Nate Sheppard scored three touchdowns and rushed for 154 yards in Duke’s 35-7 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Stanford on Saturday in Durham, N.C.
Sheppard scored on two running plays and on a reception as defending league champion Duke (3-0, 1-0 ACC) opened league play with a triumph for the fifth consecutive season and delighted a homecoming crowd.
Kavon Simmons and Jayvian Tanelus also ran for touchdowns as Duke racked up 268 yards on the ground. Walker Eget completed 14 of 24 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Stanford (1-2, 0-2) added to the program’s longest losing streak in games away from home, now sitting at 12. The Cardinal didn’t eclipse the 200-yard mark of total offense until less than seven minutes remained.
Stanford quarterback Davis Warren was 18-for-32 for 151 yards and a touchdown. Micah Ford gained 76 yards on 11 carries.
Duke converted an onside kick on the opening kickoff and quickly moved to the Stanford 2-yard line. Eget’s fourth-down pass was intercepted in the end zone by Darrius Davis.
Sheppard ran 32 yards for the game’s first points with 10:42 left in the second quarter, which also marked Duke’s first touchdown of the season longer than 20 yards.
Duke recovered Warren’s fumble less than two minutes later and took over at the Stanford 35. The Blue Devils pushed their lead to 14-0 on Eget’s third-down swing pass to Sheppard that covered 2 yards.
Stanford went 55 yards in six plays to score on Warren’s 5-yard pass to Caden High with 26 seconds left in the half.
Duke drove 75 for a touchdown on Sheppard’s 1-yard run on the second half’s opening possession. The Blue Devils added a little razzle-dazzle with receiver Simmons’ 16-yard run later in the third quarter.
Tanelus scored on a fourth-quarter run.
–Field Level Media
