By Ben Everett | Sports Writer
Duke holds a 14-7 lead over Baylor at halftime at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
The Bears’ (0-2) defense has been aggressive, forcing the Blue Devils (2-0) into two turnovers to keep the game close despite a rough offensive performance where it has only produced 130 total yards.
Freshman defensive lineman Deonte Williams recovered a fumble by Duke senior running back Shaun Wilson at the 39-yard line just 18 seconds into the game to record Baylor’s first forced turnover on the season.
On the second offensive play for the Bears, sophomore quarterback Zach Smith connected with sophomore wide receiver Denzel Mims on a 44-yard touchdown to give Baylor a 7-0 lead.
Wilson broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown on the next offensive possession to tie the game at 7-7.
The Baylor defense forced back-to-back punts on third-down sacks from sophomore linebackers Clay Johnston and Eric Ogor.
Senior defensive end Brian Nance forced a strip sack on Duke sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones at the end of the first quarter, but the Bears were unable to jump on the ball and the game remained tied at 7 after one quarter.
Duke kept the drive going at the start of the second and freshman running back Brittain Brown broke multiple tackles en route to a 34-yard touchdown run that put the Blue Devils up 14-7.
The Baylor offense continued to struggle as Smith failed to connect with receivers downfield and the run game led by true freshmen Dru Dixon and John Lovett couldn’t gain momentum.
Ogor recorded his second sack of the game on a Duke third down, but was penalized for leading with the crest of his helmet, giving Duke a fresh set of downs.
Freshman receiver Gavin Holmes caught a short pass from Smith, but lost the ball into the hands of Duke linebacker Joe Giles-Harris to put Duke in scoring position.
The Bears defense forced a 33-yard field goal attempt by sophomore kicker Austin Parker, but Parker missed wide right.
Following another empty possession from the Baylor offense, Duke found themselves on the Baylor 3-yard line with one minute remaining in the half.
The Bears’ defense flexed its muscles with a red zone interception by sophomore cornerback Henry Black to keep it at a 14-7 game heading into the half.
Baylor will receive the second half kick off.
