Duke Takes Out Wake Forest On A Last-Second Touchdown, 23-16

01.12.2024 01:48

Nov 30, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jordan Moore (8) catches the game winning score in the final seconds during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

What a way to end it!

Duke crowned a sterling first season for head coach Manny Diaz with a thrilling come from behind win at Wake Forest, putting the Deacs down, 23-17 on a last second TD strike from Maalik Murphy to Jordan Moore as time ran out. Moore’s route was beautiful and his twist to get into the end zone, untouched, was gorgeous.

Duke won, but it didn’t look likely for most of the afternoon.

The Blue Devils fell behind 17-3 in the third quarter and things were not looking good. But this has been a second-half team all year and that didn’t change in Winston-Salem.

Duke scored another touchdown at the end of the third to make it 17-10 and another at 12:57 in the fourth when Murphy ran it in.

The final touchdown though...that’s the kind of thing that a program is going to remember for a very long time. Murphy has had a tremendous year for the Blue Devils.

After the game, and with Duke sporting a beautiful 9-3 record in his first season, Diaz had this to say: “It’s like the perfect exclamation point to our season. Who else would it be, other than Jordan Moore? So for him to make that play to get us to nine wins, just an unbelievable way to finish what has really been quite an unbelievable season for us.”

Well said.

Now Duke has won the so-called State championship, having beaten UNC, NC State and Wake Forest, and will be the only one of the four to play in a bowl game. We’ll find out where that is soon enough (correction: State is bowl eligible after beating UNC).

Congratulations to coach Diaz and his entire team for a superb regular season!

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