After getting off to a slow start against Troy last week, Duke emphasized how important starting fast would be against Kansas. The Blue Devils showed why Saturday.
Duke jumped out to a 17-0 lead and didn't look back, as they cruised to a 41-3 victory against Kansas Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium. True freshman running back Shaun Wilson had a breakout performance, rushing for a school-record 245 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.
The blowout was reminiscent of the first game between the teams back in 2009 when the Jayhawks handed the Blue Devils a 44-17 defeat in Lawrence, Kan. Five years later, it is now Duke who has the talent and depth—Wilson being a prime example—to run teams out of the stadium. And head coach David Cutcliffe is more than pleased to have the tables turned.
"From 2009 to now, that's a pretty significant difference. We knew that going in," Cutcliffe said. "Anytime you win [a game against a Power Five opponent], and particularly when you win it in a dominating fashion, that's a good thing for us."
After holding the Jayhawks (1-1) to negative-13 yards on the first series of the game, Duke (3-0) struck on its first offensive series. Redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Boone capped a six-play, 60-yard drive with a 36-yard strike to a wide-open Max McCaffery, who was able to stroll into the endzone. Boone finished the day 19-of-33 for 180 yards and two scores and did so without his favorite target.
Senior receiver Jamison Crowder, who entered the contest with 25-straight games with five or more receptions, was nonexistent throughout the afternoon, as he registered only two receptions for 14 yards.
"Today we just utilized all our weapons," Crowder said. "If you're not getting the ball, some players get down and get discouraged and not be a leader, like I am. But I pride myself on being an unselfish guy so it's good and I feel happy when I see other players making plays. As a coach and as a player it lets you know your team is getting better."
McCaffrey filled in well as the top receiver, as he posted seven catches for 79 yards and was on the receiving end on both of the Blue Devils' passing scores, all career highs for the Castle Rock, Col. native.
"The two plays, I was fortunate enough that they ran single-coverage and that I was the option on that play," he said.
Although McCaffrey had what Crowder called a "coming out party," Wilson left little room for others in the spotlight with his breakout performance. Following a Martin field goal and another Kansas three-and-out, the Charlotte native exploded for a 69-yard touchdown run to put the Blue Devils up 17-0 with 5:32 left in the first quarter. The run was the first score of his career. But he was not close to being finished.
Leading 27-3 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter, Wilson broke free and ran past the entire Jayhawk defense once again for a 68-yard score. Then again in the fourth quarter, Wilson broke away for back-to-back big runs of 32 and 45 yards, with the second going for a score.
On the other side of the ball, Duke's secondary shut down Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart throughout the game, holding the Jayhawks' signal caller to 89 yards through the air. Redshirt sophomore DeVon Edwards registered the unit's first interception of the season when he picked off Cozart in the first quarter. Everett Edwards would add to that in the second quarter when he picked off an errant pass. Both interceptions led to field goals for the Blue Devils.
A mobile threat, Cozart used his legs to escape the pocket several times, as he finished the day with seven rushes for 45 yards. But the Blue Devils forced him to throw the ball away throughout the afternoon, as they registered five quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks.
"We just knew that he was a pretty good quarterback and he was good on his feet so we had to be disciplined, especially when he started scrambling," Edwards said. "We were just zero-focused in on what we were supposed to do for longer than usual because we knew he was a scrambler."
The win makes Duke 3-0 for the first time since 1994 when it opened the season with seven consecutive victories. The Blue Devils will try to push the streak to four next Saturday, as they take on Tulane at 12:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium.
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