Duke Blue Devils defeat Stanford 35-7 in ACC opener

Duke Blue Devils Stanford Cardinal Nate Sheppard ACC football college football

The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Stanford Cardinal 35-7 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, to open their Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season. The victory marks Duke's fifth consecutive win in an ACC opener, a program record.

Running back Nate Sheppard led the Blue Devils with 154 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including two rushing scores and one receiving touchdown. Quarterback Walker Eget completed 14 of 24 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. Other scoring contributors for Duke included Kavon Simmons and Jayvian Tanelus.

Stanford was held to 237 yards of total offense, with quarterback Davis Warren throwing for 151 yards and one touchdown to Caden High. The loss extends Stanford's away-game losing streak to 12 games. Duke's defense recorded four sacks during the matchup.