Sheppard scores 3 TDs as Duke handles Stanford, 35-7

DURHAM, N.C. -- — Nate Sheppard scored on two runs and a reception, gained 154 yards on the ground and undefeated Duke beat Stanford 35-7 on Saturday. Duke (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), the defending conference champion, has won five consecutive ACC openers for the first time in program history. Sheppard carried 23 times and scored on a 2-yard play on his lone catch. “You have to let Nate Sheppard have his fingerprints on the game,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. Kavon Simmons and Jayvian Tanelus added touchdown runs for the Blue Devils, who compiled 268 rushing yards. Quarterback Walker Eget completed 14 of 24 passes for 202 yards. Duke won a week earlier at Illinois when the Blue Devils were considered underdogs. This week, Diaz wondered how they’d handle a game when many observers figured they should win. “We challenged our team this week to just be us,” he said. “We just went to work and played good football.” Davis Warren was 18-for-32 for 151 yards with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Caden High for Stanford (1-2, 0-2), which was limited to 237 yards of total offense. Micah Ford rushed for 76 yards on 11 attempts. The Cardinal’s losing streak in games away from home has reached 12. It’s the second Duke opponent to fail to reach a double-digit point total. “We’ve been hard to score against,” Diaz said. “I think the guys believe in the plan.” The takeaway Stanford: The Cardinal were stuck with less than 200 yards of total offense until the final seven minutes. It has failed to reach a double-digit point total in both of its ACC games. Duke: The Blue Devils have been content to rely on Sheppard to set the tone for their rushing attack. The sophomore has more than 500 rushing yards in three games his season following his 1,132 yards on the ground last year. Duke’s only turnover came when Eget was picked off in the end zone to end its first possession. Mixing it up Duke gambled on the opening kickoff with an onside kick, recovering the ball and then driving to the Stanford 2 before Eget’s fourth-down pass was intercepted in the end zone by Darrius Davis. Late in the third quarter, Simmons’ 16-yard run came when the receiver was part of a gadget play that probably didn’t go exactly as designed. “That turned into backyard football,” Diaz said. Up next Stanford: host Georgia Tech on Saturday. Duke: host William & Mary on Saturday. ------ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.