Duke football player of the week: Week 3

Breon Borders

Statline: One interception, four pass break-ups, two solo tackles, two assisted tackles

The good: Senior cornerback Breon Borders had an interception and four total tackles in the Blue Devils’ 24-13 loss against Northwestern. The starting cornerback also broke up four passes by Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson. His interception came in the third quarter with no Northwestern receivers in Borders’ direct vicinity. The interception was returned for no gain, setting Daniel Jones and the Blue Devil up at its own 49-yard line. But the offense failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs when redshirt freshman Austin Parker dropped a punt snap.

Borders’ interception was a significant milestone, giving him the lead for most career interceptions among NCAA active players with 13. The Statesville, N.C., native has been a staple of the Blue Devil secondary for the past three seasons. He entered this year as a candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award—given annually to the nation’s best defensive back—and his performance thus far this season should keep Borders in the discussion.

The bad: Although Borders played well and redshirt senior safety DeVon Edwards also registered a solid game, the pass defense as a whole left much to be desired. Thorson put up 320 passing yards and three touchdowns despite passing for no more than 196 yards and one touchdown in each of the Wildcats' first two games. His touchdowns went to three different receivers—Austin Carr, Solomon Vault and Garrett Dickerson. Carr, a redshirt senior, had an outstanding game, catching six passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.

The bottom line: Borders has been consistently solid in the secondary through the Blue Devils’ first three games, but the team has lost twice due to the offense’s inability to capitalize on its opportunities. The turnover on downs after Borders’s pick was one of the many examples of the team’s fatal flaw.

Honorable mention: Although he did not find the end zone, redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Jones continued to show promise. The Charlotte native threw for 279 yards while completing 56 percent of his passes and rushing for 47 yards. Jones turned the ball over twice, but his continued growth and poise in the pocket has been one of the few bright spots for the Blue Devils thus far.