X-Factor: Jalon Calhoun and the passing game key for Duke football against a vulnerable Wake Forest defense

Coming off of its second straight loss, Duke is looking to rebound against a Wake Forest team who is looking for a big win of its own. Let’s enter the Blue Zone and examine players who will swing this ACC matchup:

Wake Forest: Demond Claiborne

The Demon Deacons (4-4, 1-4 ACC) are trying to make a push for bowl eligibility, and their sophomore running back from Aylett, Va., will play a crucial role in their last four games. It's been an interesting season for Claiborne, to say the least. In the season opener against Elon, he out-carried and out-rushed last year’s starting running back, Justice Ellison. In his next game, he had a career outing against Vanderbilt, accumulating 165 rushing yards on 26 attempts. 

Despite his strong start, Claiborne has fallen off the radar for head coach Dave Clawson’s team, only accumulating 258 rushing yards in the team’s next six games, far fewer than Ellison’s 398. If Wake Forest wants to stay competitive with a more talented Duke side, the team needs to control the clock and not turn over the football. For both of these crucial points, the running attack will be decisive for the Demon Deacons. Claiborne hasn’t fumbled this season, and a strong rushing attack will control the clock well. To rush successfully against Duke, the Wake Forest duo will both need to see strong time on the field, and I consider Claiborne more of an X-factor due to his ability to take over a game and his recent decreased workload.

Duke: Jalon Calhoun

Yes, redshirt senior wide receiver Calhoun is one of Duke’s top skill position players, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be an X-factor in this matchup. Since junior quarterback Riley Leonard returned from his injury in Duke’s loss to Florida State, the Blue Devils’ passing attack has taken a hit. In back-to-back ranked losses to No. 4 Florida State and then-No. 18 Louisville, head coach Mike Elko’s team has totaled 227 passing yards, a concerning drop-off for the Blue Devil faithful. Wake Forest will feature the weakest passing defense Duke has faced recently, so the Durham squad will get a chance to revitalize its air attack.

Calhoun figures to match up particularly well against the Demon Deacons’ secondary, a unit that’s had a propensity to give up chunk plays this season. Florida State’s Trey Benson notched a 80-yard touchdown reception, Pittsburgh’s Bub Means tallied 109 yards and a touchdown on nine catches and Virginia Tech’s Jaylin Lane hauled in a 75-yard touchdown reception. All three explosive performances came in the last three games for defensive coordinator Brad Lambert’s cohort. 

Calhoun is the recipient of Duke’s longest catch, a 69-yard touchdown reception from Henry Belin IV against N.C. State. The Greenville, S.C., native has explosive speed, and the ability to make defensive backs miss en route to the end zone. In a game that figures to be dominated by strong running games and defense, any explosive passing play can dramatically alter the outcome of Thursday’s contest.