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College Football
Preview
Virginia Tech at Duke
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 23, 2024
Where: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

Looking for a strong finishing stretch to the Atlantic Coast Conference campaign, Duke hosts Virginia Tech in its home finale Saturday night in Durham, N.C.

"It's going to be a special night for everybody," Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz said. "It's always an emotional moment with the pregame ceremonies, but you've got to be able to snap back and focus on a very good Virginia Tech football team with a lot of talent. We've been fortunate to have extra time to prepare for this week."

The outcome is going to have a huge impact on the pecking order in the middle of the ACC standings.

Duke (7-3, 3-3) has won only two of its last four games, while Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3) has dropped two in a row and still needs another win to reach bowl eligibility. Both teams were off last weekend.

The Blue Devils are 4-1 this year in Durham. The Hokies are 2-3 in road games, with two of the setbacks in overtime (vs. Vanderbilt and Syracuse) and another in a controversial finish at Miami.

"A good opponent in Duke, at night, at their place, Senior Night," Hokies coach Brent Pry said. "They've got a couple of good wins under their belt and they've lost a couple of closes ones. We'll have our hands full."

Former Duke standout defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles, who spent four seasons with the Blue Devils, is using his final season of eligibility with Virginia Tech. He has logged three sacks this year.

Duke has a bit of an unusual situation with running back Jaquez Moore, who's ready to return to action following an injury. But he'll play in only one of the final two regular-season games so he can qualify for a redshirt season. The Blue Devils finish at Wake Forest on Nov. 30.

Moore has played in three games, most recently in late September against North Carolina.

"We think he's one of the best players on our roster and we're excited at the idea that we'll have a chance to welcome him back next year," Diaz said.

Duke is 15th in the ACC in rushing offense at 99.6 yards per game. Virginia Tech is next-to-last in the ACC in rushing defense, allowing 158.5 yards per game on the ground.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W‑L Strk PF PA Home Away Grass Turf Conf
Virginia Tech 5-5 L2 29.1 22.5 3-2 2-3 4-3 0-0 3-3
Duke 7-3 W1 26.8 22.1 4-1 3-2 5-3 1-0 3-3
Last Meeting
Virginia Tech Duke
Date Away Home Tot Rus Pas Tot Rus Pas
11/12/22 VT 7 DUKE 24 281 104 177 427 165 262
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Virginia Tech G. Wells 57.1 177 1 1
Duke R. Leonard 61.3 262 2 1
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Virginia Tech J. Holston 7 35 5.0 0
Duke J. Waters 15 61 4.1 0
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Virginia Tech D. Lofton 3 75 25.0 1
Duke J. Calhoun 5 94 18.8 0
Touchdowns Player TD
Virginia Tech D. Lofton 1
Duke N. Dalmolin 1
Season
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Virginia Tech K. Drones 60.7 1562 10 6
Duke M. Murphy 59.9 2365 22 8
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Virginia Tech B. Tuten 146 950 6.5 12
Duke S. Thomas 180 742 4.1 5
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Virginia Tech S. Gosnell 24 462 19.2 1
Duke J. Moore 42 632 15.0 6
Touchdowns Player TD
Virginia Tech B. Tuten 14
Duke J. Moore 6
Quickchart Matchup
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Off vs  Duke Duke Def
Virginia Tech 369.9 yards
Duke 341.2 yards
Virginia Tech 5 yards/rush
Duke 3.8 yards/rush
Virginia Tech 6.9 yards/attempt
Duke 5.9 yards/attempt
Duke Duke Off vs  Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Def
Duke 336.8 yards
Virginia Tech 364.6 yards
Duke 3.2 yards/rush
Virginia Tech 4 yards/rush
Duke 6.7 yards/attempt
Virginia Tech 6.9 yards/attempt