
Virginia Tech Hokies at Duke Blue Devils
· NCAA - FootballMurphy, Pancol combine for three TD plays as Duke beats Virginia Tech 31-28

Pancol racked up a career-best 188 yards receiving on five catches and Duke (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), which had only nine first downs until the last four minutes, held on for its second victory in a row.
“So many momentum shifts, so many mistakes,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “We certainly didn’t play our best. But ultimately, we were resilient. … I don’t know if anybody would confuse that with excellence, but we were successful.”
Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 84 yards and a late touchdown, but the Hokies (5-6, 3-4) lost their third consecutive game.
With quarterback Kyron Drones out with an injury, Virginia Tech used Collin Schlee as the starter before he exited with a first-half injury. Schlee threw for one touchdown, while William Watson III fired for 146 yards and reached the end zone on a two-point conversion run for the game’s final points with 9:19 to play.
Duke overcame four turnovers. The Blue Devils had the ball at Virginia Tech’s 16-yard line with a first down before Star Thomas fumbled, with the Hokies taking over with 1:44 remaining. They didn’t pick up a first down.
Duke led 14-0 led less than 6½ minutes into the game. Murphy’s 86-yard connection with Pancol came on the team’s first snap, and they hooked up for a 77-yard TD play on the next possession.
“You couldn’t have scripted it any better,” Diaz said.
Virginia Tech scored 17 straight points, with Schlee’s 65-yard pass play to Ali Jennings providing the team’s first points. Ayden Greene had a 21-yard TD run. Jennings posted 158 yards receiving.
“Just didn’t do enough things to contribute to winning,” Hokies coach Brent Pry said. “We gave them a head start. … We didn’t make them earn it early in the game like we needed to.”
Pancol eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second time this season and third time in his career. After the game, he lingered longer than others before heading to the locker room. “I didn’t want to leave the field,” he said.
“It’s hard to be a quarterback to throw three picks and have to come back out the second half and lead a touchdown drive to start the third quarter,” Diaz said.
Duke: The Blue Devils had enough big plays, but the rushing attack has pretty much been abandoned until a couple of late drives. The defense that had been so stout for portions of the season had some holes, but the unit buckled up down the stretch and ended up with eight sacks. The only blemish on Duke’s 5-1 home record is an overtime loss to SMU.
Duke: Saturday at Wake Forest
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How To Watch
How can I watch Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Duke Blue Devils?
- TV Channel: Hokies at Blue Devils 2021 College Football, week 13, is broadcasted on ACC Network.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
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TD | 1st Period 12:55 | Eli Pancol 86 Yd pass from Maalik Murphy (Todd Pelino Kick) |
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TD | 1st Period 8:40 | Eli Pancol 77 Yd pass from Maalik Murphy (Todd Pelino Kick) |
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TD | 1st Period 4:28 | Ali Jennings 65 Yd pass from Collin Schlee (John Love Kick) |
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TD | 2nd Period 12:45 | Ayden Greene 21 Yd Run (John Love Kick) |
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FG | 2nd Period 7:55 | John Love 24 Yd Field Goal |
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TD | 2nd Period 5:41 | Eli Pancol 7 Yd pass from Maalik Murphy (Todd Pelino Kick) |
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TD | 3rd Period 11:52 | Star Thomas 2 Yd Run (Todd Pelino Kick) |
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FG | 3rd Period 3:24 | Todd Pelino 42 Yd Field Goal |
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FG | 4th Period 13:22 | John Love 38 Yd Field Goal |
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TD | 4th Period 9:19 | Bhayshul Tuten 29 Yd Run (William Watson III Run for Two-Point Conversion) |
Statistics
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|
---|---|---|
23 | 1st Downs | 12 |
6-19 | 3rd down efficiency | 2-11 |
1-4 | 4th down efficiency | 0-0 |
403 | Total Yards | 396 |
213 | Passing | 332 |
15/32 | Comp/Att | 17/35 |
6.7 | Yards per pass | 9.5 |
190 | Rushing | 64 |
53 | Rushing Attempts | 22 |
3.6 | Yards per rush | 2.9 |
8-71 | Penalties | 6-90 |
2 | Turnovers | 4 |
1 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
1 | Interceptions thrown | 3 |
38:26 | Possession | 21:34 |
Game Information

Location: Durham, NC
Attendance: 22,462 · Capacity:
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