Duke: Running Back Nate Sheppard Has Record Breaking Day
The Duke Blue Devils are making waves this season, decisively defeating NC State with a score of 41–3 on Saturday.
This victory brought the Blue Devils’ overall record to 7–2 and their ACC record to 4–2.
Coming into this season, a major concern for Duke was determining how to fill the void left by quarterback Darian Mensah, who had a significant influence on the offense last year during their ACC championship win.
The solution for Duke has emerged in the form of Nate Sheppard. He delivered an outstanding performance against the Wolfpack on Saturday, rushing for 217 yards on 18 carries and securing three touchdowns.
According to ESPN Insights, Sheppard set several records on Saturday. With a total of 17 touchdown runs, he now holds the single-season touchdown record for Duke. Moreover, he is now just the second player in the program’s history to achieve multiple seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards, following in the footsteps of Randy Cuthbert.
In addition to this, Sheppard is one of the few players in Duke’s history to have recorded two games with over 200 rushing yards within a single season. He is currently tied for sixth place in scrimmage touchdowns this season, totaling 20.
Before Saturday’s game, Sheppard had accumulated 972 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns after 173 carries, alongside 302 receiving yards and four touchdowns from 31 catches.
There were uncertainties about Duke’s bowl eligibility following the loss of Mensah to Miami. Currently, the Blue Devils are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the ACC with Clemson and Louisville, trailing behind SMU (5–2 ACC) and Wake Forest (5–1), as well as Miami (6–0). The Blue Devils still have a slim chance of reaching the ACC championship game again.
To conclude their schedule, Duke will face three of those teams. Next week, they are set to go on the road to challenge the top-ranked Miami. That matchup could be a potential trap for the Hurricanes, as they will be preparing to face No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday night in South Bend.
Following this, Duke will host a 6-3 Clemson team on November 20. Though the Tigers are not on an elite level, they are proving to be a formidable opponent in the ACC. The Blue Devils will then wrap up the regular season by traveling to play No. 16 Wake Forest, which has been an unexpected highlight of the college football season.
A victory against even one of these teams would mark a significant achievement for head coach Manny Diaz.
The best route for the Blue Devils to secure such a win lies in providing Sheppard with ample opportunities to carry the ball. The defense has shown potential to handle the challenge ahead.
