DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Riley Leonard threw for a career-best 391 yards and four touchdowns and Duke used a late touchdown to close out the regular season with a 34-31 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.
Leonard, who completed 29-of-41 passes, connected with Sahmir Hagans for the game-winning score, a 20-yard reception with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Hagans finished with two touchdowns and set career-highs in receptions and receiving yards, as did Duke’s Jalon Calhoun. As a duo, Hagans and Calhoun accounted for 19 receptions and 313 receiving yards. With the win, the Blue Devils (8-4, 5-3 ACC) snapped a three-game losing streak in their series with the Demon Deacons and recorded their first eight-win regular season since 2014.
Wake Forest (7-5, 3-5) quarterback Sam Hartman completed 26-of-42 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted late in the fourth by Duke defensive back Darius Joiner. Demon Deacon wide receiver A.T. Perry had eight catches for 87 yards and a score in the loss.
THE TAKEAWAY
Wake Forest: In late October, the Demon Deacons were 6-1 and ranked 10th nationally. Coach Dave Clawson’s team then lost four of its final five regular-season contests, and defense was once again a big issue for Wake Forest on Saturday. Wake Forest now has given up 30-plus points in four straight games, and Duke had multiple offensive playmakers with career days.
Duke: The Blue Devils closed out first-year coach Mike Elko’s first regular season in grand fashion. Punctuated by Leonard and Hagan’s big days, Duke once again illustrated their impressive turnaround after going 3-9 last year and showed that there’s a lot of young talent around for the years to come as well.
UP NEXT
Both Wake Forest and Duke await bowl invitations. Wake Forest has played in a bowl every season since 2016, and Duke is bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.
