XFactor: Duke football vs Army

After winning a defensive slugfest at home last week against Boston College 9-7, the Blue Devils hit the road this week to face Army at noon Saturday at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. Every week throughout the football season, we will break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest:

Duke: wide receiver Johnell Barnes

The Blue Devil passing attack has sputtered at times this season, but Thomas Sirk and his receivers showed flashes of potential last week. The unit looks primed for a big game against an Army secondary that is allowing 240.6 yards per game through the air, but it will need more production from Barnes. The Lehigh Acres, Fla., native began the season with 13 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown in his first two games, but has since only caught five passes for 43 yards against tougher competition. 

Granted, Barnes did miss the end of the Georgia Tech game and the first half of the Boston College contest due to a targeting penalty he committed on a punt, but he has been somewhat of an afterthought in the passing game lately. Barnes has shown us that he can whiz past cornerbacks with his top-end speed, but has had trouble executing big plays this season. Saturday’s matchup with Army will be the perfect opportunity for Barnes to have a breakout game, build chemistry with Sirk and gain confidence heading into the heart of the Blue Devils’ schedule.

Army: running back Matt Giachinta

If the Black Knights are going to have a success on offense against Duke Saturday, they’ll need to run the ball effectively against a run defense that is currently ranked 30^th in the nation allowing just 123.4 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw leads Army this season with 341 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but he will need help against the Blue Devils from Giachinta—who has emerged as a viable option in the backfield midway through the season. The Cold Spring, N.Y., native has emerged as one of the Black Knights’ top backs this season, even after a slow start to the season, rushing for just 48 yards on 14 carries in his first three games. But Giachinta’s career-high 95 yards helped fuel Army in its only victory this season against Eastern Michigan back on Sept. 26 and he followed up that performance last weekend with 54 yards on seven carries in a near upset of Penn State. The Black Knights’ passing attack is one of the worst in country, only averaging 80.4 yards per contest and if Duke stuffs the run, Army could be in for a long day. If Giachinta can provide a nice complement to Bradshaw in the option-offense, the Black Knights could pose a threat to one of the nation’s top defenses.