RALEIGH -- Duke hadn't won at N.C. State since 1984. The Blue Devils just needed to get quarterback Thad Lewis to Carter-Finley Stadium.
Lewis accounted for six touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to a 49-28 streak-busting win over the Wolfpack.
Lewis' career-day ended an eight-game losing streak in the ACC, a 20-game losing streak on the road in the ACC, an 11-game losing streak in the series with State and a nine-game winless streak in Raleigh.
Duke's first game at Carter-Finley since 2002 was Lewis' only chance to play here. He'll always remember it. Lewis completed 40-of-50 passes for a career-best 459 yards and five touchdowns.
He set the single-game school record for completions and the school's career touchdown record with 59.
Lewis' fifth TD pass, a 5-yard connection with Connor Vernon put Duke up 42-28 at 11:02 in the fourth quarter. That all but put the game away for the Blue Devils (3-3, 1-1 in the ACC).
A botched punt return, which bounced off State receiver Owen Spencer and was recovered in the end zone by Duke, put an exclamation point on the Devils' first ACC road win since Nov. 22, 2003.
State quarterback Russell Wilson tried to keep pace with Lewis, he threw for a touchdown in the first half and ran for one but the Wolfpack offense was shutout in the second half.
A 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by T.J. Graham were the only points te Wolfpack could muster after scoring on its first three possessions of the game.
Graham's TD tied the score at 28 at 8:05 in the third quarter but Lewis tacked on two more TD passes. His fourth TD pass, an eight-yarder to Austin Kelly put Duke up 35-28 with 2:05 left in the third quarter.
Another botched punt by N.C. State, which bounced off Justin Byers and gave Duke the ball at N.C. State's 11-yard line. Lewis turned State's only turnover into a 5-yard TD pass to Vernon.
Duke led 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 with Lewis hitting Brett Huffman on a 2-yard TD pass, running for a 2-yard score and hitting Re'quan Boyette for a 7-yard touchdown.
State answered on each possession, with Wilson rushing for a 10-yard score, hitting Owen Spencer for a 63-yard touchdown pass and Toney Baker rushing for a 9-yard touchdown.
Boyette fumbled on Duke's fourth possession on the 6-yard line while going in for a second touchdown.
Each team punted only once in the first half.
Comments
^Lewis threw for over 350
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 11:41 — route66^Lewis threw for over 350 yards vs VT....State has some company
Last Podcast
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 09:57 — SurferMmm, I guess JP feels pretty bad about laughing at the prospect of Duke beating State? (Reference the Podcast last week). Especially after playing VT so close.
Didn't see the game, but appears that Duke has improved quite a bit since game one.
JP is the problem
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 13:29 — JPDOhioLet's not forget that JP predicted an easy win for State over Wake as well. So it is clear to me that JP "I like Louisville" Giglio is the primary reason for State's troubles.
Please, JP, pick BC this week.
Agree
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 14:03 — SurferOpposing coaches are showing the Podcast to their team weekly.
State does have the weapons and the potential, thus JPG's picks. But bottom line, I just don't think he can not pick the Pack.
Just how good is BC's 25 year old freshman QB?
Hopefully...
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 14:17 — JPDOhionot good enough. We need a win bad.
Irony
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 15:37 — Heels20If JP keeps going with the Pack (which he will) and they keep losing (possibly), then we might see some Wolfpackers talking about basketball season.
I don't know.
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 17:29 — JPDOhioJP's reliability in picking NC State may be in jeopardy. See Late Hits.
Regarding hoops, I'm guessing there are plenty of UNC fans who are beating us to the punch on that one.
Actually...
Tue, 10/13/2009 - 00:31 — chrismg1This may be the first year in a long time that State fans Beat Duke fans to the hoop talk.
not very becoming
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 17:44 — gvillegatr... JPD! you just leave the pot shots to the ones who do it on a more frequent basis!
lol.
As you know...
