Duke beat Boston College 47-2 at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday, and Nate Sheppard decided it with 5 rushing touchdowns. The Eagles' only points came on a defensive extra-point conversion. Their offense never scored.
The margin came from both sides of the ball. Duke outgained Boston College by nearly 170 yards, and the Eagles beat themselves with 15 penalties for 129 yards and 2 lost fumbles.
How It Happened
Sheppard opened the scoring with a 1-yard run at 7:33 of the first quarter. He added a 2-yard run at 3:39. Carter Davis then scored a defensive PAT conversion for Boston College on the extra-point try, leaving Duke ahead 13-2 after one quarter.
Duke stretched the lead in the second quarter. Sheppard broke a 54-yard touchdown run at 9:06. Walker Eget found Jeremiah Hasley for a 5-yard touchdown at 2:14, sending Duke into halftime up 27-2.
Sheppard put the game away in the third quarter. He scored from 4 yards at 10:41 and from 1 yard at 6:44, pushing the lead to 41-2.
Gavin Strange closed the scoring in the fourth. He hit a 41-yard field goal at 12:02 and a 24-yarder at 2:58.
Key Performers
Nate Sheppard, Duke: 5 rushing TD (1, 2, 54, 4 and 1 YDS)
Walker Eget, Duke: 5-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Hasley
Gavin Strange, Duke: 2 FG (41, 24 YDS), 5 extra points
Carter Davis, Boston College: Defensive PAT conversion, 2 points
Duke team: 382 total YDS, 233 passing YDS, 149 rushing YDS on 41 ATT, 16/25 passing
Boston College team: 213 total YDS, 135 passing YDS, 78 rushing YDS on 33 ATT, 14/27 passing
Sheppard's afternoon is the story, but the Duke passing game made his job easier. The Blue Devils averaged more than 9 yards per pass attempt, which kept the Boston College defense from crowding the line. That balance helped Duke hold the ball for 34 minutes.
Boston College's offense was the opposite. The Eagles managed just over 2 yards per carry and converted only 2 of 13 third downs. They also went 0-for-4 on fourth down, so every drive that stalled ended without points.
What It Means
Duke improves to 6-2 and 4-1 at home. The Blue Devils won this game on the line of scrimmage, running 41 times and turning short-yardage chances into touchdowns.
Boston College falls to 4-4. The bigger concern is how the Eagles travel: they are 3-1 at home and 1-3 on the road.
This loss fits that pattern. Away from home, Boston College committed 15 penalties and lost 2 fumbles, the kind of self-inflicted damage that buries a team on the road. Until the Eagles clean that up away from home, their road results are likely to keep lagging behind their home form.