Manny Diaz couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2026 season. Not only is Duke 2-0, but it also earned the two wins over opponents it lost to in 2025. Duke started the year with a 17-3 win over Tulane in a defensive slugfest where the only offense it could muster was from star RB Nate Sheppard.
In Week 2, the Blue Devils were much more balanced with San Jose State transfer Walker Eget throwing for over 200 yards and three touchdowns as Duke pulled off a 31-27 road upset over Illinois.
Of course, neither of those results was enough to get Duke noticed by the national media. The Blue Devils remained unranked in the AP and Coaches' Polls this week. In the AP Poll, they didn't even garner a single vote.
But that's okay. Duke is used to the disrespect. Diaz will continue using it as motivation as he brings his team back home to face Stanford in Week 3 in their ACC opener.
How to watch Duke vs. Stanford in Week 3
- Date: Saturday, September 19th
- Time: 4:00pm ET
- Venue: Wallace Wade Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): CW
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Duke record: 2-0
- Stanford record: 1-1
What are the betting odds for Duke vs. Stanford?
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Spread: Duke -9.5
Over/Under: 51.5
Moneyline: Duke -400/Stanford +310
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Injury report for Duke and Stanford
This section will be updated when the ACC's availability reports come out later this week.
Duke:
- WR Javen Nicholas (Questionable)
Stanford:
Who are the announcers for Duke vs. Stanford?
Thom Brennaman (Play by Play), Jason Cabinda (Analyst), and Wes Bryant (Sideline Reporter) are the trio that will be on the call for this matchup on the CW.
What will the weather be like for Duke football on Saturday?
Expect a humid day in Durham with the high around 84 and a real feel of 89 degrees. There's an off-chance of a passing thunderstorm, as always this time of year, but hopefully Duke can avoid a weather delay for the second time in three weeks.
Duke vs. Stanford series history
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between Duke and Stanford, powers in the classroom, on the gridiron. It'll be the first meeting between the two in football as members of the ACC. Stanford leads the all-time series 3-1. The full list of games is below:
- 1971: Duke 9, Stanford 3
- 1972: Stanford 10, Duke 6
- 2011: Stanford 44, Duke 14
- 2012: Stanford 50, Duke 13
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