Duke and Virginia meet Saturday in a matchup featuring two teams looking to rebound from recent losses. The Blue Devils dropped a 24-20 rivalry game to North Carolina at home, their second straight ACC defeat, while Virginia fell to SMU. The game carries extra weight for the Cavaliers, who lost to Duke in overtime in the ACC Championship Game last season and missed out on a College Football Playoff berth. Coach Tony Elliott has not let the roster forget that result, even with significant personnel turnover.
Duke holds a statistical edge on offense behind quarterback Walker Eget, who has been sacked only twice and owns an 8-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Running back Nate Sheppard ranks fifth nationally with 138 carries and averages 5.9 yards per rush; he also leads the team with 28 receptions for 259 yards. Duke averages 5.4 yards per carry as a team and ranks among the top 30 nationally in third-down conversion percentage. Virginia's offense has slipped to 104th nationally in yards per play following the departures of quarterback Chandler Morris and running back J'Mari Taylor. Beau Pribula has posted a 13-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but the Cavaliers convert fewer than 33 percent of third downs overall and just 25 percent in conference play.
Defensively, the teams are nearly identical, ranking 36th and 38th nationally in yards per play allowed, with Duke holding a 0.03-yard advantage. Both units posted better numbers before conference play began. Duke boasts a top-10 defense on third downs, while Virginia has relied on a plus-5 turnover margin and only three giveaways all season. Duke has forced just five turnovers but has protected the ball well. With few turnovers expected, the outcome may hinge on which offense can sustain long drives.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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