Duke Stuns No. 9 Clemson in Prime Time

Duke Stuns No. 9 Clemson in Prime Time

 

 

 

DURHAM – Duke out-scored No. 9 Clemson 22-0 in the second half and handed the Tigers a 28-7 defeat in a Labor Day Night prime-time game on Monday in Durham.

 

 

 

 

The Blue Devils (1-0) feasted on three second-half turnovers by the Tigers (0-1) in claiming the program’s first win over an AP top-10 team since 1989 and snapping Clemson’s 12-game winning streak in ACC play.

 

 

Junior Riley Leonard threw for 175 yards and rushed for 98 yards, including an electrifying 44-yard touchdown run that saw the dual-threat quarterback break multiple tackles to give Duke the lead at 13-7 on the first possession of the second half. But it was Duke’s defense that pitched a second-half shutout after trailing 7-6 at halftime.

 

Senior safety Jaylen Stinson finished with nine tackles, a pass breakup and his 55-yard fumble return in the third quarter turned the tide that halted a lengthy Clemson drive. Junior Jaquez Moore cashed in the Stinson fumble return with a nine-yard touchdown sprint that made it 21-7 with 10:33 left in the fourth and graduate Jordan Waters‘ thundering 36-yard touchdown run put the game on ice with 3:15 left.

 

The win was Duke’s first over a ranked team since beating No. 15 North Carolina, 28-27, in 2016 and the first win over a top-10 team since beating No. 7 Clemson, 21-17, in Durham in 1989.

 

How It Happened

• Sophomore Todd Pelino put the Blue Devils up 3-0 following a 22-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter.
• The Cornelius, N.C., native added another field goal, this time from 42 yards out, early in the second quarter to extend Duke’s advantage to 6-0.
• The Blue Devils forced the Tigers to punt during the ensuing Clemson drive, but a muffed return handed the ball back to Clemson at the Duke 18-yard line. Five plays later, the Tigers found the end zone from two yards out for their lone score of the night.
• On the opening drive of the second half, Leonard broke free for a 44-yard touchdown jaunt to put Duke up 13-7 with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter.
• The Blue Devils controlled much of the final frame, finding the end zone twice on nine and 36-yard touchdown runs by Moore and Waters, respectively, to ultimately seal the win.