X Factor: Duke football vs. Army

After dropping three of their last four games, including a 34-20 loss to Virginia last week, the Blue Devils hope to rebound and make a statement at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday against Army at 3:30 p.m. Duke, 2-3 on the season and 0-2 against ACC opponents, desperately needs a win to have any chance at returning to a fifth straight bowl game. Every week throughout the football season, the Blue Zone will break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest:

Duke: safety Corbin McCarthy

The departure of three-time All-American Jeremy Cash left a hole in the Duke defense at the strike safety position, but redshirt senior Corbin McCarthy has been performing well in his first season as the regular starter. McCarthy has filled the void in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit with 26 total tackles and a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss through five games. Having played in 41 straight games as a Blue Devil, McCarthy knows the Duke defense inside and out.

McCarthy will need to dominate the line of scrimmage and thwart Army’s triple-option offense orchestrated by quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw for Duke to be able to get back in the win column. McCarthy will move up to linebacker like Cash did with a lot of success against triple-option teams last year to stop the run and make plays in the backfield. The lone interception of McCarthy’s 2015 campaign came against the Black Knights, and if the Norco, Calif., native can notch another takeaway Saturday, it would be good news for the Blue Devils.

Army: running back Andy Davidson

Army currently paces the nation with 374.8 rushing yards per game, and right in the middle of that rushing attack is sophomore running back Andy Davidson. The converted linebacker in his first year as a running back is the leader of a prolific Army backfield that includes sophomores Jordan Asberry and Tyler Campbell, both of whom average 7.0 yards per carry. Davidson has amassed team highs of 414 rushing yards and six touchdowns in four games thus far.

For Army to avoid a similar situation to the last time it faced Duke, when the Blue Devils forced seven fumbles and routed the Black Knights 44-3 last year, its running game needs to be clicking. Bradshaw has only 21 passing attempts this season, and Army’s triple-option leans heavily on runs by quarterbacks, running backs and fullbacks. Duke held Virginia's run game to just 80 yards last week on 36 carries, and Davidson needs to capitalize and put up big numbers against the Blue Devils' strong front seven for Army to win this one.