Duke throttles cross town rival NCCU 49-14 on a rainy night in Wallace Wade Stadium

duke-blue-devilsThe first meeting between Duke and N.C. Central ended with the Blue Devils winning easily on a damp and rainy night in Wallace Wade Stadium.  The Blue Devils rolled up 487 yards and in the process got a lot of reps for multiple players.   Duke played their second team the entire fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis got back on track going 17 of 25 for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns  in the air and one rushing.  Freshman Sean Renfree went 8 of 12 for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Desmond Scott, a true freshman from Durham Hillside ran for 100 yards in his first game.  Scott will likely continue to get some carries in that injuries are still hampering Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth.  Another freshman, Patrick Kuruwune added 93 yards on the ground and averaged 6.6 yards per carry in the victory.

Coach Cutcliffe said his team has yet to play up to its ability and mentioned that he cracked the whip when Central cut the lead to 21-14 on an 82 yard interception return for a score.  However, he was pleased with the second half effort when Duke's defense tightened up holding Central to just 181 total yards.

Senior linebacker Vinnie Rey returned a fumbled punt for a touchdown.  The score was his third recoverd fumble over his career which is a Duke record.

Duke goes to 2-2 on the season while their counterpart the N.C. Central Eagles are seeking their first win.  The Blue Devils next face defending ACC Champion Virginia Tech at 12:00 noon next Saturday.  The Hokies are coming off an impressive 31-7 thumping over a hot Miami team.  Check in tomorrow for more game coverage including players and coaches comments and a photo gallery.