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 17:49 — JPDOhiosometimes I just can't help myself. :-)
I will just blame it on the Duke game. Fortunately, I was at a wedding reception during the second half, so whenever I checked the score on my Blackberry, a free drink was close at hand.
WWCS
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 20:07 — JPDOhioWhat would Chuck say?
Just wondering since the lower admission standards excuse doesn't apply here.
Wake at Duke on November 28
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 23:10 — manfredWake at Duke on November 28 is shaping up to the be most interesting game this year among NC ACC teams. Thad Lewis vs. Riley Skinner is going to be a good match up. My guess is that Carolina is just as happy that they are not playing Wake this year.
Carolina has no offensive line. State has neither secondary nor receivers. Both UNC and NCSU have good (not perfect) coaches. Having said that, Jim Grobe is the best coach in NC, but David Cutcliffe is bearing down on Grobe. Seeing how Jim Grobe and Wake Forest fair next year without Riley Skinner will be interesting.
New NC Rankings
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 22:45 — willncsu1. Duke
1. Wake
3. NCSU
3. UNC
5. ECU
Cant put UNC ahead of NCSU as much as I want to.
New Carolinas Rankings
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 23:45 — LetsGoPitt1. Wake
2. Duke
3. USC
4. Elon
5. Gardner-Webb
6. App State
7. Furman
8. SC State
9. NCSU
10. UNC
11. ECU
I'm hoping this is a joke...
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 00:00 — Heels20I'm hoping this is a joke...
Ridiculous - O'Brien should
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:44 — maggiedogRidiculous - O'Brien should be embarrassed...
More like frustrated
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 13:27 — JPDOhioYou can coach guys all you want, but they still have to make tackles and catch passes that hit them in the hands.
IT GOES TO SHOW YOU SHOULD
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:36 — foreverdukeIT GOES TO SHOW YOU SHOULD NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE A TEAM. EVERYONE JUST KNEW DUKE WAS GOING TO LOSE. BUT I DID NOT THINK SO AFTER LAST WEEKS GAME WITH VT I THOUGHT WHAT A BIG IMPROVEMENT AND EACH WEEK GETS BETTER. THE FACT IS DUKE PLAYED GOOD TODAY. STATE WILL BE OK THEY WILL WIN SOME MORE, BUT I THINK DUKE WILL TO. I HOPE THIS IS THAT TURN AROUND THEY NEEDED TO STAY MOTIVATED. I'M PROUD OF THIS TEAM AND SO GLAD THEY HAVE A GOOD COACH. WHO KNOWS MAYBE A BOWL COULD BE IN THEIR FUTURE. I'M CERTAINLY NOT RULING IT OUT. GOOD JOB DUKE, KEEP IT GOING. GO DUKE!
Who Knew?
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 23:49 — LetsGoPittWell, not "everyone" knew Duke was going to lose: I was listening to the radio today to the Great Tailgate Show, I think it is called. Anyway, the host and a caller go back and forth picking games. IT was awesome! The caller picked Duke! he said it was their time to get an upset and the host said "you're really going out on a limb!" When I heard that, I thought, yeah, Duke could just pull this off.
And they did!
hhhmmm
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 17:02 — gvillegatranybody who claims they really liked DUIke, before the game started, did so without putting a single dollar of their hard earned money on them straight up.
anyone can say they think a team will win. it is another to put your money on them.
Was the stat correct?
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:23 — HeelsforeverAt one point in the game a graphic showed that Duke leads the series by three wins. Is that correct? I would have never guessed that, especially since State has won the last 11.
Probably
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:33 — chrismg1Back in the day Duke was a national power and State was terrible so I would guess that most of Duke's wins came back then.
Fun Fact: during WWII State lost so many quality players to the draft that they considered forfeiting the season b/c they couldn't be competitive.
Prediction: ACC Shutout
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:06 — avg_joeI think if NC State pulls off one ACC win, they'll be exceeding expectations for this team given where they stand at this point. Duke has improved a great deal, but there is no excuse for allowing a team at Duke's level to score 49 points on your home turf. There's only so much Russell Wilson can do for a team if the defense decides to check out most of the game.
