Big play rundown from Duke-Virginia Tech

A look at the turnovers, touchdowns and trickery from Duke's big win

Duke posted a resounding 45-10 win at Virginia Tech on Friday night. Here’s a look at some of the big plays that turned the Coastal showdown into a laugher.

Shooting themselves in the foot

Penalties have been a recurring problem for Duke this year, and the pattern repeated itself at the start of the game. Duke had a pass interference penalty on Virginia Tech’s first drive and a third-down offsides call to extend another first quarter drive.

Later in that drive, cornerback Leonard Johnson made an outstanding play on a third-down pass in the end zone. Replays showed that it was an interception, but the play was wiped out, because Derrick Tangelo was flagged for roughing the passer.

Virginia Tech would kick a field goal for its first points of the game to finish off that drive.

Key play on D

Duke’s offense slogged through three three-and-out drives to start the game, but a defensive breakthrough gave the offense the jump start it needed.

A bad handoff from backup quarterback Herndon Hooker to running back Keshawn King ended up on the turf, and Koby Quansah, who has had casts on both hands in recent weeks, managed to scoop up the ball at the Hokies 16.

On the board

Duke wasted no time. Quentin Harris found tight end Noah Gray for a 16-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive. Just like that, Duke led 7-3.

Encore

After a three-and-out by the Hokies, Duke drove 66 yards on eight plays to reach the one-yard line. Gray lined up at fullback in what looked like a power set. Then, Harris play-faked and found him in the end zone for another touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

Trickery

In perhaps the least surprising trick play in football history, Duke finally let freshman WR Jalon Calhoun throw the ball. Calhoun was a high school quarterback, and Cutcliffe has said that the team was going to let him throw “very soon”.

He found Deon Jackson for 25 yards on Duke’s next possession, giving the Blue Devils a 21-3 lead in a second-quarter explosion.

Man on the run

After a Duke field goal opened the third quarter scoring, Virginia Tech went for it on fourth-and-one in their own territory. When Duke stuffed them, quarterback Quentin Harris called his own number, running for 43 yards, untouched, on Duke’s first play of the possession. The Blue Devils led 31-3.

Exit Sandman

Fans became increasingly disgruntled as the game went on, booing the offense’s struggles to move the ball. Harris’ touchdown was the last straw as large numbers of fans headed for the exits to find a better way to spend their Fridays.

Tech on the board

The Hokies had one last bit of fight left in them, as quarterback Ryan Willis found receiver Damon Hazelton for 72 yards, the longest touchdown of the season and both of their careers.

Duke responds

The Blue Devils took the kickoff and went 75 yards on 10 plays, capping the drive with a 32-yard Deon Jackson touchdown run to make the score 38-10 to start the fourth.

Rubbing it in?
The Blue Devils got some side-eye from observers after gaining seven yards on three plays on their next drive, stalling at midfield. The punting team came out, and punter Austin Parker ran 22 yards on a perfectly executed fake.

David Cutcliffe said Parker always has the option to tuck and run, since he punts on the move, and the fake wasn't called from the sideline.

Duke also converted a fourth-and-seven later in the drive, which culminated in a nine-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Chris Katrenick.