Duke achieved a historic win on Friday night by defeating Florida State 23-16, marking their first victory over the Seminoles in 23 meetings.
Chandler Rivers scored on an interception return, and Todd Pelino kicked three field goals to help secure the win.
“I really feel like they expected to win the game,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said about his players.
Star Thomas contributed by rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown, helping the Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) bounce back from their first loss of the season nearly two weeks earlier.
Despite outgaining Duke by 111 yards, Florida State (1-6, 1-5) continued to struggle. “The game went about the way we expected,” Diaz said. “The game was won by our defense. … The most important stat is the win.”
Florida State had a chance to tie the game but fumbled at the Duke 37-yard line with 5:18 remaining. Their final drive ended with a failed fourth-down attempt.
“We know we didn’t play our best,” Thomas said about the offense. “We just let those guys (on defense) put the finishing touch on things.”
Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy threw for 70 yards as part of the team’s 180 yards of total offense.
Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn struggled, committing turnovers on three consecutive plays in the first half, including two interceptions and a fumble. He finished 9-for-19 for 110 yards, while backup Luke Kromenhoek went 3-for-7 for 19 yards.
“It’s unfortunate that we left plays out there and some of the mistakes that were made,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “I truly believe that this team was ready to go out and play at a very high level.”
Samuel Singleton Jr. from Florida State returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but earlier turnovers proved costly for the Seminoles.
“That’s crazy,” Rivers said about the turnovers. “That brought a lot of momentum.” Duke, at one point with just 51 yards of total offense, led 17-3 after Pelino kicked a 27-yard field goal with 10 minutes left in the first half.
Rivers’ interception of Glenn led to a 36-yard return for Duke’s first touchdown. Following a fumble by Glenn on the next snap, the Blue Devils quickly scored again with Thomas’ 2-yard run on fourth-and-1.
An interception by Ozzie Nicholas, who returned it to the Florida State 11, resulted in just three points. Nicholas had forced Glenn’s fumble on the previous possession. Duke’s first four possessions ended in punts.
