Duke Blue Devils at NC State Wolfpack

Murphy, Pelino, defense help Duke push past NC State 29-19 in in-state ACC matchup

The Blue Devils (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) allowed just one touchdown and forced a pair of takeaways, while Todd Pelino had two long field goals in spoiling the Wolfpack's home finale.

“It was a complete performance in all three phases, which it needed to be to win in an environment like this,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said.

Jordan Moore had a leaping 45-yard touchdown grab late in the first quarter to give Duke a 12-0 lead, while Sahmir Hagans had a 9-yard scoring catch early in the fourth to put Duke up 26-12. There was also Murphy using his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame to push through a goal-line collision for a 3-yard score — his first career rushing TD — to make it 19-12 with 4:37 left in the third.

And Pelino hit from 50 yards out in the first quarter and knocked through a critical 49-yarder with 2:12 left in the fourth to make it a two-possession game.

Otherwise, the game largely belonged to Duke's defense, which set an early tone by smothering Wolfpack freshman quarterback CJ Bailey in the end zone for a safety on NC State's second offensive snap.

Duke also forced a fumble by Bailey on the ensuing possession, then got Terry Moore's interception in the fourth when Bailey's off-target pass for Justin Joly bounced off Joly's hands to Moore to set up Hagans' score.

Bailey threw for 184 yards and a 16-yard touchdown catch to a sliding Wesley Grimes, who got his knees down inbounds on the left side for the fourth-down score that brought the Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4) within 26-19 with 9:01 left.

But the Wolfpack otherwise had to settle for four field goals from Kanoah Vinesett and finished with 268 total yards.

“We were able to get down there (in the red zone) quite a bit,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “But you've got to finish.”

The takeaway Duke: The resilient Blue Devils had already secured bowl eligibility in their first season under Diaz, then ended a two-game losing streak despite finishing with just 276 total yards — 31 on the ground — and going 0 for 9 on third downs.

NC State: The Wolfpack had won at California and then scored 59 points at home in last week's rout of Stanford for the program's biggest-ever output in any ACC game. But nothing came easily Saturday, with NC State converting just 3 of 15 third-down tries while star big-play receiver KC Concepcion had one carry for 4 yards and zero catches.

Key sequence Wolfpack nickelback Tamarcus Cooley had a huge play by stripping the ball loose from Eli Pancol after Duke had pushed to the 10-yard line in the final minute before halftime, then raced 70 yards the other direction.

Yet reserve tight end Jake Taylor stayed with the play to drag down a tiring Cooley and save a possible touchdown with 6 seconds left. The Wolfpack cashed in with Vinesett's 37-yard field goal to make it 12-9, but Taylor's relentless effort gave Duke its own pre-halftime boost.

Up next Duke: The Blue Devils have an open date before their home finale against Virginia Tech on Nov. 23.

NC State: The Wolfpack's open week awaits, followed by a trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech on Nov. 21 for a Thursday matchup.