Duke finally figured out how to beat Wake Forest, ending a 12-game losing streak to the Demon Deacons, 34-27, on Saturday in Winston-Salem.
Duke used everything is had to get the win. It played three quarterbacks, seven different players carried the ball, and Desmond Scott had a big day catching passes.
Here are the grades from Duke's fourth victory in five games and Wake’s second loss in five contests:
Duke offense: The Blue Devils converted 10 of 17 3rd-down situations, ran the ball well enough (123 yards) to keep Wake honest, and made plays to notch the victory. Desmond Scott caught 11 passes for 135 yards, quarterback Anthony Boone subbed in timely to contribute 8-for-11 passing and a rushing touchdown, and overall Duke had the ball for five more minutes. Grade: B.
Wake offense: Wake totaled 397 yards but had four turnovers and QB Tanner Price only hit on half of his 38 pass attempts. It didn’t help that WR Michael Campanaro broke his hand (is out indefinitely). Campanaro is one of the best players in the ACC and by far Wake's most important player who doesn’t play quarterback. It clearly affected the Deacs. Grade: C+.
Duke defense: David Cutcliffe’s battered unit forced four turnovers and made some very big plays that allowed to offense to score enough points to get the victory. The D gave the offense the ball at Wake's 8-yard-line and 38, leading to a pair of TDs. It played with spirit, showed increased athleticism, and was physical. Grade: B-.
Wake defense: Duke scored 34 points but only 381 total yards, but it had some short fields to work with, and Wake struggled with its back against the wall. It wasn't an awful performance, but the D had trouble getting off the field. Duke converted 10 of 17 on third down and used nearly five more minutes despite running just three more plays. Grade: C.
Duke intangibles: Given the number of injuries that have hit the Devils, and continue to early on Saturday, that this was a road game, its first ACC game and against a team that had beaten Duke 12 consecutive times, this was a terrific performance that means a lot. Duke is now two wins away from being bowl eligible, which it hasn’t been since 1994. Grade: A.
Wake intangibles: The winning streak versus Duke was eventually going to have to end, but to have it happen when Wake missed many opportunities and beat itself is going to stick with the Demon Deacons for a while. Wake was flagged just twice, but the four turnovers, especially where two of them took place, were damaging. Grade: C.
