The Duke Blue Devils extended their winning streak to six games with a 31-27 victory at Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois.
Sophomore running back Nate Sheppard tallied three total touchdowns, including two receiving scores, to help power the Blue Devils (2-0) to their 11th one-score victory under head coach Manny Diaz. Sheppard also eclipsed 100 yards for a third straight game, with 147 rushing yards on 24 carries.
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Walker Eget turned in a solid performance after struggling a week ago against Tulane, passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
Duke trailed 24-14 late in the second quarter, but a 7-yard pass from Eget to Sheppard closed the gap at 24-21 at halftime.
Duke took that momentum into the second half and got its first lead of the game on another pass from Eget to Sheppard, this time from three yards out. The Illini only scored three points in the second half, with the Blue Devils' defense making several key stops late, including Evan Smith's first interception with the team and a fourth-down pass breakup by Kyon Loud.
With the win, the Blue Devils extended their winning streak to six games dating back to the 2025 season. The Blue Devils will look to keep things rolling when they host the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday. Kick off for the game is at 4 p.m. and airs live on the CW.