Duke shifts focus to Virginia Tech in home finale

Looking for a strong finishing stretch to the Atlantic Coast Conference campaign, Duke hosts Virginia Tech in its home finale Saturday night in Durham, N.C.”It’s going to be a special night for everybody,” Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz said. “It’s always an emotional moment with the pregame ceremonies, but you’ve got to be able to snap back and focus on a very good Virginia Tech football team with a lot of talent. We’ve been fortunate to have extra time to prepare for this week.”The outcome is going to have a huge impact on the pecking order in the middle of the ACC standings.Duke (7-3, 3-3) has won only two of its last four games, while Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3) has dropped two in a row and still needs another win to reach bowl eligibility. Both teams were off last weekend.The Blue Devils are 4-1 this year in Durham. The Hokies are 2-3 in road games, with two of the setbacks in overtime (vs. Vanderbilt and Syracuse) and another in a controversial finish at Miami.”A good opponent in Duke, at night, at their place, Senior Night,” Hokies coach Brent Pry said. “They’ve got a couple of good wins under their belt and they’ve lost a couple of closes ones. We’ll have our hands full.”Former Duke standout defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles, who spent four seasons with the Blue Devils, is using his final season of eligibility with Virginia Tech. He has logged three sacks this year.

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