Duke travels to Winston-Salem Saturday to face a talented Demon Deacon squad that, despite being projected as one of the weaker teams in the ACC, still poses a real threat to the Blue Devils’ hopes of starting the season 2-0.
The Duke passing attack will look to feast against the Demon Deacons, who surrendered 292 passing yards to a weak Presbyterian offense last week while suffering major issues with defensive alignment. Presbyterian didn’t have the firepower to take advantage of Wake Forest’s mistakes, but the more competent Blue Devils will need to exploit those holes if they hope to return victorious from Groves Stadium.
Sean Renfree should have plenty of time in the pocket to pick out his receivers, as defensive end Kyle Wilber was the only Demon Deacon to get consistent pressure in Presbyterian’s backfield last Saturday. Wake Forest will need big games from cornerback Kenny Okoro, who was a second-team Freshman All-American last year, and safety Alex Frye, who has returned interceptions for touchdowns in his last two games, including last year’s season finale against Duke.
On defense, the Blue Devils will need to step up against the run. Nearly every player in Wake Forest’s offense is a threat to run the football, as evidenced by the 415 rushing yards they racked up last week. Only Air Force gained more yards on the ground in college football’s opening weekend
Quarterback Ted Stachitas rushed for 76 yards in ten tries against Presbyterian, including a 34-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Running backs Josh Adams, Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Harris carried the ball just 21 times combined but racked up 155 yards and four touchdowns.
The Demon Deacons’ passing offense is less potent. They lost star quarterback Riley Skinner to graduation, and the starting quarterback job is insecure in the hands of sophomore Stachitas. He completed just seven passes for 84 yards against Presbyterian in his first career start, and was consistently off-target with his throws, especially when under pressure. True freshman backup Tanner Price will likely see snaps against Duke as well, but he was even worse in the opener with just one completion in seven attempts. Nonetheless, head coach David Cutcliffe is careful not to underestimate his opposition.
“Both quarterbacks can run [the ball], both quarterbacks can run the option, both quarterbacks can throw,” he said.
Wake Forest isn’t without threats in the passing game, and Duke’s secondary looked extremely susceptible to the air attack last week against Elon. Wide receiver Devon Brown, who broke off an 85-yard scoring dash against Presbyterian, is arguably the most explosive playmaker. Last year’s leading receiver Marshall Williams is back, and the Demon Deacon offense will also get a boost from the return of wide receiver Chris Givens, who led the team with eight touchdowns last year.
“We’ve got to contain their offense a little better than we have the last couple years. They’ve come up with big plays time and time again,” Cutcliffe said.
Givens and defensive end Kevin Smith had been suspended for the season’s first two games by head coach Jim Grobe for an unspecified violation of team policy in November. On Tuesday, however, Grobe announced the reduction of both players’ suspensions to one game, making them both available to play against the Blue Devils. Saturday, they and their teammates will look to pick up Wake Forest’s 11th straight win over Duke.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.