Duke running back Nate Sheppard sets single-season rushing touchdown record
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The gist
Duke sophomore Nate Sheppard's 69-yard run against NC State set Duke's single-season rushing touchdown record.
Duke is already bowl eligible as its offense leans on the record-setting back.
Background
Nate Sheppard is a sophomore running back for the Duke Blue Devils, and Manny Diaz is Duke's head coach. Before the season it was unclear whether Diaz had enough talent to reach a bowl game after quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate left for the Miami Hurricanes in the transfer portal. Sheppard became the offense's central figure, and his record-setting stretch comes as Duke has already become bowl eligible for a third straight year.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026Sheppard was named the first Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week of the 2026 season after rushing for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns in Duke's 17-3 win over Tulane; he was also named ACC Running Back of the Week.
- Oct 31, 2026In Duke's 47-2 win over Boston College at Wallace Wade Stadium, Sheppard carried 20 times for 97 yards and five rushing touchdowns, setting Duke's single-game touchdown record and reaching 18 scrimmage touchdowns on the season, a single-season Duke record.
- Oct 31, 2026The win moved Duke to 6-2 (3-2 ACC) and made the Blue Devils bowl eligible for the third year in a row under Diaz; Boston College fell to 4-4 (2-3 ACC).
- Nov 7, 2026Sheppard's 15th touchdown of the year, a 69-yard run on the fourth play of Duke's opening drive against NC State, set Duke's single-season rushing touchdown record and put him over 1,000 rushing yards on the season; it was the longest run and longest touchdown run of his Duke career.
Key terms
- bowl eligible
- In NCAA Division I FBS college football, the standard that makes a team available for selection to postseason bowl games.
- transfer portal
- An NCAA database that lets student-athletes publicly signal their desire to transfer between member schools.
- Doak Walker
- Former SMU and Detroit Lions running back whose name honors the award for college football's top running back.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- NCFootballNews wrote that Sheppard bolstered his case for the Heisman conversation and other national awards like the Doak Walker after making history against Boston College.
- Analysts
- Yahoo Sports said there is no doubt Sheppard has been the MVP of Duke's offense this season.