X-Factor: Duke football needs a big game from their star wideout to get back on track

Duke: Wide receiver Jalon Calhoun

The Duke offense is stale right now and badly needs a jumpstart. The man for the job is Jalon Calhoun.

Calhoun is elusive and dynamic and yet, the South Carolina native is yet to show any of the playmaking from last year that propelled him toward some national attention. This is the week for him to get going. Virginia Tech is still not sure if its defensive coordinator Justin Hamilton and starting cornerback Jermaine Waller will be cleared from their COVID-19 concerns, leaving an opportunity for Calhoun to get loose on the perimeter.

On top of that, many of his big plays last year came on simple screens and short passes that he turned into significant gains. With Duke’s quarterback struggles, leaning on the dink-and-dump game may be the way to get some consistent play from their signal caller.

Virginia Tech: Running back Khalil Herbert

Herbert only carried the ball six times against N.C. State but that was all he needed to break the 100-yard marker. The Hokies’ run game as a whole absolutely decimated the Wolfpack’s defense, going for 314 yards on the day and three touchdowns. 

That rush attack is led by Kansas transfer Herbert, who averaged a ridiculous 17.3 yards per carry along with a 37-yard touchdown. With how vulnerable the Duke defense was to the run game last week, Herbert has the power to seal the fate of the Blue devils. He’s going to get a fair share of carries early on and if Duke proves unable to stop him, expect head coach Justin Fuente to go back to Herbert and company until the Blue Devils stop them. 

Virginia Tech is still unsure if their starting quarterback Hendon Hooker will be medically cleared to play this week (unrelated to COVID-19), so Herbert will once again be the face of the offense. Bottling up Herbert and forcing the Hokies to throw could give Duke a chance.