DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Chandler Morris passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns, J’Mari Taylor ran for 133 yards and two scores on 18 carries, and No. 20 Virginia kept its conference title hopes intact with a 34-17 victory over Duke on Saturday.
Morris, who left last week’s loss to Wake Forest following a hit to the head, went 23 of 35 through the air for the Cavaliers, who piled up 540 total yards. He also threw two interceptions, including one that Duke linebacker Tre Freeman returned 18 yards for a touchdown.
Trell Harris paced Virginia (9-2, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) with eight catches for 161 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown that made it 20-3 in the third quarter.
Duke reached the Virginia 8-yard line on its next possession, but Darian Mensah was sacked on fourth down by Mitchell Melton. Three players later, Taylor sprinted for a 78-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach.
Mensah finished with 213 yards and one touchdown on 18 of 35 passing as Duke (5-5, 4-2) dropped its second straight.
Virginia started fast, marching 75 yards on 14 plays on the game’s opening drive and scoring on Taylor’s 3-yard run. Duke went the entire first quarter without a first down, totaling only 16 total yards.
Todd Pelino’s 49-yard field goal got the Blue Devils on the scoreboard with 5:33 left in the second quarter. But the Cavaliers scored twice more before halftime, including a 12-yard pass from Morris to Sage Ennis, to extend the lead to 17-3.
Takeaways
Virginia: The Cavaliers remain in the driver’s seat for a spot in the ACC title game, though tiebreakers may keep things interesting.
Duke: The Blue Devils have dropped two straight since a rare win at Clemson and still need another victory to become bowl eligible.
Up next
Virginia: Closes out the regular season by hosting Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Nov. 29.
Duke: Visits North Carolina next Saturday for the Victory Bell.
