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Duke: 3 Takeaways As Blue Devils Head Into Crucial Bye Week

The Duke Blue Devils have opened their campaign with four straight victories and an eight-match winning streak following a dominant 62-7 triumph over William & Mary prior to their bye week. Their early slate featured a narrow 31-27 road victory against Illinois, a 35-7 conference-opening win against Stanford, and a 17-3 decision over Tulane.

Ground game specialist Nate Sheppard has spearheaded the offensive output, collecting an NCAA-best 644 rushing yards and six scores on 91 attempts while averaging 7.1 yards per carry, particularly starring against Illinois with 147 yards and a touchdown. Following Darian Mensah's departure via transfer to Miami, signal-caller Walker Eget has contributed 721 passing yards and six touchdowns with just one interception, highlighted by a 206-yard, three-touchdown performance against Illinois.

Under the direction of Manny Diaz, the Blue Devils defensive unit ranks 20th in the country by allowing just 4.51 yards per play, surrendering double-digit points only once all year against Illinois. Linebacker Bradley Gompers anchors the defense with a team-high three sacks.

Looking ahead, the squad prepares to hit the road for a matchup against Georgia Tech on Saturday.

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