Tag: maalik murphy

The best Duke football photos from the Week 13 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies

Check out the best photos from the Duke football victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday night.

The Duke Blue Devils won their eighth game of the 2024 college football season on Saturday night, a 31-28 triumph over the Virginia Tech Hokies, but the journey to that victory contained highs and lows that would draw envy from playwrights.

Duke scored on two of its first four offensive plays thanks to 86-yard and 77-yard connections between quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag]. Pancol, in his final game in front of the Durham crowds, ended with a career-high 188 yards on five receptions, and he caught a third touchdown in the second quarter.

Murphy also set a new personal record with 332 yards, and that second-quarter touchdown gave him the school’s single-season record, but his day contained some bumps and bruises. The redshirt sophomore threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the middle of the first half, turning what looked like a romp back into a shootout.

Struggles aside, Murphy’s three touchdowns to Pancol and another scoring drive to open the second half proved to be enough for another victory in the end.

Check out the best Duke football photos from the last game at Wallace Wade Stadium this season.

Eli Pancol helps Duke football vanquish Virginia Tech for a senior night victory

Eli Pancol caught three first-half touchdowns against Virginia Tech on Saturday night to help deliver Duke’s eighth victory of the season.

The Duke Blue Devils won in Durham yet again on Saturday night, taking advantage of two early touchdowns from fifth-year wideout Eli Pancol for a 31-28 victory over Virginia Tech.

Pancol, a fifth-year senior playing his final game at Wallace Wade Stadium, made sure every Duke football fan left with a positive memory of his time in Durham. On the Blue Devils’ first offensive snap, he beat the entire Hokies secondary on a post route up the seam. Quarterback Maalik Murphy floated the ball perfectly to catch him in stride, and 86 yards later, Duke led by seven points.

The offense faced its first third down of the evening one possession later. Needing seven yards to move the sticks, Murphy looked well past that for Pancol again. The redshirt sophomore put the ball toward the sideline, letting his target spin around for a back-shoulder grab, but Hokies defensive back Dante Lovett stumbled to the ground as Pancol turned.

The opening left no one between Pancol and the end zone, and he raced the remaining distance to the goal line for a 77-yard score.

Pancol ended the first quarter with 175 yards on three receptions, and he caught a third touchdown with six minutes left in the second quarter. He ended the game with a career-high 188 yards on five catches.

That second-quarter touchdown gave Murphy his 25th scoring pass of the year, breaking a single-season school record that stood since 1988. However, despite Pancol’s monstrous production, it was an up-and-down opening half for the former Texas Longhorn.

After finishing four of his last six games without an interception, Murphy tossed three before the break to let the Hokies back into the ballgame. He gave the ball away to defensive back Dorian Strong on consecutive possessions in the middle of the half, creating two drives that resulted in 10 Virginia Tech points.

Murphy completed six of his first nine passes for 180 yards, but he only connected on four of his last 14 attempts in the half. Outside of a 58-yard catch-and-run connection with senior wideout Jordan Moore, he threw for two yards in the second quarter, and the Blue Devils led just 21-17 when they went to the locker room.

As he’s done over and over again in 2024, however, Duke’s quarterback summoned good football during a critical second-half possession.

With the Blue Devils receiving the ball first, Murphy found redshirt sophomore Que’Sean Brown for completions of 34 and 18 yards as he marched his teammates down the field. He finished that drive four-for-four with 73 yards, and running back Star Thomas finally got a turn in the end zone with a 2-yard score to make it a two-score game just three minutes into the half.

Murphy ended his final home game of the season with a career-high 332 yards, his second 300-yard performance in three games, and he’s thrown 11 touchdowns over the last four.

A game with six combined turnovers will never be described as “calm,” but the scoreboard settled down from there at least. The two teams combined for a single touchdown over the final 26 minutes, and despite a late Thomas fumble that gave the Hokies a last-gasp possession after the two-minute warning, the Blue Devils held on for a 31-28 triumph.

Duke clinched its third straight eight-win season with the result. The Blue Devils travel to Winston-Salem next week for a road game against Wake Forest

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy breaks the school single-season passing touchdown record

Maalik Murphy threw his 25th passing touchdown of the season on Saturday night against Virginia Tech, breaking Duke’s single-season record.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] threw his third touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second quarter, a 7-yard strike to fifth-year senior Eli Pancol that officially etched his name in program history.

