WEST POINT, N.Y.—It would be easy to dismiss Duke’s win over Army as an early-season, out-of-conference romp. But the Blue Devils have a lot to feel proud about, with the offense clicking and all the little parts shining in the same game.
Duke defeated the Black Knights 44-3 Saturday at Michie Stadium, and the Blue Devils will get to rest up during their upcoming bye week. But if Saturday’s win was almost as easy as it gets, three second-half injuries highlighted the importance of their depth.
“We’ve got to get better, but we’ve got to get well,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “I’m evaluating that wide receiver corps regularly. It’s about production, it’s about habits, we’re going to need consistency later.”
During the opening drive, quarterback Thomas Sirk avoided a three-and-out by finding roommate Anthony Nash for 10 yards. He extended the drive twice more by finding Nash, who would finish the drive with 40 yards and set up a Ross Martin field goal.
Nash helped spark a passing game that has tended to rely just on short passes. The Blue Devils threw 11 passes for at least 10 yards or more, and they did so without injured freshman wide receiver T.J. Rahming. Stepping up later in the first quarter was tight end Eric Schneider, who secured a nine-yard touchdown after only having one catch and five yards in the season.
“It’s just like, we’re on the same page,” Nash said of Sirk. “I can just look at him and know what’s going on. We’ve built a relationship as long we’ve both been here, just working together in the summer, me and him.”
Playing on a field that was banked by the Hudson River and beautiful fall foliage, running back Jela Duncan was perhaps the player most in bloom. The redshirt junior sat out all of last season due to academic violations and injuries hampered his return to the field this year, but on Saturday he scored two touchdowns for the first time in his career.
It all seemed to come back to redshirt junior Thomas Sirk, though. Sirk was not fazed on third down conversion opportunities, helping Duke finish at an 11-of-16 clip on third downs. The passing game set up five wide receivers for at least 20 yards Saturday, a total that is the most the Blue Devils have amassed this season.
“We were expecting [Army] to come out, in those third and shorts, and play a zone or man,” Sirk said. “And they came out and played zones, and I think our receivers found those zones effectively, and we got guys open.”
Backup quarterback Parker Boehme also saw action with two touchdowns in the redzone, making sure Duke did not have to turn to its All-American kicker, whose 365 career points scored are fifth-most in ACC history. Certainly the defense lived up to its lofty expectations, shutting down a mistake-prone Black Knight team. But the Blue Devil offense converted off its mistakes, securing a touchdown after every Army turnover and punting just once during the game.
Duke also fought hard for all four quarters, which has not always been the case. The Blue Devils have been outscored in two of their six second halves this season, despite outscoring opponents during every first half. Bringing in fresh legs and continuing to press offensively—with the idea that a bye week would give the team time to rest—Duke pressed forward and showed America’s finest no mercy.
Johnell Barnes, who has been looked to as one of the potential key receiving options this year in the absence of Jamison Crowder, brought in one of the most impressive catches of the season in the fourth quarter. Barnes looked like he ran out of room, sandwiched by the sideline and a cornerback as he went for the ball. But miraculously, he brought the ball in on the far-side of his body for the team’s second pass play of the game longer than 30 yards.
The question now looms as to whether the Blue Devils can continue building off the momentum from Saturday, or if they will continue to suffer offensively against Power 5 teams. Duke’s running game was explosive when it needed to be, thanks to an offensive line that allowed Duncan to go untouched for most of the way to a 43-yard touchdown.
But the Blue Devils’ passing game was also on point, not just in terms of total yardage but also in terms of play calling. Sirk has to feel good about the many options he can work with.
“I’ve said it before, we have a very diverse offense, and we’re going to get the ball in as many people’s hands as we can,” Sirk said. “And if guys are clicking on all cylinders and executing like we did today, I think it’s really great for our offense.”
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