Virginia Defense Shines As Wahoos Beat Duke To Up Record to 5-2

In an important Coastal Division battle, Virginia went into Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham Saturday and came away with a 28-14 win at Duke. The Cavaliers (5-2, 3-1 ACC) controlled the possession throughout and now sit one win away from a second-straight bowl berth with five games to play.

Bryce Perkins rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one more — the dagger being a 16-yard strike to tight end Evan Butts with 3:58 to go that put things out of reach for the Blue Devils (5-2, 1-2).

On the game’s first drive, Bryce Perkins slipped through the Duke defense and took it 23 yards to the house to give Virginia a 7-0 lead with 11:21 left in the first quarter.

Tavares Kelly got some space on Duke’s first punt and showed why he’s dangerous in the open field with a 43-yard return. The ensuing drive stalled, as Duke got away with pass interference with Perkins looking for Kelly in the end zone on 4th & 3 from the Duke 29. The Duke defender had his back to the ball and ran into Kelly, but no flag was thrown.

After pressure by Charles Snowden forced a Duke three-and-out, the ‘Hoos got another nice punt return, this time by Chuck Davis for 27 yards, and UVa began another drive in Blue Devil territory at the 38.

Perkins found Joe Reed down the sideline two plays later toward the end of the quarter, as Reed maintained control of the ball and got a foot down to give the ‘Hoos a 1st & goal at the Blue Devil 6.

Two plays into the second quarter, Perkins scored his second rushing TD of the first half, hustling to the pylon on a scramble from 3 yards out, and Virginia extended the lead to 14-0 with 14:09 left in the first half.

UVa dominated the first quarter, out-gaining Duke 123-13. The Cavaliers owned the time-of-possession category, 11:07 to Duke’s 3:53.

Midway through the second quarter, Juan Thornhill picked off a Daniel Jones pass for the fourth time in his Cavalier career, but the ‘Hoos couldn’t do anything with it and gave it back.

Chris Peace came up with a spinning sack of Jones on Duke’s ensuing possession, and UVa got the ball back at its 24 with 1:50 to go.

Brian Delaney missed his second field goal as the first-half clock expired, and Jordan Ellis had to be helped off the field after a run on the final drive with less than a minute left in the half.

Duke got on the board four plays into the third quarter on a Jones 46-yard strike to Chris Taylor to cut the Virginia lead to 14-7 with 13:58 left in the third quarter.

Sophomore back PK Kier stepped in for Ellis to start the second half, as Perkins and the UVa offense answered the Duke score with a 7-play, 67-yard drive that took 7:07 off the clock and ended with a Delaney 37-yard field goal to push the lead to 17-7 with 6:45 left in the third.

Delaney later booted through his second field goal of the day after missing his first two, this one from 42, to extend the UVa lead to 20-7 with 1:32 left in the third.

Olamide Zaccheaus hauled in his 200th career reception on the drive.

Bryce Hall notched his third career interception of Jones with 32 seconds left in the third, but Duke cut the lead to six on its next possession on a controversial touchdown catch by Davis Koppenhaver. On a reverse pass from receiver T.J. Rahming, Koppenhaver appeared to be bobbling the ball while running out of the back of the end zone. The play was reviewed, but the call stood, and it was 20-14 ‘Hoos with 10:46 to play.

The Wahoo defense came through with three crucial stops to force a Duke punt, and Tavares Kelly returned it 29 yards down to the Blue Devils’ 28-yard line with 6:09 to go.

Four plays later, Perkins eluded a sack, scrambled and found Butts all alone in the end zone from 16 yards out. Perkins hit Zaccheaus for two to make it a two-score contest with 3:58 remaining.

Duke turned it over on downs after a Jones pass was broken up by Darius Bratton with 1:28 to go.

Virginia controlled the time of possession by 13 minutes and 16 seconds (36:38 to 23:22). The ‘Hoos finished with 376 total yards, 56 more than the Devils. Perkins finished the contest 20 for 32 for 189 yards and a score, while running the ball 15 times for 61 yards and the two scores. Ellis did not play in the second half, finishing with 55 yards on 12 carries. Kier, Lamont Adkins and Chris Sharp combined for 14 carries for 56 yards in Ellis’ absence.

Zaccheaus had 10 catches for 66 yards to lead the receiving corps, while Kelly and Davis combined for 99 punt return yards (33 yards per return).

Virginia will host North Carolina next Saturday at 12:20 p.m.