Overview
- Nate Sheppard ran for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries to carry Duke to the season-opening 17-3 victory Saturday.
- Duke used long, clock-consuming drives built around the run game to control tempo and limit Tulane possessions.
- Walker Eget completed 13 of 27 passes for roughly 130 yards in his Duke debut, showing some key third-down throws but an inconsistent overall passing performance.
- Tulane failed to score a touchdown, swapped starting quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion for Kadin Semonza at halftime, and was flagged 15 times for 104 yards.
- The loss leaves Tulane with immediate questions about depth, discipline and play-calling as it prepares to host South Alabama next week while Duke travels to Illinois.