The touchdown, Murphy’s 25th of the season, broke Anthony Dilweg’s school record for single-season passing touchdowns that stood for 36 years. Dilweg tossed 24 scores in 1988, the same year he threw for a school-record 3,824 yards.

Only seven previous Blue Devils reached 20 touchdowns in a single season (although Thaddeus Lewis did so twice), and only three have ever reached 21 in a campaign.

Murphy set his record-breaking pace early with 11 scores in the first four games. He found the end zone three times in three straight games from Weeks 2-4, including two touchdown passes in overtime against the Northwestern Wildcats.

While the former Texas Longhorn slowed down with three touchdowns over the next three weeks, he found his stride again when the SMU Mustangs came to Durham in Week 9. He threw for 295 yards and three scores in that game, and he put together his first 300-yard game on the road against Miami one week later.

Murphy’s record-setting throw was his 11th touchdown pass in Duke’s last four games.

Staff predictions for Week 13 matchup between Duke and Virginia Tech

Duke football is gearing up to take on Virginia Tech this Saturday, check out our Duke Wire staff predictions for the game.

The Duke Blue Devils have already exceeded expectations on the football field in 2024, but the final two weeks decide whether head coach Manny Diaz’s first season in Durham is good or great.

Duke already qualified for the postseason with seven wins in its first seven games, including the first season sweep of the North Carolina Tar Heels and NC State Wolfpack since 2013, but each successive tally in the win column only improves the Blue Devils’ national standing. A Week 14 win over Wake Forest would give Diaz bragging rights over the entire state, but the Virginia Tech Hokies must be taken care of first.

The Hokies’ 5-5 record makes them look like unformidable foes, but several ranked teams found out that fallacy the hard way already. While Virginia Tech didn’t win either game, it led Miami by 10 points in the fourth quarter and took a 7-0 advantage into halftime against the Clemson Tigers.

Check out whether our staff thinks the Blue Devils can slow down the Hokies and their elite rushing attack in this year’s final game at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Ryan Haley, Duke Wire site editor

Before anything else, the status of Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten determines this entire game. Both players, who combine for nearly 70% of the team’s rushing yards, have dealt with injuries for most of the last month, but a bye week should have them closer to full speed.

Still, head coach Brent Pry labeled them as questionable earlier in the week, and even if they just play at less than 100%, that drastically changes Virginia Tech’s offensive outlook.

While a run-first program plays away from Duke’s defensive strengths, I think the intelligence and discipline of Jonathan Patke’s defense get brushed away more than they should. There are veterans everywhere, including the front seven, and they’ll be able to navigate some complicated run designs.

Besides, if quarterback Maalik Murphy keeps throwing multiple touchdowns per game on the other side, Duke is genuinely a top-five team in the conference. The redshirt sophomore hasn’t just produced more over the last three games, he’s looked more comfortable and made cleaner decisions, and there’s no reason to doubt that trend.

Duke 28, Virginia Tech 23

Bryant Crews, Staff Writer

For one last time in 2024, Duke will take the field at Wallace Wade. They do so, hosting an underachieving Virginia Tech team that some thought could compete for the ACC title and even the College Football Playoff. Well, to put it plainly, that just won’t be happening despite them returning 22 starters. Duke, on the other hand, has an incredibly reasonable shot at a nine-win season at 7-3.

Virginia Tech has a diverse and steady run game that Duke’s defense will have to key in on, but the Hokies passing game is far from electric. Making Drones a dropback passer and eliminating the RPO game could tilt things heavily in Duke’s favor. Tuten, a transfer from North Carolina A&T, is a highlight waiting to happen for the Hokies, and he’s closing in on 1,000 yards to pair with 12 touchdowns.

A fast start from Duke could completely mess up the likely game script for Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen and allow Duke to pin its ears back and rush the QB, which favors the Blue Devils.

I think we see Duke off a bye week with a bit of extra pep in its step, and Duke pulls early 4th quarter for a two-score win. I see Sahmir Hagans scoring this week, too.

