Duke football Player of the Week: Week 11

Anthony Nash

Statline: 5 catches, 101 yards

The Good: Nash gave the Blue Devils their first big play of the game, accumulating almost half of his receiving total on a 52-yard pass from quarterback Parker Boehme to set up Duke’s first and only touchdown of the game. In Boehme’s first career start, Nash provided a strong security blanket for an otherwise inconsistent outing for the sophomore quarterback. The West Chester, Pa., native produced the offensive highlight of the day by streaking into the middle of the field and making the catch in stride with a step on his defender before breaking down the left side of the field and nearly reaching the goal line.

The Bad: Nash was the lone bright spot for Duke, as the offense failed to gain momentum the entire game. Boehme could not manage a touchdown through the air, and threw one interception as the Blue Devils punted on four of their ten possessions, and turned the ball over three times. The fatigued defense then gave up long touchdown drives that put Pittsburgh up for good.

Bottom Line: After two weeks of tough losses, the Blue Devils found some encouraging play from Nash that would have otherwise left Duke with no positives. The junior wide receiver proved in this game that he is growing into a larger role, matching his receiving output from the last two seasons combined in this game alone.

Honorable Mention: Kicker Ross Martin made a long 51-yard field goal to try and bring the Blue Devils back into the game after Duke fell down by two touchdowns. It was Martin’s second converted field goal of the game, as he also nailed another field goal from 27 yards to give Duke its only lead of the game.