Editor's Note: Over the next five weeks, The Blue Zone will preview the 2010 Duke Blue Devils position by position, leading up to the season opener versus Elon on September 4. This week, Patricia Lee previews the offensive backfield, and next week Laura Keeley will look at the wide receivers. — Scott Rich
Quarterbacks:
Starter — Rising redshirt sophomore Sean Renfree will be looking to replace record-setting, all-ACC quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who graduated last year. He played in five games as a backup quarterback last season and threw for 330 yards with four touchdowns--two in the game against Army and a 14-completion, 115-yard outing at Kansas--before he injured his anterior cruciate ligament Nov. 13 against Georgia Tech.
Backups— Rising redshirt freshman Sean Schroeder and January-enrollee Brandon Connette ran drills in the Spring--and played in the Spring Game March 27--to prepare for the upcoming season but did not play during the Fall season. The two have established a training routine with receivers Austin Kelly, Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon and have practiced together throughout the Spring.
Impact— Duke's plethora of talent at WR is widely known—but it will all be for naught if the Blue Devil quarterbacks can't get them the ball. How Renfree plays in his first season at QB could determine whether Duke's offense can power the team like last season's Lewis-led unit did.
They said it— "I'm expecting us to do great this season. We have a lot of guys returning, and everyone's optimistic about the upcoming season. We're looking as strong as we've ever been, and the chemistry is great," Renfree said.
Analysis— Looking for a new quarterback to replace Lewis will be difficult, particularly with the queue of QBs lacking experience. Renfree had a strong performance last season before injuring his knee (anterior cruciate ligament), and it'll be interesting to see how he does coming off of the injury after missing most of Spring training because of rehabilitation. A plus is that he does have experience playing in ACC games, but it's unclear whether or not that will translate into a more veteran style of play to make up for the loss of Thad, or if Duke football will look young again on the offensive end.
Running Backs:
Starter(s)/Backup(s)— Rising sophomore Desmond Scott will be looking to be a stronger presence on the field this year after having played only nine games last season but gaining a net yardage of 262--or an average 29.1 yards per game. He was also Duke's leading receiver out of the backfield with 147 yards. Rising junior Jay Hollingsworth entered the 2009 season as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart behind then-fifth-year senior Re'quan Boyette and the lead returning rusher with 399 yards in the 2008 season. Last year, he played in 11 games and averaged 16.3 yards per game. He'll provide Duke's offensive backfield with experience and depth this coming season. Freshman Josh Snead graduated early from high school and enrolled at Duke in January and participated in spring practice. In the Spring Game, he rushed 99 yards on nine attempts, including a 60-yard jaunt.
Impact— Last season, Duke's offense often stagnated because of a lack of balance. If Scott, Hollingsworth, and Snead can provide the occasional big play through the running game, defenses won't be able to focus as much on the Blue Devil passing game, which could open up big plays through the air.
They said it— "We came in last in the league in rushing last year, and that's very unacceptable. We compete against each other in the weight room, the classroom, and on the field as a player, and when you have athletes competing against one another, they work harder, and the outcome is good things on the field," Scott said.
Analysis— With their two top running backs returning this season, Duke's offensive back end looks strong, despite losing a fifth-year senior in Boyette. Experience should not be too much of a problem since both Scott and Hollingsworth played in almost every game last season. Losing Boyette will hurt on the depth-end, but Scott should be able to come in and fill that void.
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