Coming off an impressive victory against Navy, Anthony Boone leads the Blue Devils into Charlottesville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers. Kick-off is at 3:30 at Scott Stadium. Here are the keys to this afternoon’s game:
Ride the Momentum from the Navy Game
Duke played their most complete game of the season last week against Navy. They controlled the tempo of the game and won the time of possession battle, a difficult feat against an effective triple option system. With the return of Anthony Boone, the Blue Devils head north with a newfound confidence. In an effort that earned him ACC Offensive Back of the Week, Boone threw three touchdowns and completed 31-of-38 passes, making everyone better in the passing game and making the Navy defense susceptible to the rushing attack. Boone’s return even seemed to affect Duke’s defense, the team’s Achilles’ heel of late, which had its best showing of the season. Hopefully for the Blue Devils, they are able to pick up where they left off last week and continue to play their best football of the season.
Attack the Middle on Offense and Protect the Middle on Defense
Virginia features a well-balanced offensive attack centered around tailback Kevin Parks. In the first six games of his junior campaign, Parks has rushed for six touchdowns and 510 yards, ranking third in the ACC, behind 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior offensive tackle Morgan Moses, undoubtedly Virginia’s most talented player. Also featured in the offense is tight end Jake McGee, one of the ACC’s best at his position. McGee has developed into sophomore dual-threat quarterback David Watford’s favorite target with 27 receptions and two touchdowns. In order to limit his effectiveness, the Blue Devils’ linebacking corps must protect the middle and shadow McGee at all times, especially in the red zone. Defensively, junior cornerback Demetrious Nicholson and junior strong safety Anthony Harris hold down the secondary while senior defensive linemen Jake Snyder and Brent Urban and sophomore defensive end Eli Harold, tied fourth in the ACC with 5.5 sacks, pace the line. The Cavaliers’ weakness lies at the linebacker position, where they had to replace Steve Greer and LaRoy Reynolds, last year's two leading tacklers. Look for Duke to run the ball outside and throw screen passes to Crowder in hopes of getting to the second level and forcing UVA’s young linebackers make plays.
Continue to Get Production in Unexpected Places
Coach Cutcliffe can count on Jamison Crowder and Jeremy Cash to make plays week in, week out. Against Navy, however, their usual production went relatively unnoticed due to contributions from lesser-known names and younger players. A total of ten offensive skill players touched the ball, including redshirt junior wide receiver Isaac Blakeney and redshirt freshman receiver Anthony Nash. Blakeney had a career game with five receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns and Nash burst onto the scene with 31 yards on three receptions. Similarly, on the defensive side of the ball, a number of younger players made a name for themselves. Sophomore linebacker Deion Williams totaled for seven tackles and redshirt junior defensive end Dezmond Johnson chipped in with four, some of which came on crucial downs. In order for Duke to thrive against ACC competition, they must get production in unexpected places.
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