly remain ahead of the SMU Mustangs (12th) as the top team in the ACC. Should they win out, those two programs would meet in Charlotte for the conference title game, but the Clemson Tigers (16th) await if one of them stumbles along the way. With Louisville losing to Stanford, those are now the only three ranked ACC teams.

Check out the full US LBM Coaches Poll below:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 11-0 1,375 (55)
2 Ohio State Buckeyes 9-1 1,316
3 Texas Longhorns 9-1 1,263
4 Penn State Nittany Lions 9-1 1,158
5 Indiana Hoosiers 10-0 1,109
6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9-1 1096
7 Alabama Crimson Tide 8-2 996
8 Georgia Bulldogs 8-2 993
9 Ole Miss Rebels 8-2 984
10 Miami Hurricanes 9-1 847
11 Tennessee Volunteers 8-2 823
12 SMU Mustangs 9-1 744
13 Boise State Broncos 9-1 714
14 Texas A&M Aggies 8-2 646
15 BYU Cougars 9-1 633
16 Clemson Tigers 8-2 569
17 Army Black Knights 9-0 509
18 Colorado Buffaloes 8-2 464
19 South Carolina Gamecocks 7-3 379
20 Tulane Green Wave 9-2 280
21 Iowa State Cyclones 8-2 268
22 Arizona State Sun Devils 8-2 251
23 UNLV Rebels 8-2 93
24 Memphis Tigers 9-2 77
25 Kansas State Wildcats 7-3 67

Dropped Out

No. 18 Washington State; No. 21 Missouri; No. 22 LSU; No. 24 Louisville

Receiving Votes

Washington State 65; Illinois 56; Missouri 44; Syracuse 18; James Madison 11; Duke 9; Pittsburgh 7; Louisiana 5; Louisville 2; Vanderbilt 1; Sam Houston 1; LSU 1; Colorado State 1