The Duke football program has found a groove once again.

Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff have their program back on a win streak. After suffering two straight losses, the Blue Devils got back in the win column last Friday night, with a 19-16 victory on the road over Virginia. Duke made it two straight on Saturday with a 47-2 demolition of Boston College at Wallace Wade Stadium.

The Blue Devils improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in league play, with a date against NC State in Raleigh up next. Following a road bout with the Wolfpack, Duke will take on No. 1 Miami in Coral Gables. Needless to say, heading down to Miami with some momentum would be big.

This was one of the more complete performances Duke has put together all season, and it came at a great time. Let's look at what stood out in the Blue Devils' 45-point win over Boston College.

Nate Sheppard Reestablishes Himself As Heisman Trophy Contender

The previous two games leading into this weekend had been subpar on the ground for star running back Nate Sheppard, relative to his standards. He racked up 20 carries for 77 yards against North Carolina three games ago, then followed that with 15 carries for 55 yards against the Cavaliers. Sheppard reminded the college football world why he's the best running back in the country against Boston College.

Duke's offense revolved around its superstar, and Sheppard made the most of his opportunities. The Louisiana native tallied 20 rushes for 97 yards and five touchdowns, along with one catch for 32 yards. In the process, he set the Duke single-season touchdowns from scrimmage record (18), the single-game rushing touchdown record, and tied the single-season rushing touchdown record (14).

After his fifth trip to the end zone, Sheppard hit the Heisman Trophy pose to let fans know he's back in the conversation. His case as arguably the most valuable player in the entire sport is only growing.

Defense Plays Lights Out

Boston College was an interesting team to break down heading into the matchup. It had won two straight games and did a lot of its damage on the ground. At every level, the Blue Devils delivered the breakout defensive game fans have been waiting for.

In the trenches, Duke put pressure on quarterback Mason McKenzie all day and didn't let him thrive with his legs. Heading into Saturday, McKenzie had rushed for over 600 yards; he notched just 24 yards on 13 carries against the Blue Devils. Duke tallied six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries in the victory.

Boston College totaled just 213 yards of offense on the day, including a measly 78 yards on the ground on 33 attempts, an average of 2.4 yards per carry. The prior week, the Eagles ran for 399 yards in a 49-27 victory over Georgia Tech on the road.

The Eagles got nothing going on offense all day, quite literally. They went 2-of-13 on third down and -of-4 on fourth down, and their only points all afternoon came from a blocked PAT against Duke, which they returned for the safety score. It was a day to forget for Boston College on offense, and Duke has now held its past three opponents to a combined 10 points in the second half.

The Blue Devils have been one of the best second-half defensive teams in college football all year, but this was an inspiring outing, as they put it together for all four quarters.

Penalties Give Duke Advantage

Penalties have been a big issue for Diaz and Co. all year, and Duke still accumulated 10 penalties for 90 yards against the Eagles. However, it was BC that let penalties define the game early. This game had some tension from the start, and Boston College had a few mental errors turn into points for the Blue Devils.

Looking Ahead

Just a couple of weeks after Duke looked dead in the water, it now has some momentum as it hits a short road trip to face an NC State club that has disappointed this season. Now above .500 in ACC action, the Blue Devils are in a good spot as they prepare to meet the current No. 1 team in college football on the road.