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Nov 7, 2026 11:37 PM
Nate Sheppard dismantled NC State’s defense to shatter program records, propelling the Blue Devils toward a pivotal showdown against Miami as they hunt for another ACC title.
The Duke Blue Devils continue to impress this season, blowing the doors off NC State to earn a 41–3 win on Saturday.
The win improved the Blue Devil's record to 7–2 overall and 4–2 in ACC play.
Coming into the season, the big question for Duke was how they'd be able to replace the impact quarterback Darian Mensah had on the offense last season, when the program won the ACC championship.
The answer for Duke has been Nate Sheppard. The running back had a big day against the Wolfpack on Saturday, rushing 18 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
Per ESPN Insights, Sheppard broke a few records on Saturday. With 17 touchdown runs, he now holds the single-season record for Duke. He became only the second player in program history to have multiple seasons with 1,000 or more rushing yards, joining Randy Cuthbert.
Sheppard is not the only player in program history to have two games with 200 rushing yards in a season. He is now tied for the sixth-most scrimmage touchdowns this season with 20 touchdowns.
Sheppard entered Saturday's contest with 972 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns on 173 carries. He had 302 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 31 receptions.
There were questions as to whether Duke could make a bowl game after losing Mensah to Miami. The Blue Devils are currently tied with Clemson and Louisville for fourth place in the ACC, behind SMU (5–2 ACC play), Wake Forest (5–1), and Miami (6–0). The Blue Devils have an outside shot of making the ACC championship again.
Duke will face three of those teams to finish out its schedule. The Blue Devils will travel to play No. 1 Miami next week. That contest could be a trap game for the Hurricanes, who are set to play No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday night in South Bend.
Duke will then host a 6-3 Clemson program on Nov. 20. The Tigers aren't elite, but they're proving not to be a pushover in the ACC. The Blue Devils will then finish the regular season by traveling to play No. 16 Wake Forest, a surprise of the college football season.
A win over even one of those programs would be a huge success for head coach Manny Diaz.
The Blue Devils’ best chance to get that win is to feed Sheppard a healthy dose of the football. The defense has been capable of doing the res
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