The defensive power Duke earned the victory over Florida State

Duke Athletics

16

Florida St.
FSU

1-6, 1-5

23

winner

duke
YOU

6-1, 2-1

Florida St.
FSU

1-6, 1-5

16

23

winner

Points by quarters

team	1	2	3	4	F
FSU Florida St.	3	3	7	3	16
YOU duke	7	10	3	3	23

Match Review: Football | Oct 18, 2024 11:16 p.m

DURHAM, N.C — Duke racked up 11 tackles for a loss with six sacks and forced four turnovers that led to 17 points as the Blue Devils defeated Florida State 23-16 on Friday night at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Junior defender Chandler Rivers started Duke's turnover trend with a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.

Florida State committed turnovers on each of its next two offensive snaps – a fumble forced by a senior linebacker Ozzie Nicholas and recovered by the graduate defensive end Ryan Smith This led to a 2-yard touchdown run by the graduate running back Star Thomasfollowed by an interception by Nicholas that set up a 27-yard field goal by the junior kicker Todd Pelino.

Duke had a 17-3 lead thanks to three consecutive takeaways from the Blue Devils.

Late in the fourth quarter, with Duke defending a seven-point lead, Florida State advanced to the 31-yard line before the Blue Devils forced their fourth down – a fumble forced by a veteran nose tackle Christian Rorie and recovered by freshman tackle Preston Watson.

Nicholas and senior linebacker Cameron Bergeron Surpassed Duke's defensive performance with nine takedowns each while playing linebacker Alex Howard recorded a pair of sacks and a sophomore defensive end Wesley Williams contributed 2.5 stops for a loss with 1.5 sacks.

Thomas finished the night with 88 yards on the ground, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, while Pelino converted all three field goal attempts and both extra-point kicks to score 11 points.

Duke improves to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in ACC play, while Florida State falls to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in conference.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Just over four minutes into the contest, Florida State got on the board first thanks to a short field goal.
• A blocked field goal by Wesley WilliamsAt 4:08 minutes the score remained 3-0. Duke's defense then increased the pressure and started with a pick-6 by Chandler Riverswhich gave Duke the 7-3 lead. The Blue Devils defense immediately followed up with another takeaway when Ozzie Nicholas forced a fumble on the first play of the ensuing Florida State drive.
• Duke's ground game produced the next score Star Thomas hit the ball on fourth down from two yards out to give Duke a 14-3 lead with 11:43 left in the second quarter.
• A third straight Florida State play that ended in a turnover came courtesy of an interception Ozzie Nicholas – his second career choice. Duke turned the takeaway into points when Todd Pelino missed a field goal from 27 yards out to give the Blue Devils a 17-3 lead.
• The Seminoles converted their second field goal of the half, this time from 53 yards, cutting Duke's lead to 11, 17-6, with 1:46 on the clock before halftime. The visitors answered the kickoff of the second half with a touchdown and drew within four games at 17:13. Duke responded with a 10-play drive capped by a 44-yard field goal by Pelino.
• Another Florida State field goal from 38 yards put the Seminoles back within 20-16 with less than 12 minutes to play.
• A long run by Thomas brought the Blue Devils to the edge of the red zone, where Pelino converted his third field goal of the contest from 39 yards and gave Duke a touchdown to put Duke back in the lead, 23-16.
• Florida State moved the ball to the Duke 33-yard line and threatened to tie the game, but the Blue Devils forced their fourth turnover of the night, this time on a forced fumble Christian Rorie and recovered from Preston Watson with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter.
• The Seminoles regained the ball at their own 41-yard line with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter and still trailed by seven points. After advancing to the Duke 38-yard line, the Blue Devils collected their sixth sack, forcing Florida State on second-and-19. Duke's 11th tackle for loss on fourth down gave the Blue Devils their sixth win of the season.

NEXT

• Duke hosts No. 21/23 SMU next Saturday, October 26th. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ACC Network.

For more information on Duke football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching “https://goduke.com/news/2024/10/18/DukeFOOTBALL.”



Duke Centenary
In 2024, Duke will celebrate its centennial, marking 100 years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen understanding of its history, inspire pride, strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of sustained excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.



#GoDuke