DURHAM
Quarterback Sean Renfree made a splash in his first start for Duke last night against Elon in the season opener at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Which begs the question of whether it will create a tidal wave of momentum for the Blue Devils heading into next week's ACC opener at Wake Forest.
Renfree, a 6-5 sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., completed 31 of 39 passes — with two dropped — for 350 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Blue Devils to a 41-20 victory in front of 33,941.
In doing so, he outdueled Scott Riddle, the premier passer of the BCS Southern Conference who entered the game needing 359 yards of passing to set a new conference record. Riddle completed 22 of 42 passes for 281 yard, but the fourth-quarter interception he had picked off by Abraham Kromah all but sealed his team's fate.
The Phoenix trailed 34-20 at the time and the Blue Devils tacked on the final touchdown on a 79-yard drive.
Conner Vernon caught 10 of Renfree's passes for 129 yards and Donovan Varner caught seven for 123 yards. With Desmond Scott rushing 15 times for 77 yards, the Blue Devils piled up 542 yards on offense – compared to 406 by the Phoenix.
The post-game reviews of Renfree's performance were glowing.
"He was phenomenal," Vernon said. "For a first career start, you can't ask for more.
"His performance speaks for itself. He was the Commander In Chief out there and he basically led us up and down the field all night long."
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