No. 19 Duke Falls to Virginia Tech 17-16

Saturday, November 15

Durham, N.C.

12:00 PM

Duke University

Virginia Tech

Cash and Tomlinson Garner All-American Selections

No. 19 Duke Falls to Virginia Tech 17-16

11/15/2014 3:57:00 PM | Football

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. -- Virginia Tech outscored Duke 17-6 over three quarters and held on to hand 19th-ranked Duke a 17-16 setback in a key Coastal Division matchup at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday afternoon. The loss ends Duke's eight-game home win streak.

After Duke (8-2, 4-2 ACC) jumped out to a 10-0 lead with a dominant offensive performance in the first quarter, the Blue Devils struggled to move the ball on the Hokies. Virginia Tech (5-5, 2-4 ACC) outscored Duke 17-6 over a span of the next three quarters and held off a late charge from the Blue Devils for the win. All 17 of Virginia Tech's points came off of Duke turnovers.

Trailing 17-16 and having been unable to move up the field on the Virginia Tech defense for much of the afternoon, Duke quarterback Anthony Boone and the Blue Devils grinded out 36 yards to the Virginia Tech 22 to set up a 40-yard Ross Martin field goal attempt.

Having made 3-of-4 field goals already, including a 48-yard strike, Martin missed for just the second time this season on the 40-yard attempt to let Virginia Tech escape with the win.

Boone finished the game 18-of-40 for 181 yards and two interceptions. Josh Snead paced the running game with 54 yards on nine carries and Duke's lone touchdown. Jamison Crowder moved into second place past Clarkston Hines on the Duke career yards chart with 3,364 yards after catching six passes for 73 yards.

The first half was a tale of two quarters as Duke raced out of the gates to a 10-0 lead on its opening two possessions. The Blue Devils' defense was equally as unstoppable as it held Virginia Tech to just 40 yards of offense and one first down in the opening frame.

Duke finished the game with a season-high six sacks and nine tackles for loss overall. DeVon Edwards led all players with 12 stops, including seven solo tackles. Jeremy Cash finished the afternoon with seven tackles, including two sacks and three overall tackles for loss.

Ross Martin started the scoring with a 36-yard field goal and Snead capped the first-quarter scoring with a two-yard plunge into the end zone. The Blue Devils averaged 6.8 yards per play in the opening stanza compared to Virginia Tech's 3.1. Duke totaled nine plays of 10-plus yards in the frame.

The second quarter was a different story as the tables started to turn in Virginia Tech's favor. The Hokies forced a turnover on their own 2-yard line and proceeded to march 98 yards on 12 plays to pull within a score at 10-7 with 9:49 remaining in the opening half.

Duke's offense continued to struggle against the physical Virginia Tech defense. After amassing 176 yards in the opening quarter, the Blue Devils managed just 40 yards in the second quarter. In reverse, the Hokies totaled 141 yards of offense in the second frame compared to its 40 in the first period.

Despite Virginia Tech controlling time of possession, the Hokies managed just the one touchdown as Duke took a 10-7 lead into the locker room.

The Blue Devils stopped their scoring drought midway through the third quarter with a 48-yard field goal from Martin to extend Duke's lead to six. The points were the first for Duke since 8:06 left in the first quarter, a 29:19 span. Martin tacked on another field goal from 24 yards late in the third quarter to bring Duke's lead back to two scores, 16-7.

Duke's first-quarter defense made a return in the third quarter, sacking Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer four times and holding the Hokies to -1 yards of total offense in the third period. Virginia Tech's lone points of the quarter came on a 35-yard field goal after Duke held the Hokies to a field goal on a Blue Devil turnover on their own 9-yard line.

After failing to find the end zone on the previous Duke turnover just moments before, the Hokies capitalized on a second straight Blue Devil giveaway. Virginia Tech recovered a fumble on the Duke 27-yard line and five plays later put six on the board to take a 17-16 lead and set up the exciting finish.

Duke will have a quick turnaround to its next game against North Carolina. The Blue Devils host their Tobacco Road rivals Thursday Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

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