Wake Forest runs over Duke, handing Blue Devils fifth consecutive loss
Damond Philyaw-Johnson’s flashy plays on special teams, setting a Duke record with two kick returns for touchdowns Saturday night, proved no match for Wake Forest’s powerful running game.
The Demon Deacons ran for 334 yards, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns that erased a Blue Devils lead, to beat Duke 39-27 in ACC football at BB&T Field.
Duke (4-7, 2-5) suffered its fifth consecutive loss, assuring the Blue Devils of their first losing season since 2016. Having played in bowls in six of the last seven seasons, Duke’s only hope of making the post season is to beat Miami in its regular-season finale and hope some 5-7 teams are needed to fill bowl slots. Duke’s Academic Progress Rate puts it in line to get one if that comes to pass.
Philyaw-Johnson did all he could to end Duke’s losing streak and keep it in the running for a .500 regular season.
Following a field goal that put Wake Forest up 3-0 in the first quarter, Philyaw-Johnson fielded the kickoff at his own 3 and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. It was Duke’s first kick return for a touchdown since Shaun Wilson’s 96-yard return for a score at Notre Dame in 2016.
But it wouldn’t be Philyaw-Johnson’s last of the game.
With 9:24 to play, he returned a kick 98 yards for another touchdown putting the Blue Devils up 27-26. It’s the first time in Duke program history it had two kick returns for touchdowns in the same game and only the second time in ACC history.
But Wake Forest used its punishing running game to push back in front for good.
After quarterback Jamie Newman fired a 57-yard pass to Kendall Hinton to move Wake inside the Duke 20, Kenneth Walker’s 14-yard touchdown run on the next play put Wake up 32-27 with 8:24 to play.
With 5:14 to play, Wake Forest faced fourth-and-1 at the Duke 34. Cade Carney gained 12 yards to maintain possession for the Demon Deacons. One play later, Carney’s 18-yard touchdown run put the game away.
Newman carried 29 times for 144 yards to lead Wake Forest (8-3, 4-3) while also rushing for one touchdown. Kenneth Walker gained 113 yards on 17 carries, while Carney finished with 71 yards on 18 carries.
Newman also threw for 284 yards with a touchdown as Wake Forest amassed 618 yards of total offense.
FIRST DOWN
Newman’s rushing effort nearly set a Wake Forest team record for rushing yards in a game by a quarterback. He needed to get to 149 to match that mark.
TOUCHDOWN
Hinton, a former Southern Durham High School quarterback, had a standout night at wide receiver for the Demon Deacons. A senior, Hinton caught six passes for 189 yards including a 62-yard touchdown catch. That was his first touchdown catch since the season-opening game. Newman threw 11 passes toward Hinton in the game with Duke.
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OFFSIDES
One was nearly the loneliest number for Duke’s offense in the first half. That’s how many first downs the Blue Devils produced over the game’s first 28 minutes. Duke picked up two more on two Mataeo Durant runs over the final two minutes before halftime during a drive in its own territory that closed the half.
ICYMI
Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba’s season-long 44-yard field goal with 1:10 left in the third quarter, his second of the night, established a new NCAA record for consecutive field goals with 31. Earlier Saturday, Sciba tied the record of 30, set by Washington’s Chuck Nelson in 1981 and 1982, with a 34-yard field goal with 2:35 left before halftime.
KEY NUMBERS
2: Sacks by Duke defensive lineman Victor Dimukeje, increasing his team-leading total to 8.5 this season.
4: Field goals by Sciba for Wake Forest.
5: Touchdowns scored by Duke’s offense over the previous 21 quarters prior to Saturday night’s fourth quarter. Quentin Harris’ 23-yard touchdown pass to Noah Gray was the offense’s first touchdown since the 38-7 loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 9.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 10:58 PM.