After some initial uncertainty of whether the game would be played due the government shutdown, today Duke will take on Navy in hopes of improving to 4-2. Kick-off is at 12:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. Here are the keys to this afternoon’s game.
Treat The Game As A Must-Win
Luckily for the Blue Devils, the government is allowing the military academies to continue competing amidst the shutdown. If the game was unable to be played, it would have resulted in a no-contest, not a forfeit, hampering Duke’s ability to take one step closer to bowl contention this Saturday. Coming off the bye week and playing at home, the game appears to be one of the more winnable games remaining on Duke’s schedule. Every game after Navy is against an ACC opponent, including ranked opponents Virginia Tech and Miami. That leaves Duke with four conference games against Virginia, N.C. State, Wake Forest and North Carolina, three of which are on the road, that should be competitive matchups. In order to return to postseason play, Duke must view today’s game as a must-win.
Navy returned thirteen of the starters from last year’s eight win team and currently stands at 3-1 with wins against Indiana, Delaware and Air Force, and a lone loss to Western Kentucky. Even though head coach Ken Nuimatalolo—the second Polynesian head coach in FBS history and the first Samoan head coach at any collegiate level—has his squad in top-form, the Blue Devils should come out victorious.
Devote All Attention To Stopping The Run
Giving up 344 yards on the ground and 38 total points in a Week 3 matchup against Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils struggled mightily in defending the option offense. Duke must learn from their troubles against the Yellow Jackets and make the necessary adjustments to thwart the Midshipmen’s attack. Led by sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds, Navy’s triple option has accounted for an average of 294 rushing yards per game, a mark that ranks eighth in FBS. Reynolds has attempted just 31 passes to 81 runs this year, which means Duke can devote nearly all of their attention to stopping the run. With no Navy wide-out yet to eclipse 100 yards receiving on the season, Duke should let Ross Cockrell and Garett Patterson handle their assignments in one-on-one coverage, allowing Jeremy Cash, the team’s leading tackler, to play like an additional linebacker. In order to take some of the weight off of the linebackers’ shoulders, the defensive line must utilize a contain-approach rather than a pressure-approach and stack the line of scrimmage with ready tacklers.
Get Out To An Early Lead
In Navy’s first game of the season, the Midshipmen had an impressive win on the road against a strong Indiana team—the same Indiana team that beat Penn State 44-24 this past week. Navy got out to an early 14-0 lead, which allowed them to stick to their strength in running the ball and protect their lead. Reynolds is not comfortable passing downfield, evidenced by his two interceptions in just 31 attempts, and it is thus essential that Duke strikes first, forcing Navy to beat them in the passing game and to play catch-up.
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