Duke scores 24 unanswered to defeat Hokies

Riley Leonard threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Duke Blue Devils won their third straight game, topping Virginia Tech 24-7 on Saturday afternoon.

Leonard completed 19-of-31 passes for 262 yards and also carried the ball nine times for 48 yards. Jalon Calhoun was Leonard’s favorite target, as he hauled in five catches for 94 yards for the Blue Devils (7-3, 4-2 ACC).

Grant Wells led the Hokies (2-8, 1-6 ACC) with 177 passing yards and one touchdown.

After Duke opened with a three-and-out, Virginia Tech took the lead on its second offensive play of the game when Wells connected with Da’Wain Lofton on a 53-yard scoring strike. It was the second longest touchdown pass of the year for the Hokies.

Then, beginning with a 25-yard field goal from Todd Pelino, the Blue Devils scored 24 straight unanswered points, grabbing the lead and never letting go. The scoring run was highlighted by Jontavis Robertson hauling in a 6-yard pass from Leonard for the junior wideout’s first career touchdown.