Coming off a 58-55 loss to Pittsburgh, Duke looks to bounce back against the Troy Trojans. Kick-off is at 3:00 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. Here are the keys to this afternoon’s game:
Don’t Underestimate Troy
Although not a well-known name on the national front, Troy has experienced great success under head coach Larry Blakeney. Coach Blakeney, in his 23rd season with Troy, is only one of two coaches to have taken a football program from Division II to Division I, is the third most winningest coach among active coaches, and is the second longest active tenured coach. Blakeney has coached a number of household NFL names, including Falcons’ defensive end Osi Umenyiora, Cowboys’ defensive end DeMarcus Ware, and Bills’ cornerback Leodis McKelvin, and led the Trojans to five straight Sun Belt Conference titles from 2006 to 2010.
Playing a member of the Sun Belt Conference on Homecoming Weekend in front of an energized home crowd should result in a victory for the Blue Devils. Duke must execute early to regain their confidence and ensure that the Trojans are not hanging around late in the game.
Continue to Be Creative in Getting Crowder the Ball
In an effort that earned him ACC Specialist of the Week, Jamison Crowder ran for a seven-yard touchdown, caught a 62-yard touchdown, and had an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown against Pittsburgh. Crowder had 279 all purpose-yards, including three punt returns for 109 yards, seven receptions for 141 yards, and two carries for 29 yards. He was involved in every facet of Duke’s offense and single-handedly kept Duke in the game. Coach Cutcliffe used Crowder as much more than a wide-out, often getting him the ball in unconventional ways. In one play, Crowder was on the receiving end of a double handoff, and in another, Brandon Connette pump faked to one side of the field and threw to Crowder on the other. For Duke to find success this season, it is essential that the Blue Devils continue to catch opposing defenses off guard and continue to be creative in getting him the ball. At times last week, their play calling was rather predictable. In the first quarter at least, Duke either ran the ball or isolated a receiver and attempted a deep pass. They did not experience success until Connette started throwing across the field and over the middle, primarily to number 3. Duke shouldn’t have to rely on Crowder against Troy as much as they did against Georgia Tech or Pittsburgh, but look for them to experiment with different ways to get him the ball.
Maintain Momentum For Longer Periods of Play
At times last week, Duke seemingly handed Pittsburgh the momentum shortly after gaining it back. Despite more than 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, Brandon Connette threw four interceptions, each of which shifted the momentum in the Panthers favor. Likewise, Duke’s defense gave up scoring plays of 67 and 69 yards as well as a number of other big Pittsburgh gains. Going forward, Duke must work to limit turnovers and big plays in order to maintain momentum for significant stretches of the game. While they may not get the national attention that Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh do, the Trojans are still very capable of breaking long gains. Senior wide receiver Eric Thomas, a member of 2013 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, has six touchdowns and multiple receptions of more than 50 yards in the team’s first four games. Troy boasts a duo of senior quarterbacks in Corey Robinson, a pure pocket-passer, and Deon Anthony, a junior college transfer that leads the Trojans’ option attack with his tremendous speed and athleticism. After seeing Duke’s performance against Vad Lee and Georgia Tech’s option-based offense, it would not come as a surprise if Coach Blakeney turns to Anthony more frequently than Robinson. Duke must hold Thomas in check, contain Anthony on the ground, and take care of the ball in order to maintain momentum for longer periods of play.
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