With a dominant 40-27 road victory over Baylor, Duke advances to 3-0 in the young 2018 season. The Blue Zone hands out grades to every Blue Devil unit:
Offense: A
Pass: The first career start of Quentin Harris proved to be a smashing triumph, as Daniel Jones’ replacement threw for three touchdowns and did not turn the ball over. Despite his inaccuracy—Harris connected on just 12 of his 30 attempts—he looked more than capable behind center in his first career start.
Rush: After a mediocre performance in its first two weeks, the Duke rushing attack rose to the occasion against Baylor. Deon Jackson, Brittain Brown, and Harris formed a formidable trio, as each gained more than 50 yards on Saturday.
X’s and O’s: Another superb outing from the offensive line was the driving force behind the offense’s success. Harris had ample time to let plays develop, and the Bears did not sack him once. For the second consecutive game, the Blue Devils did not turn the ball over.
Defense: A-
Pass: Duke was able to contain Baylor’s pair of quarterbacks, Jalan McClendon and Charlie Brewer, as they combined for just 6.4 yards per attempt. The Blue Devils’ secondary, a group that lost likely its most important piece in Mark Gilbert last week, was further depleted, as Michael Carter II exited the game with an injury.
Rush: The Duke defensive line continued to dominate, holding Baylor running backs to 12 carries for just 36 yards. However, the Bears’ quarterbacking duo found success on the ground, as Brewer and McClendon ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
X’s and O’s: Despite an overall sound outing from the secondary, the Blue Devils yielded five completions of over 20 yards. These explosive plays plagued the team last year, and if Duke’s defense wants to advance to an elite level, it will need to limit these long gains.
Special Teams: C-
A miscue in punt protection resulted in an unblocked Christian Morgan blocking Austin Parker’s punt, and JaMycal Hasty was able to scoop up the ball and return it for a Baylor touchdown. Adding to the subpar special teams play was placekicker Collin Wareham, who missed his first extra point attempt of the season, sending him to 11-12 through three games. The sole bright spot of the special teams unit was T.J. Rahming, who turned the three punts he fielded into 59 yards.
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