Tag: Manny Diaz

Duke football finishes the 2024 season with more fourth-quarter comebacks than losses

With their thrilling win over Wake Forest, the Duke Blue Devils ended the 2024 regular season with more fourth-quarter comebacks than losses.

The Duke Blue Devils scored three touchdowns in the final 16 minutes of Saturday’s game against Wake Forest, including a 39-yard strike from quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] to star wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] on the final play, for a 23-17 comeback victory over the Demon Deacons.

With a 9-3 regular-season record now cemented, Duke achieved a pretty staggering feat with its late surge in Winston-Salem. The Blue Devils came from behind in the fourth quarter four different times in 2024, including a last-minute field goal against Northwestern in Week 2 and a 21-point surge against the North Carolina Tar Heels back in Week 5, to give them more comebacks than losses in the regular season.

The Wildcats game was technically tied until a Northwestern field goal with 11:39 left on the clock, but even without including that game, the numbers are tied at three apiece. That doesn’t even include the SMU game in Week 9 when Duke scored two late touchdowns to force overtime, only losing after a failed 2-point conversion on the first additional possession.

For those doing the math at home, head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] ended his first season in Durham with a winning record when trailing after three quarters. Duke won three of its five such games this season, only surrendering a late lead once to Georgia Tech.

Duke football unveils Wake Forest uniform combination for Week 14 rivalry battle

The Duke Blue Devils revealed their final regular-season uniform combination of the 2024 college football season on Thursday.

For one final time in the 2024 college football regular season, the Duke Blue Devils revealed their upcoming uniform combination on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils head to Winston-Salem for a road game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, and Duke will wear white jerseys and pants for the clash. The team will add some color with blue helmets adorned with a devil’s face, a helmet emblem they also sported against Middle Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida State.

Despite blue and white serving as the team’s primary colors, the Blue Devils have worn black jerseys as often as its white ones this season. The last time Duke wore white was against the NC State Wolfpack in Week 11, a 29-19 victory that helped it sweep The Triangle for the first time since 2013.

A win over the Demon Deacons would clinch Duke’s second nine-win season in three years and keep the Blue Devils undefeated against in-state opponents.

“We cannot pretend to go make a run at the ACC without making run at our state,” he said during his Monday press conference. “That’s a big deal to us.”

The Week 14 battle kicks off at noon on ACC Network this Saturday.

Manny Diaz calls a potential sweep of in-state rivals ‘a big deal’ for Duke football

If the Duke Blue Devils can beat Wake Forest on Saturday, they’d be 3-0 against North Carolina teams, something not lost on Manny Diaz.

The Duke Blue Devils could cement their second nine-win season in three years on Saturday in Winston-Salem, but there’s something much more personal on the line for the team: a sweep of the state.

Under new head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], the Blue Devils erased a 20-point deficit against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Week 5 before handing NC State a 29-19 loss in Raleigh in Week 11. The two results gave Duke its first single-season sweep of those schools since 2013, and one more win over Wake Forest would let the Blue Devils stay undefeated within North Carolina.

“It has been discussed,” Diaz said on Monday. “The state championship is a goal of ours. Without divisions in the league and the way the schedule works, we’ll play those teams every year. We cannot pretend to go make a run at the ACC without making run at our state. That’s a big deal to us.”

“We are the only team that has a chance to win the state this year,” he continued. “Our guys are aware of that.”

The Demon Deacons have lost three straight games to fall to 4-7 on the season, and they’ve only won two of their seven ACC games to this point. However, in Miami on Saturday, Wake Forest remained within six points of the Hurricanes through three quarters, so Duke clearly cannot sleepwalk to another win.

Diaz also specified the difference between his team’s goals and their weekly preparation.

“We don’t really talk about goals,” Diaz said. “We talk about standards. Our goal wasn’t to win nine in the regular season. We didn’t set out as a goal to win 10. It was about having a standard. Usually, when you play to the standard, it’s funny how suddenly goals will become in reach.”

