Sheppard runs for 227 yards, 2 TDs to help Duke beat Tulane 17-3 in season opener for both teams

DURHAM, N.C. -- , Nate Sheppard ran for a career-best 227 yards and two touchdowns to help Duke beat Tulane 17-3 in Saturday's weather-delayed season opener for both teams. Sheppard powered the Blue Devils all day, starting when he weaved through the right side for a 9-yard TD in the first quarter , capping a 17-play, 75-yard drive lasting nearly 10 minutes. That would set the tone for Duke's run-heavy approach behind the sophomore, who ran for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns last year to help the Blue Devils win their first outright Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1962. “It’s credit to the (offensive) line and the tight ends, they were working their butts off today,” Sheppard said. “They made it happen, they were opening up the holes.