Duke Remains Unbeaten with Comeback Victory over UConn

Saturday, September 14

Durham, N.C.

6 p.m.

Duke University

3-0 , 0-0

UConn

1-2 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UConn

Duke

Duke running back Star Thomas ran for 122 yards versus UConn.

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Remains Unbeaten with Comeback Victory over UConn

9/14/2024 10:21:00 PM | Football

Box Score Duke Postgame Notes (PDF)Duke Quotes (PDF)UConn Quotes (PDF)Coach Diaz: Postgame Press Conference Que'Sean Brown: Postgame Press Conference Jaylen Stinson: Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. – For the second consecutive week, Duke rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit for a win, this time a 26-21 victory over Connecticut on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils (3-0) remain undefeated and have now won 10 times in their last 11 home games.

Duke amassed a season-high 409 yards of total offense, sparked by redshirt sophomore quarterback Maalik Murphy with 267 yards and three touchdowns through the air on 28-of-43 passing. Redshirt freshman receiver Que'Sean Brown collected a game-high 11 receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, while senior Jordan Moore (five catches for 73 yards) and graduate student Eli Pancol (four receptions for 61 yards) each grabbed touchdown passes.

Graduate student running back Star Thomas topped the Duke ground attack with 122 yards on 22 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per tote.

Duke entered the contest as the national leader in tackles for loss with 27 and added to that figure with seven takedowns behind the line of scrimmage on Saturday. Senior linebacker Cameron Bergeron tallied a pair of stops for a loss among his seven tackles, while fellow linebacker Alex Howard also registered seven tackles with an assisted sack. Redshirt senior safety Jaylen Stinson rounded out the seven-tackle trio, while adding two pass break-ups. Senior cornerback Joshua Pickett denied three potential pass completions.

Junior kicker Todd Pelino drilled field goals from 47 and 53 yards, equaling the seventh-longest field goal in Duke history and the longest since 2015.

Saturday marked Duke's first time with consecutive wins when trailing at the start of the fourth quarter since Nov. 2014.

With the win, Duke improved to 3-0 for a third consecutive season for just the second time in program history (1933-34-35-36). Blue Devil head coach Manny Diaz joined Mike Elko (2022), Fred Goldsmith (1994), Steve Spurrier (1987), Mike McGee (1971), Tom Harp (1966) and Floyd J. Egan (1920) as Duke head coaches to win their first three games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After forcing a UConn punt on the Huskies' opening possession, Duke marched for its longest scoring drive of the season, covering 92 yards on nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on a Jordan Moore four-yard strike from Maalik Murphy.
Duke's defense set up the Duke offense on the plus side of the field following Chandler Rivers' first career forced fumble and Todd Pelino drilled a career-long 53-yard field goal to put Duke ahead 10-0 with 12:10 remaining in the first half.
Duke reached the end zone on its next drive, courtesy of a 36-yard connection by Murphy to Eli Pancol. The touchdown catch was Pancol's fourth of the season, setting his new career-high for touchdown catches in a single season.
On the next Duke possession, a deflected Murphy pass landed in the hands of a Connecticut linebacker and was returned 64 yards for a touchdown, trimming the Blue Devils' lead to 10, 17-7, with just under four minutes before halftime.
The Huskies took their first lead of the contest, 21-17, after a touchdown catch at the 8:21 mark of the third quarter capped off a five-play, 75-yard drive.
The margin remained the same at the end of the third quarter, but a 47-yard Pelino field goal on the first play of the final stanza cut the Duke deficit to just one, 21-20. Terry Moore kept the momentum on Duke's side, intercepting a Connecticut pass at near midfield, putting the ball back in the hands of the Blue Devils' offense with 14:06 on the clock.
Que'Sean Brown reached double-digit receptions with his first career touchdown catch seven plays later, but a failed two-point conversion left Duke ahead by just five, 26-21.
Duke's defense forced UConn to a field goal attempt with just under six minutes remaining, but the Huskies' try missed the mark and the Blue Devils ran the rest of the clock out for the victory.

UP NEXT

Duke is at Middle Tennessee next Saturday, Sept. 21. The updated kickoff time is 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".

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