Man, I tell you!  Duke Football is so close to turning the corner and could have just two losses on the season but one single big play turned the tide today.  A 66 yard touchdown pass from Tanner Price to Chris Givens was just enough for the Demon Deacons to hang on to a 24-23 win.

A tale of two halves

Duke left its game in the locker room in the first half where the offense failed to stretch the field a single time.  Wake scored 17 points to the Blue Devils' 3 and held Duke to 132 yards of offense despite Sean Renfree going 16 for 19.  If you can figure that one out, let me know.  A late FG lifted Duke a bit as they went into the locker room but they came out on fire in the second half, running off 23 straight points before the big play to Givens.  Wake held the ball just over 6 minutes in the second half.

Duke dominated the stats

Duke held a 25 to 13 edge in first downs, out gained Wake 372 yards to 305 yards, ran a whopping 40 more plays on offense and the Blue Devils went 5 of 5 in the red zone.  Time of possession? Duke 38 to 21 minutes.

Thompson added a spark

Jay Hollingsworth started the game, but Juwan Thompson took over in the second and gained 66 yards for a 5.6 ypp average.  Desmond Scott helped out as well, adding 51 yards for a 4.9 average yards per carry.

Frustration central

This game was more than a little frustrating in that Duke put themselves in a position to win but couldn't close it out.  Renfree threw the ball well for three quarters but struggled down the stretch, throwing an interception as the game ended.  Duke is still seeking that elusive win over Wake Forest and they had a golden opportunity to get the monkey off their back today.  The Blue Devils continue to struggle at home this season, now 1-4.  Duke falls to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC and faces Virginia Tech at home next week.