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Blue Devil Nation Erupts After Another Nate Sheppard Masterclass

Nate Sheppard is becoming the best running back in college football.
Hugh Straine|
Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) runs for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) runs for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils improved to 3-0 on the 2026 season with a convincing 35-7 victory over Stanford at Wallace Wade Stadium.

It was a bit of a slow start for both squads offensively, but Duke was in control for the majority of the way. Head coach Manny Diaz is continuing to prove his club is still a major threat in the ACC despite losing several key pieces from last season's ACC Championship team.

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Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs onto the field before the start of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blue Devils entered a very favorable four-game stretch in their schedule, and following a big-time road victory over Illinois with a lopsided in-conference win is a great sign for the future.

Duke looked well-rounded offensively, as quarterback Walker Eget continued to improve and get pass-catchers involved. However, once again, the Blue Devils were led by superstar running back Nate Sheppard, who is cementing his place in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

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Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) scores a touchdown on his run against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Blue Devil Nation Erupts Following Another Stellar Nate Sheppard Outing

At this point, it's more of the same for the star sophomore running back. It took no time at all for Sheppard to get involved, and he once again served as the engine for Duke's offense and looked unstoppable in the process.

Sheppard finished with 156 total yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns, while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Through three games, opposing defenses have had zero answer for the star tailback, and he truly might be the best running back in college football at this point.

At the end of the first half, Sheppard had already tallied 114 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. The Blue Devils totaled 470 yards of total offense in a highly productive day for the unit, and Sheppard accounted for 33% of them, which almost feels low.

Granted, Sheppard didn't play much down the stretch with the game already out of reach, but he put together that level of production in a game that was uncompetitive for a good portion of the second half.

Nate Sheppard Is a Heisman Trophy Candidate

After the Blue Devils' win over Illinois, we discussed that if Duke keeps winning and Sheppard maintains this elite level of production, it was going to become impossible to leave him out of the Heisman Trophy discussion. Well, we're through another week; Duke won, and Sheppard was the catalyst again.

Forget the Doak Walker Award, Sheppard might be the most productive player in college football right now.

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Hugh Straine
HUGH STRAINE

Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.

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