Everything is coming up Duke in Raleigh.
It had already been a totally dominant first half for the Blue Devils. The offense was clicking on all cylinders with Nate Sheppard racking up 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on just 13 attempts. Walker Eget has continued to settle in and was an efficient 18-of-25 for 173 yards to go along with a touchdown pass to Jaivon Solomon to put Duke up 24-3 with 26 seconds to go.
And all of that is now a mere footnote.
NC State chose to be aggressive to try and grab some momentum back before the half. They quickly moved into field goal range and decided to try a 50-yarder on the final play of the half. The kick came up short, landing in the arms of Andrew Pellicciotta, who promptly took the ball 109 yards back the other way for a kick-six:
WHAT A WAY TO END THE HALF! ANDREW PELLICCIOTTA 109 YARDS!!! pic.twitter.com/ObchjXtY7C
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 7, 2026
The sophomore safety missed the last two games with an injury. He looked pretty healthy there. Just an absolutely insane return. He reversed field twice! He made everyone out there miss. He had to have run 175 yards on this play. Get that man an oxygen tank in the locker room.
Manny Diaz has Duke playing their best football at the right time
This game was a bit concerning coming in. NC State was coming off a three-touchdown win over Cal, and winning on the road is never easy. But for the second week in a row, it looks like Duke is really hitting its stride at the right time.
The 31-3 lead over NC State isn't insurmountable, but it's pretty close even with an entire half to play. With the schedule that Duke has coming up, this was a critical game for the Blue Devils. They still have road games against Miami and Wake Forest to go, with a home date with Clemson sandwiched in between. The 'Canes and the Deacons have been the top two teams in the ACC all year.
Duke is playing complementary football better than they have all season lately. Sheppard looks like a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender, but more importantly for the offense has been the emergence of Eget and the passing game. That is allowing Duke to be balanced, punishing opponents who put all their focus on Sheppard. And if you don't put your whole focus on Sheppard, he has the type of game he's having against the Wolfpack.
The defense is also playing lights out, holding NC State to just three points. And now the special teams has stepped up and made a massive play that is likely the final nail in NC State's coffin.
Don't look now, but Diaz and his team are looking like a real ACC contender once again.
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