Duke’s halftime lead of 24-0 raised a lot of eyebrows around the league. It wasn’t just the score that was surprising, but how well their defense had stopped Navy’s 9th ranked rushing offense. The game appeared headed for a blowout, but Navy outscored the Blue Devils 24-3 in the fourth quarter to make it interesting.
The Midshipmen got the ball back with 1:02 remaining, but were stopped to end the game.
The two teams combined for 831 yards and 43 first downs. Navy was limited to 148 on the ground, and made the game interesting on the strength of Ricky Dobbs’ arm. The Navy quarterback finished 13/27 for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Sean Renfree had an incredible game for Duke, completing 28/30 for 314 yards and 1 touchdown.
Georgia Tech fans will take notice of this game, as Duke visits Atlanta in a couple of weeks. The Blue Devils stopped the option offense dead in its tracks, and forced Navy to throw. Renfree’s 93% completion percentage is also a key note from the game, and Duke’s performance on both sides of the ball should make the Jackets more aware of the upcoming matchup.