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DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt sophomore Sean Renfree threw for 163 yards while senior linebacker Damian Thornton registered two sacks to highlight Duke’s 90-play situational scrimmage on Friday night at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Renfree completed 12-of-23 pass attempts for 163 yards while rushing for one touchdown. Seven of his completions covered 10 or more yards including a 49-yard strike to junior tight end Cooper Helfet. Freshman Brandon Connette was six-of-11 through the air for 56 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while fellow rookie Anthony Boone was six-of-eight on the night for 94 yards and one score.
“Offensively, I think our line did a fantastic job the entire scrimmage,” Renfree said. “We improved overall as we went.”
Four receivers – Brandon Braxton (53 yards), Tony Foster (47 yards), Matt Pridemore (38 yards) and Conner Vernon (43 yards) – each caught four passes while Helfet (53 yards) and Corey Gattis (39 yards) had two receptions apiece. Braxton had two touchdown grabs covering 19 and 14 yards, respectively.
The Duke ground attack was paced by freshman Juwan Thompson, who picked up 39 yards on nine carries. Redshirt sophomore Patrick Kurunwune and freshman Josh Snead scored touchdowns on runs of five and one yards, respectively.
Thornton added a third tackle for loss with his pair of sacks while redshirt freshman defensive end Justin Foxx chipped in two sacks. A pair of redshirt freshmen cornerbacks – Ross Cockrell and Garett Patterson – carded one interception each.
The Blue Devils will host Fan Day on Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. Following an open practice from 4-6 p.m., the players and coaches will sign autographs on the stadium concourse. Complimentary posters and schedule cards will be available while concession stands will be open. In addition, the popular Coca-Cola Kids’ Zone featuring inflatable games will be set up on the stadium concourse.
Duke opens the 2010 season at home against Elon on September 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available and may be purchased online at GoDuke.com/tickets or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE (3853).
