CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Duke running back Nate Sheppard threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Brody Keefe with 1:14 left to give the Blue Devils a 19-16 win over Virginia on Friday night at Scott Stadium, snapping a two-game losing streak.
“Where the last two weeks, these last four minutes have gone against us, tonight, our guys found a way to finish,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “Great to finish. We needed this.”
Virginia went ahead 16-13 on a 30-yard field goal by Will Bettridge with three minutes left in the game, but a defense that controlled much of the game got caught by surprise when it mattered most.
“I feel like we played great until that last snap when we gave up that busted play,” UVA linebacker Kam Robinson said. “We really wasn’t even expecting that. I just thought, they just had run that same play to the field. I just thought they were going to run it to the boundary. But he turned around and threw the ball. It was crazy.”
Sheppard, the Atlantic Coast Conference's leading rusher, was held to 55 yards on 15 carries, most of that coming on a 32-yard scoring run on Duke's first possession. But his perfectly executed trick play still carried the Blue Devils (5-2, 2-2) to the win.
“It was well designed because they got their best player with the ball in his hands," Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. "So, he’s going to draw a lot of attention. And then, it was a very similar concept to what happened the play before, with the swing pass with an escort blocker in front of him. And then guys just not doing their job in a critical moment.”
Jekail Middlebrook ran 24 times for 117 yards and a touchdown for the Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3), who lost at home for the first time this season. Quarterback Beau Pribula went 15 for 24 for 158 yards. His final pass of the game was intercepted by Duke's Patrick Smith-Young.
After gaining 78 yards on four plays and taking a 7-0 lead, Duke’s offense bogged down, unable to find yards against UVA. Its final four possessions of the first half all ended with punts as it managed just 36 yards on 15 plays on those drives, all led by backup quarterback Dan Mahan.
That opened the door for Virginia to take a 13-7 lead at halftime.
Duke's Gavin Strange kicked a 39-yard field goal for the only points in the third quarter, then added another 39-yarder to tie it 13-all with 8:50 left in the game.
Duke and Virginia met twice last season. The Cavaliers scored a 34-17 road win during the regular season, but, three weeks later, the Blue Devils edged UVA in overtime in the ACC championship game, denying it a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Duke: The Blue Devils snapped their two game slide and won despite struggling on both sides of the ball, keeping their hopes of reaching the ACC title game for a second straight year alive.
Virginia: The Cavaliers suffered their third loss in their last four games, despite getting a stellar showing from the defense. The offense gained yards but couldn't score points.
Duke: Hosts Boston College on Oct. 31
Virginia: At Wake Forest on Oct. 31.
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