Sophomore rusher Nate Sheppard carried Duke to a dominant 35-7 victory over Stanford in Durham on Saturday, pushing the defending ACC champions to 3-0 while extending the Cardinal's road losing streak to a dismal 12 games.

Sheppard ripped through Stanford's defense for 154 yards on 23 carries and found the end zone three times, twice on the ground and once on his only reception, a 2-yard score. The performance pushed his season rushing total past 500 yards through just three games, a pace that already trails only slightly behind the 1,132 yards he piled up across all of last season. Duke's ground game as a whole churned out 268 yards, and the Blue Devils never looked threatened after the opening minutes.

The win marks Duke's fifth consecutive ACC-opening victory, a first in program history. Stanford, meanwhile, dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play, still searching for anything resembling competitiveness away from home.

An early turnover meant nothing against an overmatched Cardinal squad

Duke quarterback Walker Eget gave Stanford a brief lifeline when he threw an interception in the end zone on the Blue Devils' first possession. It was the kind of mistake that, against a capable opponent, could shift momentum early.

Stanford could not capitalize. The Cardinal managed less than 200 yards of total offense until the game's final seven minutes, when the outcome had long been decided. Quarterback Davis Warren finished 18-for-32 for just 151 yards. His lone touchdown, a 5-yard pass to Caden High, was the only time Stanford's offense reached the end zone all afternoon.

Running back Micah Ford provided Stanford's most consistent threat on the ground, gaining 76 yards on 11 attempts. But the Cardinal's total offensive output of 237 yards told the real story: Duke's defense smothered every drive that mattered.

Sheppard wasn't alone, Simmons and Tanelus both scored on the ground

While Sheppard commanded the spotlight, Duke spread the damage. Kavon Simmons and Jayvian Tanelus each added rushing touchdowns, giving the Blue Devils five scores and a 28-point margin that made the fourth quarter a formality. Eget completed 14 of 24 passes for 202 yards, a workmanlike stat line that reflected a game plan built around the run.

Stanford has now failed to reach double-digit points in both of its ACC games this season. Twelve straight road losses is the kind of streak that defines a program in freefall, and the Cardinal's schedule offers no immediate relief. Stanford hosts Georgia Tech next Saturday. Duke, sitting at 3-0, welcomes William & Mary, the Associated Press reported.

For a Duke program that won the ACC title last season, early results suggest the Blue Devils have no intention of slowing down. For Stanford, the question is simpler and more uncomfortable: where does a win come from?