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Duke had one of those feel-good games Saturday that all teams enjoy when they’re on the right side of the score.
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The Blue Devils, heavy favorites against William & Mary, rolled to a 62-7 victory in their final nonconference game of the season, pushing their record to 4-0.
In a game where the Blue Devils scored their most points since a 67-0 win over Richmond in 1949, everyone in Duke blue saw the field. Backups got a lot of snaps. Third-teamers, too. On a sunny day at Wallace Wade Stadium, there were smiles aplenty on the Duke sideline.
“I’m proud of this team being 4-0,” Duke coach Many Diaz said. “We’ve answered every challenge.”
This wasn’t a game where the Blue Devils came out running, letting sophomore Nate Sheppard gash away and pile up yards. On Duke’s first possession, quarterback Walker Eget completed five of six passes and completed the drive with a 24-yard scoring throw to Jayden Moore.
It was the first of five TD passes for the Blue Devils, as Eget had the first two and freshman Dan Mahan came in to throw for three, completing six of his seven passes for 126 yards.
Sheppard, the nation’s leading rusher, didn’t have a lot of touches this day. The sophomore had 116 yards on nine carries – 85 yards in the first half – and one catch for 8 yards, as Duke gave a lot of work to C.J. Campbell, freshman Jayvian Tanelus and then C.J. Givers
Sheppard did score his ninth touchdown of the season, zipping around left end from 19 yards in the first quarter for Duke’s second TD.
Eget, who looked sharp on his throws and was agile in the pocket, was 16-of-22 for 182 yards as the San Jose State transfer continues to get more comfortable and in sync with Duke’s wide receivers. Duke had 352 yards passing and 638 yards in total offense.
“Teams are going to key on Nate, he’s the best running back in the nation,” said wide receiver Jared Richardson, the transfer from Penn whose second-quarter TD catch was his first at Duke. “When teams stack the box (defensively) that just opens up things down the field.”
The Tribe (2-3) was coming off a pounding from Fordham, allowing 428 rushing yards, 569 yards in total offense and 52 points. But the William & Mary defense did a commendable job against the run Saturday until wearing down in the second half.
In a season where FCS teams have taken some poundings from FBS opponents – in exchange for a nice paycheck – Saturday’s game can be added to the list. Quarterback Winston Watkins did unload a 63-yard pass to Khylil Johnson in the first quarter and then a short TD throw to Jack Reuter, but the Blue Devils quickly reestablished control and led 38-7 at the half.
Duke’s two-minute offense again clicked late in the first half as Eget led a 7-play, 95-yard drive that ended with Richardson making an over-the-shoulder grab for a 28-yard score. That came after the Blue Devils’ defense stuffed a Watkins run on fourth-and-1 at the Duke 5.
“These games are still, in my mind, a little bit of a new territory for us, to play an FCS team and try to exert your dominance from start to finish,” Diaz said. “We were close and there were probably a couple of lapses. But I thought no matter who went into the game we were going to play a ton of guys, and it felt like the standard didn’t change.
“It was a professional effort by our guys from start to finish.”
Duke now has won its last eight games after its 4-0 run to end the 2025 season highlighted by the ACC championship win over Virginia and Sun Bowl victory.
After a bye week, the Blue Devils go to Atlanta on Oct. 10 to face Georgia Tech, which has won the last five games in the ACC series – 27-18 last season in Durham.
“No one in our locker room has beaten those guys,” Diaz said. “I think it will be easy to get the guys focused and understand eight straight (games) in the league without a bye coming up will be quite a challenge.”
Some observations from Saturday’s game:
It was an active day for Duke’s special teams, including a rare miscue on a trick play.
In the opening half, the Devils blocked a punt, blocked a field goal attempt and got a 39-yard Andrew Pellicciotta punt return to set up a touchdown.
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The mistake? Punter Kade Reynoldson took the punt snap and rolled to his right for a pass. Tight end Jake Taylor was open for a first down but Reynoldson, under some pressure, got off a pass that sailed well over Taylor’s head.
William & Mary took over on downs at the Duke 26 but had an intentional grounding penalty. Then, Max Lipinski’s 53-yard field goal try was smacked down by Duke’s Luke Mergott.
Pellicciotta, always looking for openings, also had a 21-yard punt return in the first half.
“We continue to make big plays on special teams even though our punter was 0-1 throwing the football, so that will be something to work on,” Diaz said, grinning.
Cosme Salas, a week after starting the Stanford game with a successful onside kick, had field goals of 32 and 39 yards.
Duke’s Mahan competed with Eget throughout fall camp to be the QB starter, then watched Eget take most of the meaningful snaps in the first three games.
But Mahan had a chance to limber up his arm Saturday. In the second quarter, the redshirt freshman from Burlington had a pair of 29-yard touchdown throws – first to Kavon Simmons, then to Jaivon Solomon. He later had a 27-yard scoring throw to Brody Keefe in the second half, the freshman receiver making a tumbling catch.
Simmons took a pass over the middle, absorbed a big hit inside the 5, spun and scored. Solomon punctuated his TD catch with a few joyful dance steps across the back of the end zone.
Mahan’s completions were his first with the Blue Devils.
“We wanted him to get in there to throw the ball.,” Diaz said of Mahan. “Everyone knows his legs are a weapon, but we feel like he’s got a great arm, as well. Two touchdown passes on his first two throws was great, but also his decision-making. That was the key.”
What was a liability at linebacker on last year’s Duke team because of a string of injuries continues to be a strength this season.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke can roll through Nick Morris Jr., Kendall Johnson, Luke Mergott, Bradley Gompers, Elliott Schaper and Derrick Brown at the inside linebacker spots. Will Felder Jr. has been solid at the star position and was again Saturday.
That’s a luxury few DC’s have in college football and in the ACC. The depth is there and Patke uses it to keep guys fresh.
Morris, returning from a leg injury that kept him out most of last season, has been the Blue Devils’ leading tackler and play-caller on D.
William & Mary had 170 yards in total offense, getting 63 on the one explosive play, and allowed four sacks, two by Gompers.
History buffs will like to know Duke and William & Mary had not faced off in football since 1955.
Billy Murray was the Duke coach and Sonny Jurgensen the quarterback. Of note: the Wilmington native threw 69 passes – all season.
Duke won that game 47-7, went 7-2-1 for the season and was ACC co-champion with Maryland.
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Jurgensen, who died this year at age 91, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 6:46 PM.