Despite giving up more than 30 points per game coming into Saturday's matchup against Navy, Duke's defense has received little criticism this season. Much of the fault has been placed on the Blue Devils' offense for its ineffectiveness and the turnovers that have given opponents excellent starting field position.
The defense is blameless no longer.
Navy used a one-dimensional offense-the Midshipmen only threw the ball twice in the second half Saturday-to run, literally, over the Blue Devils defense. Navy racked up 326 yards rushing, averaging a mind-blowing 9.3 yards per carry.
Although Duke's offense was not spectacular, the Blue Devils moved the ball consistently and, for the most part, avoided the costly turnovers that riddled the first three losses of the season.
The defense, however, surrendered far too many big plays-or as head coach Ted Roof referred to them: X plays-to hold off the previously winless Midshipmen. Each of Navy's four touchdown drives included a play of more than 30 yards.
"I'm very disappointed," Roof said. "We gave up too many X plays, and you're not going to win like that."
The first big play came on the final snap of the opening quarter. In an obvious miscommunication by the defense, Navy wide receiver Tyree Barnes ran a post through the middle of the field and was left more than wide open-no Duke defender was within 10 yards of the freshman. The resulting 33-yard pass tied the game at seven.
Then for the second straight week, the defense allowed big second-half plays to break open a previously close game. Navy turned a three-point deficit into an 11-point lead in just under five minutes thanks to runs of 52 and 47 yards, both of which included numerous missed tackles by the Blue Devils.
The most costly X play of the game, however, came after Duke tied the game at 21 with 3:20 remaining. The Midshipmen started their drive from their own 33-yard line, and it seemed Navy would be forced to pass for the first time in the quarter. But on the first play of the drive, quarterback Lamar Owens proved otherwise, cutting back on a simple option keeper and breaking off a 52-yard run to put Navy in field goal position.
"We just have to tackle the guy," Roof said.
Roof preached all week the importance of staying in position and emphasized solid individual tackling. The Blue Devils struggled with both crucial elements, as they often over pursued the option and were not able to wrap up Owens, who finished with 119 yards rushing.
"I think it was a lot of little mental lapses," junior safety John Talley said. "A couple of times we over pursued and they just found the crease and cut back."
Unlike previous games, the second-half defensive letdowns were not a result of fatigue, as Duke held a near two-to-one time of possession advantage. The Blue Devils have struggled all year maintaining long drives, but Asack led the offense on two lengthy drives that each ran more than eight minutes off the clock.
"Our offense did a good job of staying on the field," Roof said. "I think some of it was the scrambling-the quarterbacks did a good job with it-and some of it was we weren't in so many third-and-longs."
With Duke's offense still establishing its identity, the defense has to eliminate its second-half letdowns and put together a dominant performance for an entire game if the Blue Devils expect to win another game this season.
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