RALEIGH – Nate Sheppard needed just four offensive plays to put Duke ahead Saturday afternoon. By halftime, the Blue Devils had turned their annual meeting with NC State into a rout.
Sheppard rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and Andrew Pellicciotta returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a score as Duke overwhelmed NC State 41-3 at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Blue Devils won their fourth consecutive meeting with the Wolfpack, extending a streak that has included back-to-back victories in Raleigh for the first time since 1959 and 1961.
The victory improved Duke to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. NC State dropped to 4-5 and 2-4, suffering its largest defeat against Duke since 1956.
Sheppard, who established a school record with five rushing touchdowns the previous week, continued his record-setting season with 217 yards on just 18 carries. His three touchdowns pushed his season total to 17, establishing a new Duke single-season rushing touchdown record. He also became the first Blue Devil to record consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
His first touchdown came almost immediately.
After Walker Eget converted third-and-10 with a 13-yard completion to Jonah Burton, Sheppard broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run just 48 seconds into the game. The four-play, 82-yard opening possession established an offensive advantage that NC State never managed to overcome.
The Wolfpack answered with their only points of the afternoon. CJ Bailey connected with Keenan Jackson for 21 yards on a flea-flicker to open the ensuing possession, and NC State eventually reached the Duke 22 before settling for a 39-yard Kanoah Vinesett field goal.
That was as close as the Wolfpack would get.
Duke extended its advantage to 14-3 early in the second quarter when Sheppard scored from eight yards out, finishing a 12-play, 77-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes. The sophomore had already accumulated 98 rushing yards in the opening quarter, the fifth-highest single-quarter total in school history.
The Blue Devils then took complete control in the closing minutes of the first half.
Gavin Strange connected on a 25-yard field goal with 3:14 remaining before Eget found Jaivon Solomon for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left. Duke appeared headed to the locker room with a 24-3 advantage, but the final play of the half produced an even larger margin.
NC State attempted a 50-yard field goal as time expired. The kick fell short, and Pellicciotta caught it in the end zone before racing 109 yards for a touchdown. The return pushed Duke's halftime lead to 31-3 and completed a 17-point surge over the final 3:14 of the second quarter.
Pellicciotta, who previously returned a fumble for a touchdown against North Carolina, became the first Duke player since DeVon Edwards in 2013 to score both a defensive and special teams touchdown in the same season.
The Wolfpack's offensive struggles continued after intermission.
NC State managed just 32 rushing yards on 25 attempts and finished with 217 total yards, matching Sheppard's individual rushing total. The Wolfpack converted only three of 14 third downs and punted seven times while failing to score a touchdown for the first time since its 2023 meeting with Duke.
A failed fourth-and-one attempt at the NC State 40 midway through the third quarter gave Duke another short field. Sheppard gained 26 yards on the ensuing possession before scoring from four yards out to extend the lead to 38-3.
Strange completed the scoring with a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Duke finished with 461 yards of offense, including 238 on the ground. Eget completed 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, while Solomon caught five passes for 71 yards and a score. The Blue Devils also controlled possession for nearly 36 minutes.
Bailey completed 15 of 24 passes for 123 yards for NC State before Tad Hudson took over and added 62 passing yards. Hunter Provience led the Wolfpack with five receptions for 51 yards, while Amiri Acker contributed 54 yards on two catches.
Nick Morris Jr. led Duke's defense with six tackles, and Preston Watson and Kobe Smith each recorded a sack. NC State linebacker Popo Aguirre finished with a game-high eight tackles despite leaving in the third quarter with an injury.
The Blue Devils will face a considerably different challenge next Saturday when they travel to No. 1 Miami for a noon kickoff. NC State will return to Carter-Finley Stadium to host Syracuse, also at noon.
.png)
