The Duke Blue Devils are returning to a familiar site at Wallace Wade Stadium following last week's critical win over the Virginia Cavaliers in a rematch from last year's ACC Championship.
Once again, Duke got the final word on UVA with another game-winning play that will be remembered by Blue Devils fans in the Manny Diaz era. The program's head coach has them at 5-2, far better than anyone expected at this point of the season after losing so much talent during the offseason. With a major challenge on the road looming against the No. 1-ranked Miami Hurricanes, they must first take care of business over the next two weeks.
Oct 24, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Mason McKenzie (10) runs against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan Boyd (8) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Duke must keep searching for consistency this week, starting against the Boston College Eagles and their head coach Bill O'Brien, who has the program at 4-3 following back-to-back wins over Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. This is a good challenge for the Blue Devils, who need to see how they handle the momentum of their opponent.
Last time they did such a thing, they lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels two weeks ago. They must learn from that game how to slow down a team coming off a big win with a lot of confidence.
It starts by slowing down the Eagles' run game, specifically quarterback Mason McKenzie. I covered this topic in my latest article for Duke On SI , stating that mesh point integrity and containment will be incredibly important for the Blue Devils' defense, which has been playing great football this season overall.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels with Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jared Richardson (17) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Duke also faces a quality pass defense that could provide quarterback Walker Eget with some challenges, which opens up the opportunity for heavy usage of superstar running back and the Blue Devils' best player, Nate Sheppard. I think the return of veteran center Matt Craycraft will be a huge indicator of how much Duke runs the football this week, especially between the tackles.
I see the pieces in place for Duke to get an important win in ACC play, putting them over .500 in the conference and building momentum themselves, stealing it from Boston College in the process. They have plenty of favorable matchups in this game that should help them get an impressive triumph against O'Brien and the Eagles.
Oct 23, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on from the field prior to the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I feel that the penultimate game for Duke this season is their trip to Miami, which will be a trap game against the UNC Tar Heels on Saturday night. Wins against Boston College and NC State build up to give the Hurricanes a fight after what could be two physical games against North Carolina and Notre Dame.
A win on Saturday steals the momentum from Boston College and puts it in the hands of the Blue Devils. It is another critical matchup for Diaz, who coaches his players out of the inconsistencies that have squandered their opportunities after the bye week.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Why Duke Football Must Handle Expectations Against Hot Boston College .