The Blue Devils kick off their final regular-season game at noon Eastern time on Saturday on ACC Network.

Manny Diaz calls the Virginia Tech victory his team’s ‘worst performance to date’

Despite the Blue Devils defeating Virginia Tech on Saturday, head coach Manny Diaz sounded quite critical of the tape this week.

The Duke Blue Devils picked up their eighth win of the season on Saturday, handing the Virginia Tech Hokies a 31-28 loss in front of the Wallace Wade Stadium crowd, but head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] still saw areas for improvement on film.

In fact, during Diaz’s Monday press conference, he ranked it below all three of Duke’s losses.

“Of the 11 games we have played so far this year, it was, in my mind, our worst performance to date,” Diaz said. “We did so many things that in a normal game or normal circumstance would get you beat.”

Duke ended up with 396 yards of offense, mostly thanks to a pair of lightning-strike touchdowns from fifth-year wideout Eli Pancol on the first four plays from scrimmage. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] found Pancol for 86-yard and 77-yard scoring plays on the first two drives, but the Blue Devils also turned the ball over four times and converted just two of their 11 third downs.

Murphy’s ball security looked pretty stunning compared to his recent form. The first-year starter tossed the ball to the defense three times before halftime, his second three-interception game this month. However, in his other five battles against ACC opponents, Murphy’s only thrown one pick.

“We’re an aggressive offense anyways and we’ve been aggressive the last six weeks,” offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job at not putting the ball in jeopardy at times or trying to force things. We made a few mistakes and tried to push the ball into some territories it shouldn’t have been pushed to.”

Those three interceptions created 10 points for the Hokies, letting Virginia Tech take the lead late in the second quarter. While the record will only show a victory on the books, the head coach fell back on a familiar phrase to describe his thoughts.

“We talk all the time about success versus excellence,” Diaz said. “We were successful, but we were not excellent. We were way below our standard.”

Duke defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke named a Broyles Award nominee

Duke defensive coordinator Jonahtan Patke was one of 65 assistant coaches nominated for the Broyles Award on Tuesday.

Duke defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke was one of 65 assistant coaches nominated for the Broyles Award on Tuesday afternoon.

The trophy is given to the nation’s best assistant coach each season, and Patke’s work in his first year with the Blue Devils deserves commendation.

Through 11 games this season, the Blue Devils have racked up 99 tackles for loss (second among FBS defenses), 25 turnovers (also second), and 36 sacks (fifth) while allowing 6.0 yards per pass attempt (14th). Miami quarterback Cam Ward, a seasonlong contender for the Heisman Trophy, was the only quarterback to throw for more than 258 yards against Patke’s squad, and the Blue Devils nearly ended the season with as many interceptions (12) as touchdowns allowed (14).

The Blue Devils allowed 22.6 points per game this season, fifth-fewest in the ACC, and held seven of their first 11 opponents to 21 points or fewer.

Patke spent four years as [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag]’s linebackers coach with the Miami Hurricanes from 2018-21 before heading to Incarnate Word to coordinate the Cardinals’ defense. He spent one season there and one season in the same role at Texas State before rejoining Diaz in Durham.

Manny Diaz says Duke will discipline quarterback Maalik Murphy for middle-finger celebration

Duke football coach Manny Diaz said on Monday that the Blue Devils would discipline quarterback Maalik Murphy for his touchdown celebration.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] will face internal discipline for his touchdown celebration against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday.

Murphy hit fifth-year wideout Eli Pancol in stride for an 86-yard touchdown on the Blue Devils’ first play from scrimmage, and the ACC Network broadcast captured him extending both middle fingers into the air in the aftermath. During Manny Diaz’s Monday press conference, the Duke coach explained the context behind the behavior.

