Duke takes first loss at Georgia Tech into rivalry week against North Carolina

Duke's unbeaten start ended Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. The Blue Devils lost a close game at Georgia Tech after their defense gave up a touchdown in the final minutes, and a missed kick decided the result.

The game is the subject of the latest Big J & Little J Show from Devils Illustrated on On3. Jordan Mann and Conor O'Neill reviewed what went wrong. By their account, several things broke down for Duke. The Blue Devils came back to put themselves in position, then couldn't hold on at the end.

The outlet's earlier coverage pointed to the fourth quarter. Duke couldn't find answers in the final period. Georgia Tech's late scoring drive turned a game Duke had fought its way back into into its first loss of the season.

The timing is bad for Duke. On Monday, Devils Illustrated also reported that Duke will be without a kicker and a linebacker for the rest of the season. That leaves the staff with questions on special teams and on defense, the two areas that cost Duke at the end in Atlanta. Those depth problems now carry into a rivalry game with conference stakes.

Up next: North Carolina

Duke (4-1) hosts North Carolina (3-2) on Saturday, October 17, at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. A loss to the Tar Heels would mean back-to-back defeats after the 4-0 start. A win would put the Georgia Tech result behind Duke and send it into the second half of the schedule with one loss.

The market still leans toward the home team. Duke is favored at -150 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game. theScore Bet has the same -150, the best sportsbook number on the Blue Devils. Duke is favored by 3.5 points on the spread, and the total is 47.5. Current prices are on the North Carolina at Duke game page.

A 3.5-point line suggests the market sees this as another close game. That means the late-game execution and kicking that failed Duke in Atlanta could matter again, this time with a reshuffled roster at both spots. How Duke replaces those players, and whether the defense can close out a game in the fourth quarter, will be the main questions in Durham this week.

Devils Illustrated's full breakdown of the Georgia Tech game is available in the show's video on On3.