Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy's impressive performance against Virginia Tech, which included three touchdown passes to Eli Pancol and 332 passing yards, was overshadowed by a controversial gesture. After one of his touchdown throws, Murphy raised his middle fingers, an action that caught the attention of head coach Manny Diaz and led to internal disciplinary measures.

The gesture, captured on the ACC Network broadcast, stemmed from pre-game banter between Murphy and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer. During a practice session, the team struggled to complete post routes, leading Brewer to jokingly tell Murphy he could flip him off if he threw a post route for a touchdown in the game.

Diaz addressed the situation, explaining the context behind the gesture and emphasizing that while some on-field coaching remarks aren't meant to be taken literally, Murphy's action still warranted disciplinary action. Brewer confirmed he saw the gesture on replay and acknowledged that his words, spoken in the heat of coaching, were not intended to be taken literally.

Duke concludes its season against Wake Forest. This incident adds an unexpected layer of complexity to the end of their season.