Making the grade: Richmond Spiders

OFFENSE Rush: The Blue Devils had trouble running the ball from the start, finishing with a paltry 19 yards on 16 attempts. Much of the blame falls on the offensive line—the promising tandem of Boyette and Hollingsworth simply had nowhere to go, getting hit in the backfield early and often. Pass: Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis put up good numbers, completing 62% of his passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns. He found eight different receivers, including Conner Vernon and Tyree Watkins, two true freshmen who seem to fit right in with the offense. Johnny Williams established himself as the leader of the receiving corps, pulling in seven catches for 115 yards including a perfectly timed 54-yard bomb for his first career touchdown. X's and O's: A weak offensive line’s inability to hold its blocks led to a heavy dose of screens and short passes throughout the game. The absence of a running game and the pressure on Lewis took Duke out of any possible rhythm and forced that conservatism. The offense looked best when Lewis was able to string together a few intermediate level passes, but he didn’t have much time to do so. DEFENSE Rush: The front seven performed adequately throughout, holding the Spiders to 3.1 yards per carry. While Richmond managed  125 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, the numbers are a bit misleading because the Spiders led for the majority of the game and ate up the clock on the ground. Both rushing touchdowns came from inside the 10-yard line. Pass: The defensive line was one of the bright spots for Duke. While the Blue Devils didn’t record any sacks, they were able to contain quarterback Eric Ward to 143 yards through the air, and Patrick Egboh swatted down a key pass at the end of the first half. The secondary did its part as well, limiting Richmond to short and intermediate gains while cutting out the deep ball opportunity. X's and O's: Overall, the scheme was executed well against the Spiders. Falling behind early seemed to result in conservative play calling, as the Blue Devils seemed satisfied to simply contain the Richmond offense. The lack of aggression meant that Duke didn’t cause any turnovers, but it also didn’t give up any big plays. The defense was certainly not at fault in this one, as the unit kept the game in reach until the end. Highest Marks: QB Thaddeus Lewis Lewis demonstrated the meaning of “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Pass protection was spotty, and the Blue Devils had no running game at all.  Yet Lewis completed 34-of-55 passes and threw no interceptions. Lewis made smart plays—he just didn’t have much support. Hit the Books: K Nick Maggio The two missed field goals were the ghosts of special teams past. Making one would have changed the tone of the game and the strategy for both teams. Making both would have meant a 15-14 lead for Duke early in the 3rd quarter. Instead, the mood went from bad to worse and the Blue Devils never recovered.