Duke 29, Virginia Tech 20

Josiah Caswell, Staff Writer

While I think Duke will win, Virginia Tech does pose a very interesting matchup for the Blue Devils. All year long, Duke’s specialty has been its pass defense led by cornerback Chandler Rivers.

Additionally, the Blue Devils’ pass rush and defensive line recorded 28.0 sacks and led the nation in tackles for loss for much of the season.

Despite that, the Blue Devils’ rushing defense isn’t stellar, or rather, it is more average at best. Out of all 134 FBS teams, the Duke rushing defense ranks just 71st with 149.3 rush yards allowed per game, including 3.83 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns.

For Virginia Tech, Tuten and Drones will make sure to test that. If Duke can continue forcing tackles for loss, it should win this no doubt. However, if Virginia Tech can have its way on the ground, the Hokies could create a very close game.

Duke 21, Virginia Tech 14

Maalik Murphy rejoins top eight quarterbacks in ACC Network rankings after Week 12

With eight passing touchdowns in his last three games, Duke’s Maalik Murphy rejoined Tom Luginbill’s ranking of the best ACC quarterbacks.

Thanks to three straight impressive performances, Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] keeps working his way toward the top of the conference.

ACC Network’s Tom Luginbill ranked Murphy as the seventh-best ACC quarterback on Wednesday through Week 12.

Murphy started his conference schedule with three straight games underneath 210 passing yards, but he’s thrown for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in his last three games. He helped Duke take SMU to overtime, the closest the Mustangs have come to an ACC loss this season, with three touchdowns in Week 9 before putting together his first 300-yard performance against Miami one week later.

The former Texas Longhorn has thrown 22 touchdowns this season, fourth among ACC quarterbacks and two short of Duke’s single-season school record. He’s also protected the football better since Week 4. Outside of a four-turnover game against Miami, he’s thrown one interception since September 21.

Luginbill predictably put Miami star Cam Ward in the top spot, where the Heisman Trophy candidate has spent much of the season thanks to his 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns. SMU’s Kevin Jennings, Cade Klubnik of the Clemson Tigers, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord took the next three spots in order.

What does Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy need to make program history in Week 13?

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy could break the Blue Devils’ single-season passing touchdown record on Saturday. Here’s what he needs.

With two games left in the 2024 regular season, quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] could leave his mark on the Duke football program before the end of the month.

With two touchdowns in his last appearance, Murphy tossed 22 touchdowns through his first 10 games in a Blue Devils uniform. That leaves him just two short of Anthony Dilweg’s school record of 24, a number that has stood since 1988.

So what are his chances of making history in front of the home crowd on Saturday? Murphy’s thrown multiple touchdowns in eight different games this season, including each of his last three.

The Virginia Tech secondary gave up 15 touchdowns in its first 10 games, but the Hokies have suffered from some feast-or-famine symptoms in 2024. Thirteen of those scores came in just five games, including four from Miami quarterback Cam Ward. If Duke fans want some recent form to take advantage of, however, Virginia Tech’s past two opponents have thrown five touchdowns while averaging 245.5 yards through the air.

He’ll have one more chance against Wake Forest if history doesn’t come in Week 13, but Murphy could very well do something yet unseen at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke offensive coordinator says ‘things are starting to slow down’ for Maalik Murphy

Offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer offered a promising vote of confidence for Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy’s progress on Monday.

It wasn’t long ago when it felt like the biggest complaint Duke football fans had about the offense stemmed from the pocket.

Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag], a former Texas Longhorn in his first year as a starter, opened the ACC schedule with 484 yards and three touchdowns in three games. He completed fewer than 51% of his passes and averaged fewer than 5.5 yards per attempt over that run, a stretch he concluded with 70 yards on 24 attempts against the Florida State Seminoles.

Over the past three games, however, the offense has looked like a new unit, and Murphy’s play has been a critical reason why. The first-year Blue Devil racked up 865 yards against SMU, Miami, and NC State, including his first career 300-yard game against the Hurricanes. He’s thrown eight touchdowns in the last 12 quarters to bring his season total to 22, just two shy of a longstanding single-season school record.

His completion percentage jumped up to 61.7%, and he’s averaged 7.2 yards per attempt over this recent run of form.

