The Duke football program regained some momentum this week.
Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff led the Blue Devils to a 19-16 victory over Virginia in Charlottesville on Friday night, improving to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC action. Duke snapped a two-game losing streak in the process.
For the third straight week, the Blue Devils found themselves in a tight game coming down the stretch, with the ball and a chance to win. Duke came out on the losing side against Georgia Tech and North Carolina, but executed well to get it done against the Cavaliers.
Duke's ACC Championship repeat hopes are certainly diminished after a two-game skid, but there's still life to make the 2026 campaign another highly successful one under Diaz and Co. Next, Duke will host Boston College (4-3, 2-2 ACC) at Wallace Wade Stadium on Oct. 31.
Oct 23, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz (center) celebrates with players after a play against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After a 2025 season in which the Eagles went 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play, BC head coach Bill O'Brien has done a good job steadying the ship in 2026. Boston College isn't one of the powerhouses in the ACC, but it's riding a wave of momentum heading into a Halloween bout with the Blue Devils.
The Eagles have won two straight games, most recently taking down Georgia Tech 49-27 on the road, at the same venue where Duke suffered its first loss of the season in disappointing fashion. The Eagles ran the ball 47 times for 399 yards and five touchdowns.
Boston College boasts one of the better rushing attacks in the ACC. It currently ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards per game (181.0), though the other facets of its offense aren't overly impressive.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Duke and Boston College both have strong ground games, and this could be an outing where the running backs steal the show. The Eagles are allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game of any team in the ACC (182.1), but are allowing 151.1 rushing yards per game to their opponents.
The Blue Devils have been stellar defensively for the most part this season, specifically in the second half. Boston College has probably been better than most expected heading into the year, so this is a game that Diaz and Co. can't overlook. Duke got back in the win column on the road after putting itself in a tough spot, and now returns home to stack another win against a sneaky Boston College club.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as How Boston College Could Present Tricky Challenge for Duke Football .
