After a tough streak of clashes with the ACC, Duke’s men’s football got back on track on Tuesday by closing their non-conference list with a victory.

Traveling to Furman, the No.18 Blue Devils knocked out the Paladins 3-2 in a much more one-sided game than the final score would suggest. Dominating Furman 22 to eight, 14 to six on goal, Duke maintained control through the night, setting the pace of the game and effectively countering the Paladins’ efforts to get back to it.

“Furman is a [much] better team than their record shows … I thought the effort and pragmatism of our squad stood out, and we made it through the game until the end, ”said head coach John Kerr thereafter, and his down-to-earth attitude reflects the game’s main takeaway: The Blue Devils played how they want to play.

Duke’s hallmark this year has been his aggressive press and his approach to expanding the field. Never letting the ball get bogged down in midfield, the Blue Devils (10-3-0, 4-2-0 in the ACC) created one of the most dangerous offenses in the ACC, and this was fully exposed against Furman. (3-8-1, 2-2 in the Southern Conference). While an inordinate number of shots eventually missed the net or breathed, luckily for the Paladins, it seemed like more play was being played in Furman’s penalty area than in the entire Duke half, and the Blue Devils had been very efficient at creating space and making games in the box, maybe too efficient.

If there’s one major criticism of Duke’s play on Tuesday it’s that he was a little too sophisticated in net, sometimes going for the pass or dribble in an effort to get the perfect play. rather than an easy shot at the net. . Still, if the takeaway in a game where you outscored your opponent 22 to eight is that you didn’t shoot enough, you probably played well enough.

“We worked very, hard in our press and won a lot of balls on the pitch and counterattacked pretty well. We got some really good places, and maybe the last ball or the last shot wasn’t as good as it normally is, and, you know, we should have scored a few more goals, ” Kerr said.

Either way, this ability to take center stage paid off on all three goals. The Blue Devils’ last two goals were more obvious reflections of the offensive pressure they relentlessly created, as first, a teamwork clinic resulted in a goal for sophomore Miguel Ramirez. with assists from freshmen Jai Bean and Felix Barajas in the 72nd minute. Then that was followed fifteen minutes later by an exceptional individual effort near the left post of freshman Shakur Mohammed, whose detailed footwork saw him beat the Paladins’ defense on his own. However, the goal that got the Blue Devils first on the board, a penalty scored by second student Peter Stroud after 33 minutes, came after Bean fouled the box as the Paladins were trying unsuccessfully to defend Duke’s press, and he set the tone early on that the Blue Devils would be the first violin in the game.

Although Duke made a few mistakes – Furman looked good in the dying minutes and a handball from Duke resulted in a penalty for the Paladins – his overall play in a solid win brings some relief to the team after two heartbreaking losses against Pittsburgh and Clemson. Although those two losses were hard fought and faced off against two rival teams, Duke, ranked No.3 before that streak, is nonetheless happy to secure a victory, especially considering he is considering a trip to South Bend, in Indiana, for the penultimate regular season. match against Notre Dame, No. 1 in the ACC Coastal and No. 20 nationally.