Inside the ACC · recap

Duke's running back threw the touchdown that beat Virginia

Virginia led 16-13 with three minutes left on Friday night. Duke went 75 yards in seven plays, and the last one was a pass from running back Nate Sheppard, 28 yards to Brody Keefe.

Duke 19, Virginia 16. It was Virginia's first loss at Scott Stadium this season.

What we said, and what happened

On Wednesday we wrote that Duke would win a close one. It won by three.

We also said the game would turn on two things: whether Virginia could run it, and whether Virginia could get off the field. Virginia did both.

The Cavaliers ran 53 times for 195 yards. Jekail Middlebrook carried 24 times for 117 and Beau Pribula ran 21 times for 66. Virginia held the ball for 38:47, and Duke had it for 21:13. Duke converted 2 of 10 third downs.

Virginia also outgained Duke, 353 to 327. In each of its previous three games Virginia had been outgained by at least 146 yards.

Four trips inside the 15, one touchdown

Virginia reached the Duke 15 four times. It scored one touchdown.

• In the first quarter it had first and goal at the Duke 3. Three runs got it to the 1, and Middlebrook scored on fourth down.
• In the second quarter it had first and goal at the 10 and settled for a 21-yard Will Bettridge field goal.
• At the end of the half it ran from its own 42 to the Duke 14 and kicked a 32-yarder on the last play.
• In the fourth quarter, tied at 13, it had first and 10 at the Duke 11. Middlebrook got nothing on first down, Pribula was called for intentional grounding on second, and Bettridge kicked a 30-yarder for 16-13 with 3:00 left.

Two more drives in the third quarter came away with nothing. Pribula ran 11 yards to the Duke 30 and fumbled, and Duke recovered. Later in the quarter Bettridge missed from 47.

The last three minutes

Duke started at its own 25 with 3:00 left. Walker Eget completed four passes on the drive to four different receivers, the last one to Sheppard for 13 yards to the Virginia 30.

Two plays later Sheppard threw for Keefe. The extra point failed, and it was 19-16 with 1:14 left.

Virginia got one first down on a 13-yard Pribula run, then faced fourth and 6 at its own 42. Patrick Smith-Young intercepted Pribula with 43 seconds left.

Sheppard

The preview noted that Sheppard had run for 644 yards in Duke's first four games and 176 in the two since, while catching 18 passes in those two.

On Friday he ran 15 times for 55 yards, with a 32-yard touchdown on Duke's first possession. He caught a 13-yard pass on the last drive and threw the touchdown two plays later.

Where it leaves them

Virginia is 4-4 and 2-3 in the ACC. It is 4-1 at Scott Stadium and 0-3 away from it, and it has lost three of its last four.

Duke is 5-2 and 2-2.

Virginia goes to Wake Forest next Saturday.