Blue Devils Rely on Defense to Earn First Series Victory

© Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles (1-6, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) traveled to Durham, N.C., to take on the Duke Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1) in an ACC clash on Oct. 18. For the Blue Devils, it was a chance to rebound after their first loss of the season and accomplish something that the the school have never done on the football field: Beat the Seminoles. For the Seminoles, it was a chance to play spoiler and extend their 22-0 record against Duke. The result was a 23-16 win for head coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils.

What Happened in the Game

The struggles for the Seminoles plagued the first half. Quarterback Brock Glenn and the offense started with three straight turnovers that led to an early 17-3 lead by the Blue Devils. After a switch at quarterback saw true freshman Luke Kromenhoek during the second quarter, the Seminoles added a 53-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to make the score 17-6 at the half.

Quarterback Maalik Murphy struggled throughout the game completing 12-of-24 passes for only 70 yards. It was an interceptions by corner Chandler Rivers which was returned for a touchdown and linebacker Ozzie Nicholas helped the Blue Devils set the tone early in the game and get the school the first-ever win against the Seminoles in football.

The second half saw life out of the Seminoles as running back Samuel Singleton Jr. who took the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 17-13. The freshmen duo of running back Kam Davis and Kromenhoek did well in moving the ball against a strong Blue Devils defense. The Blue Devils would add two field goals by Todd Pelino and Fitzgerald added another field goal to make the game 23-16 late in the fourth quarter.

Deciding Play of The Game

The Seminoles were driving late in the fourth quarter with the game within reach at 23-16 when on a run Davis fumbled the ball at the Duke 31-yard line with 5:26 left in the game. Before the fumble, the Seminoles were driving and had the Blue Devils on their heels. Davis also injured his knee on the fumble. Despite the Seminoles' defense, which arguably played their best game of the season, forcing the Blue Devils to punt, the Seminoles' offense could not gain any traction to get the much-needed touchdown.

© Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

What Does It Mean?

For the Blue Devils

It's a historic win for the program. After losing 22 straight to the Seminoles, Diaz and the Blue Devils earned the first win against Florida State. With the win, they stay in the conversation for the ACC Championship Game and moving to 6-1 overall, they are in the hunt for an at-large birth in the College Football Playoff. The Blue Devils have a tough stretch coming up with 21st-ranked SMU (5-1, 2-0) on Oct. 26 and a road trip to No. 6-ranked Miami (6-0, 2-0) on Nov. 2.

For the Seminoles

The story of the game was self-inflicted wounds. Three turnovers in the first three drives put head coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles in an early hole. While the defense played their best and kept the team in the game, the lack of turnovers via interceptions or fumbles is a concern. With the season essentially over, the Seminoles would need to win the remainder of their games for a post-season bowl. To the dismay of Seminoles fans, it's time to get the younger players more involved with meaningful playtime which will help the team next season. The Seminoles next travel to the Hurricanes on Oct. 26 for the next edition of the heated rivalry.