Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Reaction to Duke Football's Upset Over Notre Dame

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Duke Football edged Notre Dame in a tight game that ended in a 38-35 victory for the Blue Devils over the heavily-favored Fighting Irish.

The Blue Devils were a three-touchdown underdog heading into Notre Dame yesterday, but that didn’t matter as Duke went on the road and upset the Fighting Irish in a 38-35 win. Here are our key takeaways from the game:

Offense

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The offense excelled against the Notre Dame defense which has struggled so far this season. One of our keys to the game was that the Blue Devils would have to match the scoring against a talented Fighting Irish offensive unit, and they were able to do that staying close throughout the entire game. The Duke offense totaled 498 offensive yards excelling in both the run and the pass game. Plays like this are a great example of how the Blue Devils were able to add versatility to their offensive play-calling

Defense

The Blue Devil defense still struggled against Notre Dame, but they were able to make key plays throughout the game. Duke continues to be unable to prevent big plays from opposing offenses, allowing five touchdowns and 534 total yards against the Fighting Irish. They showed improvements in other areas though, forcing turnovers, getting three sacks, and making key stops when the team needed them.

Special Teams!

Special teams played a major role in the Blue Devils’ upset. Running back Shaun Wilson scored the first touchdown of the game for Duke Football on a 96-yard kickoff return. The special teams unit was also able to avoid any fumbled punts and freshman kicker AJ Reed picked the perfect time to make his first career field goal to win the game for Duke after missing his first three so far this season.

Overall it was a great win for the Blue Devils who will hopefully be able to build on this upset heading into the rest of the regular season. Duke Football will return home next weekend to take on Virginia for Homecoming Weekend.