Despite entering the game as six-point underdogs, the Duke Blue Devils pulled off an impressive upset Saturday on the road against Illinois and now sit 2-0 to begin the year. While running back Nate Sheppard was once again the talking point on offense along with improved play from quarterback Walker Eget, it was the Blue Devils defense that shut down the Illini in the second half.
Duke held Illinois to only three points in the final 30 minutes of play, behind a crucial fourth-quarter interception by Evan Smith with 7:21 remaining. Safety Andrew Pellicciotta took care of business as well, recording 11 tackles, nine of which were by himself. Following the win, Duke head coach Manny Diaz was impressed with how his defense responded in the second
half, after allowing 24 points in the first two quarters.
"Defensively it was all about turning the game around," Diaz said. "Sometimes halftime adjustments are about doing something different, and sometimes halftime adjustments are about doing something better.
"I just feel like we presented ourselves as the best version of ourselves (in the second half)."
Looking ahead to next week, Duke will play their first ACC matchup of the season against Stanford. With a win, they would keep pace with the ACC's main contenders, which include Miami, SMU and Virginia, all of which are 1-0 in conference play. Stanford comes into the matchup 1-1 and 0-1 in conference play, having recently suffered a 45-6 loss to Miami.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Manny Diaz speaks after Duke's defense shuts down Illinois in second half
