CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — In just nine games as a head coach, Mike Elko returned Duke to football respectability and postseason play.
The Blue Devils beat Boston College, 38-31, on Friday night at Alumni Stadium, riding their reliably potent rushing offense to the team’s sixth win of the season and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.
Since beating Temple, 57-24, in the 2018 Independence Bowl in quarterback Daniel Jones’ final game before he left early for the NFL, the Blue Devils suffered through three consecutive losing seasons. A 5-7 record in 2019 left them one win shy of a bowl game before the bottom fell out with 2-9 and 3-9 records over the last two seasons.
Last November, with the team riding a 13-game ACC losing streak, Duke parted ways with coach David Cutcliffe, who had led the Blue Devils to six bowl games in seven seasons from 2012-18. Formerly Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator, Elko arrived as the new head coach in December.
The offense, designed by offensive coordinator Kevin Johns, has used a vastly improved running game to help the Blue Devils find success.
Duke (6-3, 3-2 ACC) never trailed, powering past the Eagles by gaining 232 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns. The Blue Devils topping the 200-yard mark for the sixth time this season and third game in a row to increase their season average to 208 yards per game, second in the ACC.
Against Boston College, quarterback Riley Leonard started Duke’s scoring with a 60-yard touchdown run, his team-best ninth rushing score of the season. Running back Jaquez Moore added two rushing touchdowns and Jordan Waters one.
Duke jumped ahead quickly against Boston College on Friday night as Leonard scampered for his 60-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the game.
A Duke pass interference penalty in the end zone put Boston College in position to tie the score and the Eagles drew even when Morehead fired a 2-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers.
Duke walk-on freshman kicker Todd Pelino broke the tie with a 39-yard field goal giving Duke a 10-7 lead with 4:07 left in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils extended the lead to 17-7 on Jordan Waters’ 7-yard touchdown run.
Duke made it 24-7 when Leonard zipped an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sahmir Hagans with 4:16 to play in the first half.
Leonard started that drive firing a 16-yard pass over the middle to Hagans, who took a hit but held on to the ball. A 23-yard pass to running back Jaquez Moore on a swing pass moved Duke inside the Boston College 10 before Hagans scored the touchdown.
The Eagles, though, put together a late touchdown drive before halftime to cut into Duke’s lead.
Morehead led Boston College 75 yards on nine plays, using 3:26 off the clock. Morehead’s 24-yard pass to tight end George Takacs moved the Eagles into Duke territory. Freshman running back Alex Broome gained 10 yards on a third-down run to the Duke 20.
On second-and-5 from the Duke 15, Morehead fired the ball toward Flowers in the corner of the end zone. Duke freshman cornerback was called for defensive pass interference as the ball fell incomplete with the call drawing the ire of the Duke coaching staff.
On the next play, Morehead fired a 2-yard pass to Joe Griffin, who beat Rivers on a corner route for touchdown that left Duke with a 24-14 halftime lead.
The Blue Devils reversed the momentum after halftime. First, the defense stopped Boston College for a three-and-out by stopping two runs and forcing an incomplete pass by flushing Morehead from the pocket.
After the Blue Devils took possession, they faced third-and-5. Leonard dropped back to pass and was forced out of the pocket, but he scrambled up field, avoiding an Eagles tackler, to gain 19 yards to the Boston College 39.
Leonard then fired a 16-yard pass to Hagans. One play later, Jaquez Moore found a hole up the middle and scored on a 24-yard touchdown run for a 31-14 Blue Devils lead.
While Duke was unable to score again, Morehead kept firing touchdown passes. He finished with four while completing 27 of 45 passes for 330 yards.
Connor Lytton’s 34-yard field goal with 17 seconds left cut the Duke lead to 38-31 but Boston College’s on-side kick attempt failed.