“He’s been more comfortable in what we’ve been doing,” offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer said on Monday. “I think for him, he’s feeling confident in the speed of the game. Things are starting to slow down for him.”

Brewer, who also joined the Duke program this offseason, thinks fans should keep Murphy’s inexperience before this season. He only started two games at his old school, and the former four-star prospect is just 20 years old.

“We just have to keep remembering that this is his first year being the guy and really playing,” Brewer said. “Things are starting to slow down and he’s starting to see things more clearly in that world.”

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 schedule: Are the Duke Blue Devils playing today? 

Are the Duke Blue Devils playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come.

Will the Duke Blue Devils be on the field today in Week 12 of the college football schedule?

Following a 29-19 victory over the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh last weekend, Duke is on a bye week and will return to the field on Nov. 23 with a home game against Virginia Tech.

In his first season with the program, head coach Manny Diaz has already etched his name into Duke football history. The Blue Devils won their first five games of the season for the first time this century, and their Week 11 victory gave them a season sweep of the Wolfpack and North Carolina Tar Heels for the first time since 2013.

Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] could make his own mark in the final two weeks of the season. With 22 passing touchdowns in 2024, he sits just two short of Anthony Dilweg’s decades-old program record. However, he and the offense will have their hands full outscoring the Hokies and star running back Bhayshul Tuten. Virginia Tech came within four points of taking down Miami before leading the Clemson Tigers at halftime last weekend.

Here’s a full refresher on the 2024 Duke football schedule.

Duke football 2024 schedule

  • Aug. 30: vs Elon Phoenix (W, 26-3)
  • Sept. 6: at Northwestern Wildcats (W, 26-20 2OT)
  • Sept. 14: vs Connecticut Huskies (W, 26-21)
  • Sept. 21: at Middle Tennessee (W, 45-17)
  • Sept. 28: vs North Carolina Tar Heels (W, 21-20)
  • Oct. 5: at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (L, 24-14)
  • Oct. 12: Bye
  • Oct. 18: vs Florida State Seminoles (W, 23-16)
  • Oct. 26: vs SMU Mustangs (L, 28-27 OT)
  • Nov. 2: at Miami Hurricanes (L, 53-31)
  • Nov. 9: at NC State Wolfpack (W, 29-19)
  • Nov. 16: Bye
  • Nov. 23: vs Virginia Tech Hokies
  • Nov. 30: at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • Record: 7-3 (3-3)

Duke football coach Manny Diaz highlights Jake Taylor’s ‘massive’ tackle to end the first half

Even with a 10-point margin of victory, Manny Diaz emphasized the importance of Jake Taylor’s chasedown tackle at the end of the first half.

The Duke football team beat NC State by 10 points on Saturday, but the result could have swung in a very different direction if not for tight end Jake Taylor at the end of the first half.

With the Blue Devils leading 12-6 and within 15 yards of the end zone in the final 30 seconds, it seemed like [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and the offense could put the game out of reach before the break. Instead, Wolfpack linebacker Tamarcus Cooley ripped the ball from Eli Pancol’s hands and took off with nothing but empty space between him and the other goal line.

Cooley made it most of the way there, but Taylor ran 70 yards downfield to tackle him at the 20-yard line with six seconds left. The play forced NC State to kick a field goal, maintaining a 3-point Duke lead at the midway point rather than giving the Wolfpack a 13-12 advantage with the first possession of the second half.

“Massive, massive play,” head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] said after the game. “Big, big-time effort. Four-point play, a four-point tackle, and that’s the pride that those guys have in this program.”

Duke outgained NC State 158-102 in the first two quarters, so the Wolfpack finding a way to take the lead could have given them a shot in the arm. Even if the next 28 minutes happened the exact same way, Todd Pelino’s 49-yard field goal attempt with 2:06 to play would have been much more dramatic if the score was 26-23 instead of 26-19.

Instead, Pelino redeemed himself from the SMU debacles, and Taylor’s play ensured Duke put the game on ice.

“That’s just a guy winning with effort,” Diaz concluded. “To me, that just highlights the culture that (strength and conditioning coach) David Feeley trains every day in our weight room. Huge play, and proud that it happened.”