The Sampler: Duke

The Sampler looks at the Virginia football win at Duke.
Virginia running back Taquan Mizzell smiles with coach Bronco Mendenhall after the win. ~ Courtesy Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

The Sampler returns with Virginia football fans in a good mood. The Hoos ripped off their second straight win with a 34-20 triumph at Duke on Saturday, which gives fans a three-week window of enjoyment thanks to the bye week.

One week after a day of records for the offense against Central Michigan, the defense took its turn in the spotlight in Durham. UVA forced 6 turnovers on the day, which included 5 interceptions. That marked the 10th time in program history that the Cavaliers snared 5 picks – the last time for the feat came in 2010 against Miami. Juan Thornhill and Bryce Hall led the interception parade with a pair of picks each. Thornhill earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week recognition after that effort.

The offense capitalized in the red zone with 3 touchdowns, while Kurt Benkert tallied another big numbers day. One week after setting the program record with 421 passing yards, he logged 336 more at Duke. Benkert became the first Cavalier quarterback to throw passes of 80 yards or more in consecutive games.

That’s enough for an overview, though. The Sampler dives into some details.

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