“There was a practice in the middle of last week when we were throwing post after post after post, and we weren’t completing them,” Diaz said. “And it was again and again and again and again. And at the end of that, there was a remark made in jest that, ‘If you throw a post for a touchdown in the game, then you can flick me off.'”

While there was an explanation for the outburst, Diaz didn’t sound particularly interested in excusing it.

“It’s something that is unacceptable in our program,” Diaz said. “It doesn’t represent who we are as Duke football. It certainly doesn’t represent who we are as Duke University. That will be handled and disciplined internally.”

Diaz did not elaborate on what that punishment would entail or whether it would affect Murphy’s availability against Wake Forest on Saturday.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl could include Duke Blue Devils, according to one projection

The Duke Blue Devils could end up playing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, according to the latest projection from USA TODAY Sports.

USA TODAY Sports writer Erick Smith released his updated bowl projections for the 2024 college football season on Monday, and the Blue Devils stayed in a familiar spot against a familiar opponent.

Smith slated Duke in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the same slot and opponent that [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team have drawn in the past several editions of Smith’s projections.

The Blue Devils put together one of their most productive (and dramatic) performances against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Week 13. Fifth-year wideout Eli Pancol ended the first two offensive drives with 86-yard and 77-yard touchdown receptions en route to an 188-yard game, earning him ACC Receiver of the Week honors, and quarterback Maalik Murphy broke a school record with his 25th passing touchdown of the season.

Despite four turnovers, Duke held on for a 31-28 victory over the Hokies to clinch its third straight eight-win season.

Over in the Big Ten, the Golden Gophers nearly upset the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, but the one-point loss left Minnesota just 6-5 for the season.

With a litany of SEC playoff hopefuls taking a hit over the weekend, Smith included a pair of ACC schools in his 12-team playoff bracket. The Miami Hurricanes took the first-round bye as conference champions, but the SMU Mustangs earned one of the remaining at-large bids.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the ESPN FPI rankings after Week 13?

After Duke’s eighth win of the 2024 college football season, where do the Blue Devils rank on the ESPN Football Power Index?

The Blue Devils continued their ascent up the college football world on Saturday night, scoring two touchdowns on their first four offensive plays en route to a 31-28 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

However, despite Duke’s 8-3 record, head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team remain well down the rankings on the ESPN Football Power Index.

The Blue Devils rose three spots to 55th in the national rankings on Sunday, and the improvement actually moved them back above the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC tumbled down to 57th after it spent Saturday on the wrong side of a 41-21 Boston College blowout.

However, several teams with worse records remain above Duke, even just in the ACC. The Eagles (6-5) vaulted up to 50th with their big win over the Tar Heels, the California Golden Bears (6-5) remain 46th despite nearly losing to Stanford, and the Hokies (5-6) themselves still managed to stay within the top 40.

The SMU Mustangs (12th) clinched a spot in the ACC title game with their victory over Virginia, and if the Miami Hurricanes (10th) beat Syracuse in Week 14, they’ll join them in Charlotte. However, an Orange upset would send the Clemson Tigers (14th) to the big game.

Duke football teases black end zone design for 2024’s final game at Wallace Wade Stadium

The Duke football team debuted its final end zone design of the 2024 regular season on Friday, a different look from the rest of the year.

The Duke Blue Devils play in front of the Wallace Wade Stadium crowd for the final time this season on Saturday night, and the team debuted a new field design for the occasion.

According to a photo shared by the team on Friday afternoon, the field crew painted the end zones black instead of the usual blue for this weekend’s game against Virginia Tech.

The Blue Devils usually don their traditional blue and white, but they’ve incorporated black into several uniform combinations already this season. Duke wore an all-black outfit against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Week 5, black jerseys against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 6, and black helmets against the Florida State Seminoles and NC State Wolfpack.

Duke has won four of its first five games in Durham this season, and since the start of 2022, the Blue Devils are 15-3 at Wallace Wade Stadium. A win over the Hokies could clinch their third consecutive eight-win season.

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