There aren't any positive takeaways for NC State fans ... this is going to go down as one of the lowest points in NC State football history. Either it will prove to be the low point in yet another mediocre season, or more likely, the harbinger of failure yet to come.
At Duke's Level?
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:31 — wi94rc2074Not sure what you mean by "at Duke's level". You must be referring to the Duke of a couple of years ago. This is a different team and a different coach. They have played toe to toe with Va. Tech the past two seasons and have a definite upgrade in talent and coaching. But you are right about State, as they are not as good as I thought. Tom O'Brien said it best a couple of weeks ago, State isn't a very good football team.
We'll see how Duke does down the stretch ...
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 06:16 — avg_joeThe Duke offense looked good, particularly defeating the pass rush, which had been a bright spot for NC State going into this game. It's clear the offensive coaching staff did their homework, and came up with a nice short-to-mid yardage passing attack that completely defeated the NC State "defense" this weekend. The Duke special teams and defense looked mediocre at best, and most of the turnovers etc. were more the result of unforced errors by NC State than anything Duke created with defensive pressure.
I suspect Duke will come back down to earth over the course of the coming month. They'll probably reveal they're actually around the level we thought they were: much improved, but at least a year or two away from a top-25-caliber team *if they can remain on the same trajectory*, which is anything but a given these days.
As for NC State, hopefully this will be a wakeup call. If Duke can torch you for 49 points on your home turf, you can bank on the fact others will be able to do it as well. The talent is there at NC State to do better. However, the defense has some gaping holes to patch, and all-around issues with poor execution and sloppy play abound. They have to show they're more than just a C-rate supporting cast for the Russell Wilson show, and hopefully they will over the next few months.
On the bright side, we might be seeing the birth of a good rivalry in the years to come?
seriously?
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 16:59 — gvillegatryour bright side is a good rivalry with DUI football?? lets take a poll from ncsu fans on that topic!!
good one, bud!
SERIOUSLY
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 19:56 — avg_joeProvided the performance of Duke the first half of the season is a trend rather than a fluke, the rivalry is a good thing. Of course, few NC State fans are ever going to admit that, since it's State that's being upset and Duke that's trying to make a rivalry out of it.
Hatred is a cherished thing for a sports fan, but Duke has yet to make a solid case they're worthy of our hatred. Duke has a ways to go before they prove games like they've had the first half of this season are more than just one-off's.
Otherwise, it's just another embarassment for NC State. Not the first, doubt it will be the last, and we have plenty of company in the ACC this season.
This pretty much sums it up.
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 13:45 — JPDOhioGotta give Cutliffe credit for a terrific game plan and Lewis credit for executing it to perfection.
Still, for all the holes on defense, the Pack is still in this game until the two punt return miscues. I can't blame Byers for the first one, other than he should not have turned his back on the ball. Other than that, the turnover was critical, but it was just bad luck.
The second one bothers me more. If TJ Graham fair catches the ball, end of problem. TJ is obviously fast, but he drives me nuts. On most kickoff returns, he is too tentative and looks like an accident waiting to happen. As a receiver, he can't catch a pass longer than 5 yards, no matter where it is placed. As a punt returner, see kickoff returns.
State's offense performs well enough to win most games. Biggest issue-the receivers have to catch balls that are within their reach and finish their routes. Glennon's interception should not have happened, IMO.
On defense, there is not much State can do but keep sending them out there. The experienced secondary players just aren't that good, and the more athletic guys are just too young. I would go with the young guys. At least the have a chance to improve. Non-stop tackling drills in practice, every day, are a no-brainer.
What's wrong with the Pack is correctable, but it is going to take time.
Go Duke!
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 20:48 — RPadiACC beware... Duke is coming after you!
(Note: If you take in consideration that Duke is playing with so many red shirt freshmans, I am feeling good about today and the future!)
Don't worry...
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:20 — HeelsforeverThe way this season is going for Triangle area football teams, the Bluedevils will likely look horrible their next time out.
