X factor: Duke football vs. Tulane

Duke travels to New Orleans Thursday for its first season opener on the road since 2005 to face off against Tulane at Yulman Stadium at 9:30 p.m. The Green Wave are seeking revenge after last year’s 47-13 blowout loss to the Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium, while Duke is looking to kickoff non-conference play in a winning fashion. Every week throughout the football season, we’ll break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest.

Duke: linebacker Zavier Carmichael

One of the biggest questions coming into 2015 for the Blue Devils is how the inexperience of the defensive front will handle larger, more experienced offenses. After the departure of mike linebacker David Helton and the career ending ACL injury to Kelby Brown in the offseason, the burden is upon sophomore Zavier Carmichael to step into the role of the defensive quarterback for Duke this season.

Last season as a freshman against Tulane, the Eight Mile, Ala., native recorded five of his 20 tackles for the season coming from the sideline to replace Helton. This time around, Carmichael will be called upon to read offensive schemes and step up as a defensive leader at the mike position. If it was not tough enough replacing Helton’s team-high 134 tackles from 2014, filling his cleats as the defensive signal caller adds to the pressure. If the Blue Devils want to improve their defensive performance from last season against the Green Wave—when they allowed 231 yards on 58 carries—then Carmichael has to prove ready to lead early and often on the road.

With additional leadership from senior Dwayne Norman at the will linebacker spot, the corps seems poised to take on Tulane’s strong rushing attack. Despite the Green Wave's three-headed backfield of Sherman Badie, Lazedrick Thompson and Dontrell Hillard, look for Carmichael's experience to help Duke escape the Big Easy with an easy win.

Tulane: linebacker Nico Marley

Despite giving up 47 points against the Blue Devils last season, Tulane had one of the better defenses in the country a year ago and Marley was a large part of that success. In his sophomore campaign, the Weston, Fla., native recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss and 82 total tackles, including a team-high 12 tackles against the Blue Devils. If Tulane wants to open the season with a victory, the junior is going to have to replicate his tenacity from last season and demonstrate why he is considered one of the top linebackers in the AAC this year.

In last season’s contest, five turnovers were instrumental to the downfall of the Green Wave. Given the inexperience of redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Sirk for Duke, Marley is in a position to force the kind of errors that plagued his team last season to pull out the victory. By exploiting the inexperience of the Blue Devil passing game and the unknowns of the running back stable after a streak of injuries, the linebacker is poised to have a big game on the defensive side of the ball.