Duke football’s floundering season ends with a lopsided loss to Florida State
The turnovers continued to pile up for Duke Saturday, subjecting the Blue Devils to their lowest win total in a season since 2007.
Duke lost four more turnovers, giving them a nation’s worst 39 for the season, helping Florida State bash the Blue Devils 56-35 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Duke (2-9 overall, 1-9 ACC) completed the coronavirus pandemic-altered season with its fewest wins in a season since going 1-11 in Ted Roof’s final season as their coach 13 seasons ago. David Cutcliffe became Duke’s head coach the following season and his worst seasons until this year had been back-to-back 3-9 campaigns in 2010 and 2011.
Quarterback Jordan Travis paced the Florida State offense, completing 13 of 18 passes for 192 yards with two touchdowns. Travis also rushed for 90 yards with a touchdown.
Lawrance Toafili rushed for 117 yards for the Seminoles (3-6, 2-6 ACC), while fellow running back Jashaun Corbin ran for three touchdowns.
Duke fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter before rallying in the second to trail 28-21 at halftime. But quarterback Chase Brice, who threw for just 81 yards while tossing two more interceptions, was injured and forced out of the game while losing a fumble in the third quarter.
With redshirt sophomore quarterback Gunnar Holmberg not in uniform due to an upper-body injury, freshman Luca Diamont took over at quarterback for the Blue Devils.
Blue Devils show some fight
Florida State built its 28-0 lead with touchdowns on its first four possessions: Travis’ 7-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas, touchdown runs of 2 and 14 yards by Corbin and Treshaun Ward’s 26-yard scoring run that put FSU up 28-0 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
Having been outscored 76-0 over the previous five quarters, including last week’s 48-0 loss to Miami, Duke found and showed some fight.
Brice started the comeback with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Eli Pancol with 54 seconds left in the first quarter.
Duke’s Nate Thompson helped to finally slow the Seminoles offense. He ended their next two possessions by forcing turnovers -- a fumble recovery and an interception. The Blue Devils squandered the first turnover when Brice threw an interception at the Seminoles 31.
But the Blue Devils converted Thompson’s interception into points as Mataeo Durant broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run.
Florida State failed to get a first down on each of its next possessions, giving Duke a chance to tie the game.
Things go awry for Duke
Durant’s 39-yard run on third down into FSU territory set up Deon Jackson for a 1-yard touchdown run that sliced the Seminoles’ lead to 28-21 with 5:14 left in the first half.
Duke wasted its chance to tie the game, though, even after reaching the FSU 18 with just under a minute left until halftime. But holding penalties on the next three plays -- with offensive linemen Devery Hamilton and Jacob Monk, followed by tight end Noah Gray, the guilty parties -- moved the Blue Devils back to midfield where Brice took a knee to close out the half.
Duke had the ball to start the second half but things went completely awry when Brice, while attempting to gain a first down on third-and-1, was hit and injured while he fumbled at the Duke 29. Brice left the game and the Seminoles took possession.
One play later, Jordan scored on a 27-yard run giving Florida State a 35-21 lead.
Corbin’s third touchdown run of the day, a 3-yard run in the third quarter, put the Seminoles up 42-21 and the rout was on -- again.
This story was originally published December 12, 2020 at 7:43 PM.