Football Player of the Week: Week 6

Jela Duncan 

Statline: Eight carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns; one catch for two yards

The Good: Junior running back Jela Duncan reintroduced himself as a play-maker on the team with a strong performance that included a 43-yard highlight reel run that saw him burst through the middle of the field nearly untouched on his way to the end zone. After missing last season due to academic suspension and an early portion of this season with a pectoral injury, the Charlotte, N.C. native paced the offense with 9.8 yards per carry and scored twice in the team's easy 44-3 victory. At 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Duncan's physicality as a runner appears to be the difference-maker as the running back is tough to bring down in the hole and in the open field. 

The Bad: Although the offense performed well in all phases of the game, Duncan did not add much to a passing game that still does not look exceptional. Duncan recorded only a single catch and figures to stay slotted behind senior Shaquille Powell until he can develop into a solid receiving option for quarterback Thomas Sirk. The vertical passing game is slowly coming along slowly, but Sirk averaged only 7.3 yards per attempt Saturday. With the Blue Devils continuing to rely on screen passes and short passes to their running backs, Duncan will need to step up in coming weeks against the likes of Virginia Tech and Miami. 

The Bottom Line: Following the offensive stagnation in victories against Boston College and Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils desperately needed to return to form and Duncan helped them accomplish that. The redshirt junior's long touchdown run essentially broke the game open and put Army's dreams of an upset farther and farther out of their mind. At this point in the season, it appears that the running back has fully recovered from his pectoral injury and will serve as a perfect change-of-pace complement to Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson going forward. 

Honorable Mention: Sophomore quarterback Parker Boehme made the most of his opportunity on the field, accounting for two rushing touchdowns and 27 yards on seven carries and 46 yards through the air. Boehme received a couple of snaps in short-yardage situations near the red-zone, much like Sirk did a season ago. If Boehme can continue to capitalize during his time on the field, Duke may have found another weapon to help score in the red zone.