Despite falling to the SMU Mustangs by one point in overtime this weekend, a handful of Duke football stars still shined bright. Included among them were the three players named to the Pro Football Focus ACC Team of the Week on Sunday.
Linebacker Tre Freeman III led the way on the National Team of the Week after he forced a fumble and picked off a pass. He finished with six total tackles, and his fourth-quarter interception set the Blue Devils up for a go-ahead field goal attempt. Wide receiver Eli Pancol and cornerback Chandler Rivers joined him on the conference squad.
Pancol caught 11 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown, including a 25-yard scoring grab in overtime when he won a contested catch over a Mustangs defensive back. He also snagged the game-tying 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
On Rivers’ side of things, the star cornerback had two solo tackles and two assisted tackles. Most notably, though, he made a diving interception in the final five minutes to give the offense a chance at victory in regulation. It marked two weeks in a row that Rivers snagged an interception after he returned one for a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in Week 8.