After an error-filled defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech, Duke is clinging on to the top spot in the Coastal Division as they prepare to play in-state rival North Carolina. The No. 25 Blue Devils can protect their division crown by beating the Tar Heels Thursday and then Wake Forest the week after. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. Here are the keys to this evening’s game:
Contain Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams
The junior signal caller is the heart and soul of the North Carolina offense, accounting for 28 of its 46 touchdowns on the year. He has put up solid stats through the air—with a 63.2 percent completion rate, 18 touchdowns, and 7.32 yards per attempt—but taking off as a runner is where he can cause real problems. Williams has found the endzone 10 times this year and racked up 623 yards with his legs. The Blue Devils' front seven will need to collapse the pocket and make sure to finish plays. If Williams breaks free of the pocket without a defender bring him down or trip him up, he’ll show off his knack for turning broken plays into chain-moving gains.
Similar to the presence of Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick in the backfield, the threat of scrambling for big yardage makes it difficult for any secondary to look away from the passer. Partially as a result, North Carolina’s leading receiver Mack Hollins is averaging almost 19 yards per catch and has picked up seven scores. Senior linebacker David Helton will have his hands full as he coordinates the defense and looks to shut the Tar Heel quarterback down.
Re-establish Boone’s rhythm
Blue Devil quarterback Anthony Boone kicked off the 2014 season with nine touchdowns—seven passing, two rushing—and zero turnovers in his first three games. In the seven games since, he has added only nine more scores with six interceptions. The Virginia Tech game was his second game in a row—and third of the season—completing less than 50 percent of his passes.
Duke is 1-2 in those games, with the only win coming against an overmatched Syracuse team. To keep Duke competitive, the redshirt senior will need to connect with receivers Jamison Crowder, Max McCaffrey and Issac Blakeney more consistently and keep Blue Devil drives from stalling. Boone took off running a season-high 14 times against the Hokies due to their swarming pass rush last week and will need a cleaner pocket to work with against the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels have given up 41.2 points per game, fourth worst in the FBS. This is going to be the best chance for the Blue Devils’ offense to light up a defense as they prepare for the late season push and upcoming postseason.
Play smart Duke football
The Blue Devils have to rebound from the Virginia Tech defeat and get back to playing turnover-free, disciplined football. Duke is seventh in the FBS in turnovers given away, 18th in turnover margin and 20th in fewest penalty yards given up per game with only 40.40 yards per game. Head coach David Cutcliffe has cultivated a winning culture in Durham based on protecting the ball and playing smart, cutting down on unnecessary errors. There’s no reason to give away free yardage or possessions and the Blue Devils will have to execute against the Tar Heels to keep their Coastal Division title hopes alive.
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