Duke 40, VMI 14

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Posted 8:28PM on Saturday, September 17, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) A little bickering and finger-pointing went a long way for Duke. Justin Boyle ran for a career-high 113 yards and two touchdowns, Zack Asack threw for another score in his Duke debut and the Blue Devils ended a week of turmoil by beating Division I-AA VMI 40-14 Saturday. After getting embarrassed at home by Virginia Tech, the players held a meeting where many issues were discussed, some loudly. Coach Ted Roof called the ``confrontation'' a good thing, since it might have been enough to get everyone on the same page. ``Confrontation is the truth,'' he said. ``I think that some guys grew, got out of their comfort zone a little bit.'' Duke (1-2) took out its frustration on the lowly Keydets (1-2), who have lost 14 of their 15 games. The Blue Devils gained only 35 yards in a 45-0 loss to the Hokies but exceeded that total on its second possession in front of 10,126 fans, the smallest crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium since 1966. A couple of Roof's players missed seeing it since they were suspended for what Roof termed ``an internal situation.'' Kicker Joe Surgan and backup quarterback Gene Delle Donne, both freshmen, weren't on the sidelines for the game. ``The guys we didn't dress today are back,'' he said. ``That is over, they have paid their price. They learned their lesson. They are good kids, but just made a bad decision.'' VMI hasn't beaten a I-A opponent since a 6-0 shutout of Virginia Tech in 1981, its final game before moving down to the lower classification. Nat Jackson and Colby Hollingsworth ran for touchdowns in the second half for the Keydets, who surrendered at least 40 points for the second consecutive week. ``I think playing Duke helped us become a better football team, and that's what it's all about,'' Keydets coach Cal McCombs said. ``This game helped us get better in our conference and the remainder of our season.'' Cedric Dargan had two TDs on the ground for Duke, and freshman Marcus Jones caught Asack's scoring toss before later taking his first snaps of the season at quarterback. The Blue Devils finished with 351 yards of offense, their highest total since gaining 397 last season against Division I-AA The Citadel. The postgame celebration was a bit muted, but perhaps Duke should have enjoyed it more. After all, its next five opponents had a combined record of 43-17 in 2004, including four bowl victories. The daunting stretch begins next week against No. 25 Virginia and ends with No. 8 Florida State, a run that would challenge most programs. ``Right now, we're not even thinking about this one,'' defensive end Eli Nichols said. ``We're looking ahead to Virginia.'' The Keydets had three turnovers, the first of which was a fumble that led to the Blue Devils' first touchdown. Sean Mizzer broke free down the right sideline before getting hit by safety Brian Greene, and Deonto McCormick dove on the loose ball just before it headed out of bounds. A review by the replay official upheld the call, and Ronnie Drummer got Duke started with a 13-yard reverse. Seven plays later, Boyle bulled his way in from the 3 to make it 7-0, and the rout was on. ``Our emphasis all week was to establish the run, because when you establish the run, you give the defense a break,'' Boyle said. ``Let them have a breather. Our offensive line and fullbacks did a great job. The holes were huge and all I did was just run.'' On VMI's next drive, John Talley intercepted a pass from Jonathan Wilson and returned it 35 yards. A roughing the passer penalty later moved the ball to the 1, and Dargan ran in from there for a 14-0 lead. He added another TD on a 4-yard run before the Blue Devils blew a chance to increase the margin just before the half. Ryan Radloff broke through to block a punt in the final 75 seconds, giving Duke possession at VMI's 14. Mike Schneider threw two incompletions before a third-down pass netted only 3 yards, and Surgan's replacement, Randy DeSmyter, pushed a 28-yard field wide right. Schneider was 8-of-17 for 69 yards before giving way to Asack. ``I am glad we were able to get out in front a little bit like that,'' Roof said. ``You saw the future of our football program with Zack Asack and Marcus Jones on the receiving end as well as some quarterback play. Now these guys have some game experience. There is no substitute for that.'' (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)