Seven weeks ago, the Duke defense could not buy a stop as it surrendered 54 points to a pedestrian Wake Forest offense. Fast forward to Saturday, and the Blue Devils’ defense beared little resemblance to its former self.
Tackling in the open field, pressuring the quarterback and making crucial third-down stops, Duke looked like an actual ACC contender—at least on the defensive side of the ball.
“There’s been a big change in our defense in every facet,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “And it’s a credit to our defensive staff and preparation.”
While the offense struggled from its opening drive, the defense shined in the first half. Stopping the Hurricanes on their first four possessions, Duke failed to surrender a single point in the first quarter for the second week in a row.
Led by the play of senior linebacker Abraham Kromah, who had 12 tackles on the day, the Blue Devils contained Miami’s speedy offense by constantly swarming the ball. In open field situations, Duke remained patient in letting the Hurricanes come to them. The team also showed a renewed focus on wrapping rushers up.
“It came down to executing and doing what we had to do on defense,” Kromah said. “Owning up and doing our jobs.”
The Blue Devils returned to a more traditional 4-3 defensive formation this week, allowing for an extra lineman to attack Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris. While Duke was unable to record a sack in the game, its added pressure threw off Miami’s aerial attack. The Blue Devils held Harris to only 9-of-24 passing in the first half and 17-of-34 for the game.
“[The 4-3] puts more speed on the field,” junior safety Matt Daniels said. “And it puts a bigger body down there to stop the run.”
Coupled with the shift in formation was gutsy play-calling on the part of defensive coordinator Marion Harby. Duke’s coaching staff shifted Daniels up from his safety position to attack Harris on many occasions, especially third downs, which yielded significant dividends. Daniels was able to come up with a season-high 12 tackles on the day.
The aggressive play-calling carried over with Duke’s ability to stop Miami from converting on third and fourth downs. Utilizing strong pass coverage, Duke held the Hurricanes to 3-of-12 third down coversions. And the Blue Devils held Miami on all four of its fourth down attempts—each of which occurred in Duke territory.
“Our coaches made great calls,” Kromah said. “We were well-prepared and executed in a lot of areas.”
The Blue Devils’ execution was made all the more impressive by Miami’s consistently great field position. The Hurricanes began seven drives beyond their own 40-yard line as a result of Duke’s stagnant offense and seven costly turnovers.
Despite the progress made by the unit, though, Cutcliffe was quick to point out that it still has a way to go.
“Lots of progress made,” Cutcliffe said. “[But] nothing stays the same. You either get better or get worse, and it’s our challenge to get better.”
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