SOUTH BEND, Ind.—The wizard of Wallace Wade has done it again.
Head coach David Cutcliffe and his staff have been maligned by fans and critics the past few weeks as Duke suffered back-to-back double digit losses. And rightfully so.
The Blue Devils committed 10 turnovers in three games, were averaging more than seven penalties per contest and suffered through a series of special teams gaffes. True freshman kicker A.J. Reed missed three field goals inside 45 yards and an extra point, and redshirt freshman punter Austin Parker dropped multiple snaps.
The holder in Duke’s first three games, Parker also took his hands off a snap during the Blue Devils’ second extra point attempt against Wake Forest—Reed still made it, but it was another sign that one of the most disciplined teams in the nation was not itself early in the year.
Yet Duke fans need not have worried.
The man who has resurrected the Blue Devil football program and his staff made a series of adjustments for Saturday’s Notre Dame game that paid off in a big way, culminating in Reed’s 19-yard game-winning field goal to complete a remarkable comeback.
Perhaps the most crucial of those adjustments? Replacing Parker at holder with walk-on Danny Stirt, a backup placekicker and punter who helped Duke’s kicking unit execute five perfect extra points and Reed’s final kick with 1:24 left in the game.
“[Stirt] just had a great week to build confidence in A.J.,” Cutcliffe said. “That unit there—they believe in [Reed], and he’s got a lot of talent, so I knew when he came down there at the end, the field goal, there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to make it.”
Before the true freshman converted his first career field goal, multiple Blue Devil veterans, including redshirt senior Corbin McCarthy, were in Reed’s ear before the pressure situation.
“A few guys came and talked to me. They were all pretty much saying, ‘We got your back, man. We believe in you, we know you’re going to make this,’” Reed said. “Everybody’s really had my back and really believed in me.... It’s paying off right now.”
But if you thought Duke’s personnel changes were limited to Jim Bridge’s special teams unit, think again.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Quay Chambers made the first start of his career Saturday after entering the game with two career receptions, both of which came against N.C. Central in Week 1. The former quarterback appeared to take redshirt sophomore Chris Taylor’s opportunities at the position Saturday and made the most of them.
After the Blue Devils forced a fumble about halfway through the second quarter, Chambers broke free down the right sideline for a quick 25-yard touchdown strike to give Duke its first lead of the game. The play was the Blue Devils’ first passing touchdown in 11 quarters.
Perhaps more importantly, it showed a shift in the mindset of quarterback Daniel Jones and company immediately following a turnover. In Duke’s last two games, the Blue Devils were unable to turn momentum into touchdowns, something they wasted little time doing against the Fighting Irish. Chambers finished the game with five catches for 55 yards and the touchdown—one of three wideouts with at least five catches for 50 yards.
“I have all the confidence in the world in Quay and all those guys out there,” Jones said. “Quay made so many big plays for us and that was good to see for sure.”
Along the offensive line, Duke made strides against Northwestern following a dismal performance against Wake Forest in which the Blue Devils had 37 yards on 30 rushes. After finishing with 117 yards rushing against the Wildcats, Duke cleared the 200-yard mark.
Much of that success came up the middle, where redshirt sophomore left guard Zach Harmon made his second start Saturday and the Blue Devils were finally able to spring running backs Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson.
“[Power running] was just an adjustment that our [offensive coordinator Zac Roper] made—bringing the tight ends in,” Wilson said. “The running game was hitting all day, honestly. We just stayed to what was true and what was working.”
With Duke’s offense consistently moving the chains for the first time since its season opener, the defense was able to close out a game with fresh legs and took advantage.
Redshirt sophomore Tinashe Bere split time with star redshirt freshman Joe Giles-Harris at will linebacker and made five tackles. And redshirt freshman safety Jordan Hayes’ start for Deondre Singleton could not have worked out much better for the Blue Devils—Hayes led the team in tackles with seven before Singleton made a late-game interception.
“Jordan Hayes—he’s a great player,” Borders said. “He could be a starter. He’s a great player, we all believed he could do it and we weren’t wrong. He came out and balled out today.”
Duke still has a long road ahead to make a fifth straight bowl game, but if Saturday was any indication, Cutcliffe and his staff likely won’t leave any stone unturned to try to get the Blue Devils to yet another postseason.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.