In the third installment of the Bull City Gridiron Classic at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday afternoon, the Blue Devils began their quest for a second consecutive bowl appearance in 2013 with a rout of cross-town rival, N.C. Central. From the start Duke controlled the game on both sides of the ball earning a 45-0 victory, the first shutout for the Blue Devils since 1989.
Offense: A-
Pass: There were many questions regarding redshirt junior quarterback Anthony Boone's throwing ability going into his first game as the team's starter. Boone looked crisp with his passes and made solid decisions throughout the game. He complete 80 percent of his passes for 176 yards through the air. One connection to pay attention in the future was that of Boone and wide receiver, Jamison Crowder, who has become the Blue Devils main offensive playmaker. Crowder led Duke's receivers with six receptions for 62 yards. He appeared to be Boone's go to option in late down situations and when throwing down field. Duke was by no means perfect, but the passing game appears to still remain a strength for the Blue Devils.
Rush: It was obvious last season that if Duke wanted to contend in the ACC, the offense would need to improve in the rushing game. The Blue Devils looked to have taken this issue to heart proving from the start that they would not be afraid to run the ball. In contrast to last season, Duke has multiple options to run the ball including Boone and backup quarterback Brandon Connette among the three primary backs of Jela Duncan, Juwan Thompson, and Josh Snead. The Blue Devils ran the ball nearly 20 times more than they attempted a pass, earning over 250 yards on the ground, a large contrast from the pass-heavy offense of last season. N.C. Central was certainly not one of the stronger defense Duke will play, but the change in offensive style to feature an improved running game will become increasingly useful as the season progresses.
X's and O's: The offense showed promise, but looked rusty at times early in the game. The biggest question that coach David Cutcliffe will have to answer is what is this team's offensive identity. It appeared as if rushing would be the focus of the scheme, though Boone was successful when he threw the ball down the field for large gains. This team was pass first, run later last season. Though elements of that passing attack and variation with the wildcat led by Connette remain, the question of this team's identity is still to be determined.
Defense: A
Pass: The pass coverage was not perfect, but was by far the best the Duke secondary has looked in the past year. The Eagles averaged 3.2 yards per pass going 14-32 in passing attempts. Though there were occasional lapses in coverage, each was handled with effective tackling in the open field to restrict any big gains for the offense. The defensive line played a large role in limiting N.C. Central's aerial attack to 103 total yards by getting to the quarterback early and often.
Rush: Tackling had been a consistent issue for Duke last season especially in the running game, where teams with strong backs were able to bust out for big gains because of missed tackles. The Blue Devils effectively shut down the Eagles rushing attack holding the Eagles to 81 total yards on the ground over 29 attempts in the game. The entire defense played with much more confidence than in past games and came up with the big plays on third down to halt any N.C. Central drive.
X's and O's: It was clear that Duke needed to upgrade the execution of its defense after giving up the multiple plays of over 20 yards to opponents every game. The lack of a solid secondary due to injuries throughout the season harmed the Blue Devils' ability to contain opposing offenses consistently. Against N.C. Central, Duke gave up just nine first downs and held the Eagles to 184 total yards of offense. This team has a strong, veteran core up front on the defensive line that proved it could get to the quarterback against a North Carolina Central offensive line that averaged 315 pounds per lineman. The secondary as well should continue to excel with more healthy players in the lineup. It became evident that this defense has improved in terms of execution by the simple fact that they gave up no big plays, force turnovers, and were able to hold a lesser opponent scoreless, something no Duke teams has done since 1989.
Special Teams: B+
There are high expectations for special teams as it was one of Duke's most consistent strengths last season. The kicking duo of punter Will Monday and place-kicker Ross Martin continued to perform at a high level, though in some ways less than fans have come to expect. Martin missed on his first field goal attempt of the season, but he sank a fourth quarter 39-yarder recovering from the shaky start. An interesting development in the return game came from wide receiver Jamison Crowder who took over punt-returning duties from recent-graduate Conner Vernon.
Crowder proved to be Duke's major playmaker returning a first-quarter punt for a 76 yard touchdown and showed a consistent ability to return punts for positive yardage. There is certainly room for improvement on special teams as it continues to be a consistent strength for Duke.
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