Duke held off Arizona State 42-39 in a high-scoring Week 1 affair marked by 20 lead changes and relentless offensive exchanges. The home team covered the spread despite the game soaring well over the 49.5-point total.

Both teams came out firing in the opening quarter, with Duke striking first on a 69-yard touchdown pass from D. Mensah to Q. Brown. Arizona State answered with explosive plays from J. Sims, including a 51-yard completion to J. Moss that set up scoring opportunities.

The first half saw Duke match Arizona State's offensive pace, with both teams posting 14 points in the second quarter to reach halftime tied at 28-28. Arizona State's Jeff Sims led all passers with 375 yards, while Demarius Robinson was the game's receiving leader with 91 yards.

The second half tightened considerably, with both teams scoring just 14 combined points in the final two quarters. Duke's defense made crucial stops down the stretch, including a pivotal fourth-quarter stand. Arizona State's defense also created turnovers and negative plays, including a devastating 45-yard rushing loss in the third quarter.

The defensive battles in the closing frames proved decisive in Duke's narrow victory.