Duke football looks to slow down Black Knights in final nonconference game

The late New York Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” Playing an hour away from the Bronx this weekend, Berra’s famous words will ring true for a Duke defense that has established itself as one of the elite run-stopping units in the country.

For the second time this season, the Blue Devils will try to stop a triple-option offense when they face Army Saturday at noon at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. In Duke’s first test against a triple option running attack, the Blue Devils defeated Georgia Tech 34-20, holding the Yellow Jackets to 173 yards on the ground, well below their season average.

But Saturday’s contest will also be another physical test. Duke’s last three games—including last week’s 9-7 win against Boston College—have featured battles in the trenches between aggressive offensive and defensive lines.

“It’s a huge week again, where you’re playing an extremely physical football team,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “That’s kind of been the mode, and we knew that going into this stretch. And now you’ve got an Army team that’s extremely physical on both sides of the ball. Our team has to come off a physical game [against] Boston College, and we’ve got to get that mentality right back.”

As they did against Georgia Tech, Duke defenders must stay disciplined and hold their gaps in order to slow down Army’s running game, which accumulates 287.8 yards per game. Although the Black Knights (1-4) use a dual-quarterback system, the Blue Devils (4-1) must especially look to contain sophomore Ahmad Bradshaw, who leads the team with 341 rushing yards.

For redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash and senior linebacker Dwayne Norman, the Black Knights’ triple option provides additional opportunities to collect tackles. Against the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack, the duo wreaked havoc, combining for 21 stops. By playing mostly as a linebacker against the triple option, Cash—who ranks fourth in the nation with 9.5 tackles for loss—can rely on his ability to read plays and quickly react to make tackles in the backfield. A former safety, Norman also uses his speed and athleticism to stop the pitch, which often spreads defenses out from sideline to sideline.

But despite Army’s conventional triple-option attack, the Black Knights also use a multitude of other schemes and formations to force opposing defenses to adjust. Unlike Georgia Tech, Army will line up in the shotgun and bring in a tight end or sometimes run the ball with an unbalanced offensive line. Duke’s secondary will have to be ready for the Black Knights’ occasional play-action passes to wide receivers like junior Edgar Allen Poe to catch defenses by surprise.

“I get to put my nose in there more, especially having Dwayne on either side of me,” Cash said. “When both of us are blitzing off the edge, somebody better get down. It’s going to be a big explosion somewhere in the middle. Army has a more open playbook as far as their motions and shifts. They have many different formations that they can use and really just try to get you out of position. Once you’re out of position, they’re going to…build explosive plays. But our job here is to make sure we key our man so that won’t happen.”

On the flip side of the ball, redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Sirk and company will try to establish a rhythm after being held to just 228 total yards against Boston College. Although Sirk completed 18-of-36 passes for 195 yards with no interceptions, the offense struggled to sustain drives. All nine of the Blue Devils’ points against the Eagles came off the foot of senior kicker Ross Martin.

Duke prides itself on its ability to run the football, but managed just 33 yards on 35 carries last weekend. Boston College loaded the box and left its cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage. Although the offensive line struggled against Eagle linebackers who frequently shot the gaps, Cutcliffe said that running backs Shaquille Powell, Shaun Wilson and Jela Duncan missed holes that could have kept  drives alive in the second half.

Duke’s attack will face a gritty and experienced 3-4 defense. Led by linebackers Jeremy Timpf and Andrew King—who sits second in the country with 10 tackles for loss—the Black Knights have limited opponents to 146.8 rushing yards per game.

“[Against Boston College], there were a lot of isolated one-on-one opportunities. They were committed to stopping the run. We still tried to keep a threat of running,” Cutcliffe said. “[Army’s] strong. They’re strong with their hands. Both linebackers are very relentless players. They’re aggressive. They diagnose well. They’ve got a lot of people playing at a high level.”

A victory Saturday would send the Blue Devils into their bye week with a 5-1 record, one win shy of becoming bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season.