By BOB SUTTON Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes and Duke snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 13-point deficit to beat N.C. State 45-33 on Saturday.
The Blue Devils (2-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference opener) scored 21 points in less than four minutes of game time spanning the two halves to surge into the lead.
Anderson Castle added three rushing touchdowns, including a clinching 66-yard dash on third down with 2:19 remaining.
CJ Bailey tossed two touchdowns passes to Terrell Anderson but was intercepted three times for N.C. State (3-1, 1-1). Hollywood Smothers rushed for 123 yards and one touchdown and Will Wilson had two 1-yard TD runs. Anderson picked up 166 yards on six catches.
Mensah was 19-for-28 for 269 yards. Castle gained 92 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
NC State drove 99 yards to score on the second play of the second quarter on Bailey’s 6-yard throw to Anderson and later extended the lead to 20-7.
The big play came inside of two minutes in the first half when Duke linebacker Tre Freeman intercepted Bailey’s fourth-down pass, returning it 67 yards to set up a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run from Castle.
The Takeaway
N.C. State: The Wolfpack racked up 535 yards of total offense, but there were too many defensive malfunctions to secure a second consecutive in-state road victory.
Duke: The Blue Devils were minus-6 in turnover margin entering the game, but the plus-4 effort proved huge in toppling the Wolfpack for the third season in a row. Duke, which also blocked a third-quarter field goal attempt, has won five of the last six meetings.
Up Next
N.C. State: Saturday at home vs. Virginia Tech
Duke: Saturday at Syracuse