Duke Falls to No. 6 Stanford, 44-14

Saturday, September 10

Durham, N.C.

3:30 PM

Duke University

Stanford

Duke Falls to No. 6 Stanford, 44-14

9/10/2011 6:30:00 PM | Football

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. - After pulling within three points late in the second quarter, the Blue Devils could not hold off the Cardinal in the second half as No. 6 Stanford posted a 44-14 win over Duke Saturday afternoon in front of 24,785 fans at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Freshman receiver Jamison Crowder finished the game with 190 all-purpose yards, including 134 kickoff return yards and 47 yards receiving, a performance that ranks seventh all-time among Duke freshmen, and fellow receiver Conner Vernon caught six passes for 98 yards to pace the Duke offense.

Blue Devil quarterback Sean Renfree completed 19-of-27 passes for 179 yards, but Duke could not slow down the Cardinal offense, which racked up 504 total yards on the day. Quarterback Andrew Luck threw for four touchdowns and completed 20-of-29 passes for 290 yards, while receiver Chris Owusu caught seven passes for 106 yards to lead Stanford.

On its opening drive, the Cardinal covered 85 yards on nine plays to take the early 7-0 lead, but Duke looked to respond on its first possession as the Blue Devils accumulated 70 yards in nine plays. Yet the promising drive into Stanford territory came up short after a missed 27-yard field goal and the two teams ended up trading possessions for the remainder of the quarter.

After three minutes of play in the second quarter, Stanford added to its lead following a 40-yard field goal, putting the Cardinal up 10-0 with 12:01 remaining in the first half.

The Blue Devils again had the opportunity to cut into the early Stanford advantage after a fake punt resulted in a 21-yard connection between punter Alex King and back Jay Hollingsworth on fourth-and-seven. Duke forged ahead to the Stanford 27, but had to settle for the 45-yard field goal try, which drifted right of the goal post.

Stanford again pushed into Duke territory, but momentum shifted heavily in the Blue Devils' favor as senior safety Lee Butler picked off a deflected Luck pass and returned it 76 yards for the touchdown. The play marked the seventh longest interception return for a touchdown in school history and Duke's longest since 2004.

Looking to capitalize on the momentum swing, Duke attempted an on-side kick, which was recovered by the Blue Devils at the Cardinal 39. However, Duke's offense could not sustain the drive and the Blue Devils were forced to punt.

With just 1:17 left in the half, Stanford needed only four Luck completions to mount a 59-yard touchdown drive and take a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The second half belonged to the Cardinal as Stanford totaled 251 yards and four touchdowns after the intermission. Duke, led by redshirt-freshman quarterback Anthony Boone, registered its second touchdown of the game with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Boone hit 7-of-9 passes for 70 yards to lead the Blue Devils on their final drive, covering 76 yards. Boone capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run, marking his second career touchdown in as many games.

On defense, safety Matt Daniels matched his career-high with 13 tackles, including eight solo, while end Kenny Anunike recorded his first two career sacks in the game.

Duke will hit the road for its next contest, traveling to Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 17 for both teams' ACC opener. The Blue Devils and the Eagles will kick off at 12:30 p.m., from Alumni Stadium.

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