RALEIGH, N.C. — Maalik Murphy led the Duke Blue Devils to a significant 29-19 victory over N.C. State on Saturday night by throwing two touchdown passes and scoring the go-ahead touchdown with a short keeper in the third quarter.
On a night dominated by defensive plays, the Blue Devils (7-3, 3-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) managed to secure the win, allowing only one touchdown while forcing two turnovers and benefiting from a pair of long field goals by Todd Pelino.
Pelino first kicked a 50-yard field goal in the opening quarter and later capped off his night with a crucial 49-yarder with only 2:12 left in the game, extending Duke’s lead to two possessions.
Jordan Moore made a spectacular 45-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter, putting Duke ahead 12-0. In the early moments of the fourth quarter, Sahmir Hagans added to the score with a 9-yard touchdown reception that extended their lead to 26-12. The Duke defense played a pivotal role, establishing their dominance from the outset by tackling Wolfpack freshman quarterback CJ Bailey in the end zone during an RPO keeper, resulting in a safety just two plays into NC State’s offense.
Duke’s defense continued to apply pressure, forcing a fumble by Bailey on the next possession. In the fourth quarter, Terry Moore recorded an interception on a pass that was mishandled by Justin Joly, leading to Hagans’ touchdown shortly thereafter.
Bailey managed to throw for 184 yards and connected with Wesley Grimes for a sliding 16-yard touchdown catch, getting the Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4) back within reach, trailing 26-19 with 9:01 remaining in the game. However, N.C. State struggled to find their rhythm, settling for four field goals from Kanoah Vinesett and accumulating less than 200 yards of total offense before the final quarter, finishing the game with 268 total yards.
This victory secured bowl eligibility for Duke under head coach Manny Diaz in his first season, despite the team’s previous overtime loss to No. 13 SMU and a defeat at the hands of No. 4 Miami. The Blue Devils achieved this win while amassing just 276 total yards, including a mere 31 on the ground, all while failing to convert on their nine third-down attempts.
Conversely, the Wolfpack had recently stabilized after a win at California and a high-scoring home game against Stanford. Yet, the struggle continued in this matchup, as Bailey faced relentless pressure and could only convert 3 of 15 third-down opportunities.
Looking ahead, Duke will host Virginia Tech for their final home game next Saturday, while NC State will take a break before heading to Atlanta for a game against Georgia Tech on November 21, which will occur on a Thursday.