Duke picked up its third victory of the season Saturday in a game fought in the trenches, bringing its record back up to .500. After taking a 13-0 lead in the first half, the Blue Devils hung on for a 13-6 win in a game that only featured 27 total pass attempts.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Stop the option: Army's triple-option attack did not prove as effective as it was in past weeks, as the Duke defense was prepared and made sure the Black Knights wouldn't beat them that way. The Blue Devils protected an early 13-0 lead, with their only defensive hiccup coming on a 45-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Andy Davidson in the second quarter.
- Protect the football: In a drastic turn of events from last week’s five-interception performance against Virginia, the Blue Devils only coughed up the ball once on a fumble by redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Jones—a reasonable number considering the wet conditions brought about by Hurricane Matthew. Although Army outgained Duke both on the ground and through the air, Duke’s ball security and disciplined play led the team to the victory.
- Mind the weather: Again, the Blue Devils adhered to this key aspect of the game to come out on top. In the wind and rain, Duke flipped the script from its normal pass-heavy attack and ran the ball 48 times in an attempt to counter the harsh conditions that played a huge role in this game, Three Blue Devils ran for at least 40 yards to help control possession and field position for most of the afternoon.
Three key plays:
- 9:05 remaining, first quarter: Following quick opening drives by both teams that resulted in punts, Duke pinned the Black Knights inside their own 5-yard line to start their second drive of the day. On their first play of the drive, redshirt senior safety Corbin McCarthy jarred the ball loose from Davidson’s grip and senior safety Deondre Singleton was able to recover, setting Duke up with excellent field position for the game’s first touchdown on the ensuing drive.
- 4:26 remaining, second quarter: After Army blocked a punt and marched inside the Blue Devil 5-yard line, Duke’s defense held strong on a 4th-and-1 situation to keep Army off the scoreboard. The pitch to junior running back John Trainor actually lost five yards, as Duke senior cornerback Breon Borders came flying in for the clutch tackle.
- 2:22 remaining, fourth quarter: Amidst a scoreless second half, the Black Knights had time for one final drive to potentially tie the game or take the lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion. After a 12-yard rush, Army’s junior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw’s number was called for only the eighth time all day, but he could not handle the slippery ball as he floated a pass down the field and right into Singleton’s hands, who created a turnover for the second time to seal the game.
Three key stats:
- Army is held to 165 rushing yards: Although they were playing against a team whose offense is based on misdirection and deceit through the option, the Blue Devils seemed to know what to expect from the Black Knights. Army came to Durham leading the nation with more than 370 yards per game on the ground, but the Duke defense held tight and allowed only 165 yards on 43 attempts.
- Duke finishes with +2 turnover differential: Last week’s wakeup call came at a perfect time for the Blue Devils, as head coach David Cutcliffe must have preached ball security all week during practice, especially knowing the harsh conditions that would be present. His team redeemed itself from the -5 turnover margin in last week's disappointing loss, taking the ball away three times and valuing the ball more.
- Duke holds Army to 0-4 on fourth down conversions: Although there were no scores in the second half, this game was a close one all the way. On multiple occasions, including three 4th-and-1 attempts for the Black Knights, Duke’s defense held strong on the line. Army was not able to convert successfully on a single fourth down, which squandered several promising scoring opportunities.
And the Duke game ball goes to… Deondre Singleton
In a game defined by defense, this senior safety had a standout performance. He had five tackles and, more importantly, a fumble recovery and interception. The fumble recovery set up a touchdown, and the interception ended the Black Knights' hopes of a comeback. Although he didn’t have to deal with much of a passing threat, Singleton helped plug holes to limit Army’s dangerous run game.
And the Army game ball goes to… Andy Davidson
After going for 120 yards on 16 attempts, there is no way anybody else on the Black Knights team was getting this recognition. Davidson has proven to be a true workhorse, averaging more than 100 yards per game on the ground this season and finding the end zone seven times to lead the team. Despite the Blue Devils being prepared for a heavy running attack, Davidson was able to break one loose up the middle for 45 yards and Army's only score of the day.
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