Field Level Media
Aug 31, 2018
Daniel Jones ran for a touchdown and threw for a score as Duke opened the season by defeating Army 34-14 on Friday night at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
The outcome was clinched by a strong fourth quarter from Duke, which avenged a 2017 road defeat.
Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. threw for 197 yards despite Black Knights' run-first offense.
Hopkins' 3-yard touchdown run gave Army a boost at the end of an 11-play, 55-yard drive, closing the gap to 17-7 with 5:44 left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing possession, Duke converted on Brittain Brown's fourth-down run before sophomore running back Deon Jackson ran 7 yards for his first career touchdown. Jones hit Johnathan Lloyd with two big pass plays on the drive.
Army stormed back with Hopkins' 45-yard TD pass to Cam Harrison to pull within 24-17. Duke countered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Aaron Young early in the fourth quarter.
Jones ended up 13-for-17 for 197 passing yards, and he added 43 yards on the ground. Young picked up 114 yards on four receptions.
The Blue Devils outscored Army 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, Duke took advantage of a fumble on Army's first possession, converting on Collin Wareham's 25-yard field goal.
Army drove later in the first quarter but came up empty on Landon Salyers' missed 33-yard field-goal attempt.
The Black Knights reached the Duke 30 in the second quarter after a fourth-down pick-up but then fumbled on a pitchout.
Brown scored Duke's first touchdown of the season with a 12-yard, second-quarter run.
It was 17-0 after Jones' 61-yard pass to Young set up the quarterback's 1-yard keeper for a touchdown on the next play.
Duke improved to 9-2 in season openers under coach David Cutcliffe, yet it was the team's fewest points in an opener since a 2011 loss to Richmond.
The Blue Devils have won 10 of their past 13 matchups with Army.
--Field Level Media