DURHAM — The evening couldn’t have started much worse for Duke. Starting quarterback Riley Leonard’s ankle injury, suffered at the end of the Notre Dame loss in their last game two weeks ago, wasn’t able to play against NC State, meaning that Henry Belin IV, a redshirt freshman and veteran of 14 college passes, all against lower-level FCS opponents, would get his first career start.
The Duke students were on fall break, meaning Wallace Wade Stadium had a large, vocal contingent of NC State fans, nullifying the Blue Devils’ home-field advantage.
Once play started, things got worse.
Belin was harassed by the Wolfpack pass rush on the first drive, throwing incomplete while running for his life, then throwing an interception that set up an NC State field goal.
Just about the only person in the stadium who wasn’t worried at that point was Belin himself.
“Just a miscue,” he said, in an on-field radio interview after the game. “You know. Next play mentality. I knew we were fine. Everything would be fine.”
It was better than that, as Duke’s defense took control of the game and throttled an NC State offense that produced 48 points last week, beating the Wolfpack 24-3 and setting up a showdown with unbeaten, top-five Florida State in Tallahassee next week.
Belin completed his next pass, his first ever against top-level college competition, for nine yards on the next drive. His next pass went for 21. Then he found Jalen Calhoun, wide open after a double-move, for a 69-yard touchdown.
An interception and return set Duke up inside the 10 in the second half, and Belin threw his second touchdown of the game, for 8 yards to Jeremiah Hasley. Belin finished 4 of 12 for 107 yards and two scores.
“I was happy with how Henry managed the game,” said Duke coach Mike Elko. “It was not the best passing night, but by and large, he managed the game, and we hit explosive plays on offense.”
In addition to the long pass to Calhoun, running back Jordan Waters had a back-breaking 83-yard touchdown run on Duke’s first offensive snap of the second half to essentially end any hope the Wolfpack had of a comeback.
“We knew we’d have to hit explosive plays against that defense,” Elko said, “and we hit just enough to be successful.”
The win put Duke at 5-1 on the year and 2-0 in the ACC, its best league start since 2015 and just the third time Duke has started 2-0 in the last 30 years.
The real credit for the win, however, went to a defense that choked off any offensive threat from the Wolfpack all night long. State actually did not gain a yard on the field goal drive to open the game. On their other 11 drives in the game, the Wolfpack punted six times, lost the ball on downs three times, had one drive end due to halftime and threw an interception. Before moving the ball on the game’s last two drives, when Duke was playing prevent to avoid a big play, State gained 163 yards in the game. They managed just three points, the first ACC foe to score as few against Duke since Virginia in 2008.
“I would hope people would start giving this defense credit,” Elko said.
Now the Blue Devils will play FSU for a share of the league lead in a prime-time game next week.
“That’s where Duke football is at right now,” Elko said.
In the other locker room, State was looking for answers after falling to 4-3, 1-2 in ACC play. Linebacker Payton Wilson apologized to Wolfpack fans after the game. “That’s not what they deserve.”
“We beat ourselves,” said quarterback MJ Morris. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Coach Dave Doeren appeared to point the finger of blame squarely on the players. Of Waters’ 83-yard run, Doeren said, “We were in a blitz. One of the guys was supposed to slow down. He didn’t.”
He then blamed the Calhoun touchdown on “technique” and singled out a Wolfpack linebacker for missing an assignment on another big Duke play.
“We just didn’t execute, man,” he said. “It’s a game where 11 guys have to execute. … We had penalty after penalty, drop after drop. We were dysfunctional in the first half.”
Doeren kept the Wolfpack in the locker room until just over two minutes remained in halftime, but his message didn’t sink in, apparently.
“I thought the guys came in with a good look in their eye,” the coach said. “They were PO-ed. They said a bunch of good things, then didn’t come onto the field and get it done. Bottom line.”
