RALEIGH, N.C. – Duke senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis completed a school record 40-of-50 passes for a career-high 459 yards and accounted for six touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils (3-3, 1-1) to a 49-28 victory over North Carolina State (3-3, 0-2) in ACC football action this afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. Lewis’ five touchdown passes this afternoon pushed him to the top of the Duke career charts at with 59 overall.
The win snaps a 20-game ACC road game losing skid for the Blue Devils with the last road win coming in 2003 at North Carolina. Lewis’ six touchdowns accounted for ties the Duke single-game record, while his five touchdown passes and 459 passing yards are second and fourth all-time, respectively, in Duke single-game history.
“I will probably upset a couple of my former quarterbacks, but I believe that is the finest game that I have had a quarterback has in college,” head coach David Cutcliffe said.
“He was really special. We handled their pressure and we handled their zone and when you can do that you can throw the football.”
Donovan Varner led all receivers with seven catches for a career-high 154 yards. Conner Vernon made a game-high 10 catches for 86 yards for the Blue Devils.
“I can’t say enough about the receiving corp,” Cutcliffe said. “They are becoming that. You can see it. Those of you that have been watching us the past few weeks have seen the difference.”
Duke took the game’s opening drive 70 yards capped off by Lewis’s two-yard touchdown strike to Brett Huffman. Lewis completed 7-of-8 passes on the drive for 63 yards. The touchdown marks the third time the Blue Devils have scored on their opening drive this season.