Tough loss for NCSU
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 20:35 — UNC1998I bet Duke football fan(s) are very happy. Two losses in a row for NCSU......doesn't feel good no matter what color the team is wearing. Hopefully, The three area teams will end up with successful seasons, whatever that means to each of them.
Nice work TOB
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:32 — statefanPerhaps telling the kids they are no good after a win is not such a good idea. You can't complain that they don't listen to you any more though, can you? At least you admitted that you're not coaching them well.
Really?
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 21:41 — Heels20TOB is not the problem. He is a very good football coach. The problem is that he makes bad players good, instead of making good players great. This will change with time. Amato left him with a lot of stuff to clean up.
Agreed
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 22:41 — willncsuDuke will have the best offense in the ACC when its all said and done. Not an excuse. They lit VT up worse than Miami. It was raining, whatever. Our secondary is atrocious. Lewis is the best QB in the conference, hands down. We do not face another good QB thank god.
State fans are angry, I
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:39 — mad_maxState fans are angry, I fully understand that...but I think TOB was just being honest after that Pitt win. Maybe too many people wrote it off as coach-speak instead of realizing that State has some serious issues, especially on defense.
And Russell Wilson throws
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:17 — chrismg1And Russell Wilson throws the pick. could this get any better?
Look on the bright side state fans, your team scored twice as many points as NC Central (49-14 dookies)
bad
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:10 — gvillegatrjust got worse. and I got my 2nd half over 28!
I'm a doofus
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:36 — mad_maxEverything I thought and said about this game turned out to be wrong. Special teams play was a big factor in this game and made State look like chumps on more than one occasion. As for the weak tackling and vulnerability to the pass? I failed to see any improvement in this game...in fact, it might have even been worse. I still think Wilson is really good, but one guy isn't gonna win games for us. Receivers are $hit, defense is soft, and special teams are embarassing...just embarassing. So what happens to State this year? Will they lose to every FBS in-state opponent after winning the "State championship" last year? Big let-down today for State's football program. Waiting for JPD to post something optimistic that might make me feel better.
You're not the only one, max
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 14:00 — JPDOhioNo one posting here before the game gave Duke much of a chance, even after their performance against VA Tech. Fact is, Duke is not a bad team and those who are calling this game "the lowest point in NC State football history" are over-reacting big time.
If you set aside the two punt miscues (the first was just bad luck, the second a poor decision on TJ Graham's part), this is a one touchdown game and a lot closer than the final score indicates. State cut down on the penalties considerably-a plus. Too many missed tackles and too many dropped passes-problems that theoretically are correctable. If and when this happens will dictate how the season turns out.
I will stay optimistic, because I have faith in TOB's approach. The coaching staff does not sugarcoat problems. They will be addressed in practice, but the players have to step it up and perform. Fortunately, the nature of the ACC is that, if State can stop beating themselves, they have a chance in each game for the rest of the season.
Got nothing right now.
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 22:45 — JPDOhioJust got back from a wedding reception and missed the second half. Will post tomorrow once I see the recording, but can't promise an uplifting post, based on what I have read so far.
I can sympathize
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 20:27 — gvillegatrI responded to something the other day in a state thread where a guy said something about the WR's, tackling, and ST's and how it would be on the mend.
I said you simply cant do that after 5 weeks or something to that fact. I was right. and I've always stated ncsu is a one man team.
My point, though, is it is easier for someone on the outside to see the ugliness of another. kinda like all the state fans who saw the UNC ugliness where we UNC fans didn't want to. you guys were right most definitly.
we both have a lot of work to do. this week is over. lets move on to next.
so
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 19:04 — gvillegatrwhere does this put ncsu during the 3rd year? right where UNC is. deal with it. cope with it. I know you can.
Pop
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 18:56 — mikbarrettWarner.
only UNCR...
Sat, 10/10/2009 - 18:52 — chrismg1only state can make Thaddeus Lewis look like Peyton Manning...