Biggest Winners From Duke Football's Win Over William & Mary

The Blue Devils cruised to a home victory over William & Mary.

Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs onto the field before the start of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke Blue Devils cruised to a 62-7 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium over William & Mary on Saturday. Duke is now 4-0 for the second time under head coach Manny Diaz.

We didn't exactly learn all that much about the Blue Devils today, but it was a good opportunity for some of the team's stars to get some extra rest before the program heads into the bye.

Sep 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Kavon Simmons (7) celebrates a touchdown against the William & Mary Tribe during the second quarter and celebrates with running back Nate Sheppard (20) and wide receiver Brody Keefe (18) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Superstar running back Nate Sheppard tallied 116 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries, which is ironically his worst outing of the 2026 campaign. Nonetheless, it was a good chance for some of the guys lower on the depth chart to see some extended time.

Duke was once again firing on all cylinders in Week 4. It's pretty tough to find any losers from this one, but let's go through some of the biggest winners from the Blue Devils' victory over the Tribe.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Dan Mahan (12) celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

QB Dan Mahan

Starting quarterback Walker Eget completed 16-of-22 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns before redshirt freshman Dan Mahan came in to relieve him. In his first extended collegiate action, Mahan looked the part.

The Burlington, NC native completed 6-of-7 passes for 126 yards and three touchdown passes. Granted, it was against an FCS opponent, but Mahan looked smooth and comfortable. He probably won't get much more time on the field in 2026 as long as Eget stays healthy, but Duke looks set at the quarterback spot down the road.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (1) tackles Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) during the second half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jaivon Solomon, Jayden Moore, Kavon Simmons, CJ Givers, Jared Richardson, Brody Keefe

All of these guys have something in common: they all scored their first touchdowns as members of the Duke football program against William & Mary. Both Moore and Keefe made fantastic catches for their scores, and for Keefe, it was a heck of a first catch of your collegiate career.

The Blue Devils aired out some more deep balls in the lopsided victory and got to experiment with the offense a bit. Duke's quarterbacks connected with double-digit receivers on Saturday, and most of them reaped the benefits.

Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Second-Half Defense

Again, the level of competition matters, but the Blue Devils were once again dominant on the defensive side of the ball in the second half. Duke held the Tribe scoreless through the final three quarters and has allowed a combined six points to opponents in the second half of games this season.

The Blue Devils now head into the bye week riding a ton of momentum. Duke's next contest will be on the road against Georgia Tech on Oct. 10.