DURHAM —Garrett Turner rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on fourth down with 10:12 remaining to help Richmond beat Duke 23-21 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
The Spiders, members of the Football Championship Subdivision, beat the Blue Devils of the ACC for the third time in the last six seasons.
Will Snyderwine missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt that would have given Duke the lead with 1:43 remaining. And, after forcing a punt on Richmond’s last possession, his 60-yard kick on the final play of the game also came up short.
Richmond’s Remington Hinshaw missed his extra-point try wide right after Turner’s touchdown, leaving the door open for Duke’s late game-winning attempts.
Aaron Corp passed for 193 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Richmond. Trey Gray added eight receptions for a career-high 129 yards.
Desmond Scott rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown for the Blue Devils.
The lead changed on four consecutive possessions in the second half, but the Spiders held on for their third consecutive win in the series. Richmond defeated Duke 13-0 in 2006 and triumphed 24-16 over Duke in 2009.
Wayne Lineburg picked up a victory in his first game as Richmond’s interim head coach. Lineburg replaced Latrell Scott, who resigned Aug. 23 after being charged with driving under the influence.
Lineburg, who had been Richmond’s offensive coordinator, maintained his duties on that side of the ball. His offense capitalized on its opportunities, something Duke failed to do throughout the game.
The Blue Devils came up empty on half of their trips inside the red zone, including at the end of the first half when time ran out before they could try a field goal.
Two turnovers by Duke deep in its own end allowed Richmond to take a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Corp threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Barnette on the first play of the second quarter after a lost fumble by Duke quarterback Sean Renfree, opening the scoring.
Scott tied the score 7-7 with a 29-yard touchdown run less than two minutes later, but Brandon Braxton lost a fumble on Duke’s next possession. The Spiders capitalized with a 29-yard field goal by Hinshaw for the three point halftime advantage.
The Blue Devils warmed up in their traditional blue jerseys and white pants, but they returned from the locker room with a new look. Duke’s players donned black jerseys and black pants, running back onto the field as “Back in Black” by AC/DC boomed out of the speakers just before kickoff.
Whatever boost the Blue Devils received from their new look quickly wore off. Renfree tripped while dropping back for his first pass of the game, throwing the ball out of bounds and drawing a flag for intentional grounding. Duke managed 35 total yards on its first four possessions.