Walker Eget Praises Nate Sheppard for Being 'Duke Tough'

The Duke Blue Devils now sit at 2-0 in the new season following a gritty win on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Duke was able to overcome some first-half issues, with the defense shutting down Illinois following halftime. But the big story from this game was again star running back Nate Sheppard, who put the Blue Devils on his back.

Sheppard rushed for 147 yards and one touchdown in the game, continuing his dominance on the ground. But Sheppard also caught five passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Blue Devils a complete game.

The performance from Sheppard was needed to help Duke get the win, and it didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the locker room. Following the incredible performance, Duke quarterback Walker Eget has some high praise for his star running back.

"What can he not do?" Eget said. "He's an all-around player, and I think he's been doing an outstanding job. He's Duke tough." 

Through two games so far, Sheppard is having an elite season. The running back has rushed for 374 yards and three touchdowns, while putting up 60 yards and two scores in the passing game.

Sheppard was great a year ago as well for Duke, rushing for 1,132 yards with 11 touchdowns. His decision to return to the school has played a massive role so far, and if he were to keep playing in this manner, the Blue Devils could have a special season ahead.

Eget played well himself in this game, throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, it was a solid offensive performance from the Blue Devils, helping to spark a big road win.

But the team knows that they can be even better, and moving forward, they will try to correct the mistakes from this game. Duke was two-for-nine on third down against Illinois, which is an area that the Blue Devils have to improve on as the season moves forward.

Duke did win the ACC last year, with Sheppard being a big part of that fact. And this season, the Blue Devils look like they are a better version of themselves as they try to win the conference for a second straight season.

Sheppard will try to keep his electric season going strong next week when Duke hosts the Stanford Cardinal in the first ACC game of the year. The game has a kickoff time of 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET on September 19.