The Blue Devils face Pittsburgh Saturday in their final regular-season contest. The Blue Zone is here to provide three keys to a Duke victory:
Loftis-to-Moore connection
Freshman quarterback Grayson Loftis has assumed the starting role for Duke’s last three games. Across all of them, his favorite, go-to wideout has been junior Jordan Moore.
The connection between quarterback and receiver has particularly shined in the Blue Devils’ last two outings. Against then-No. 24 North Carolina Nov. 11, Moore hauled in six catches for 88 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. During Duke’s loss to Virginia last Saturday, the Sykesville, Md., native garnered nine catches for 117 yards, marking just the third 100-yard receiving game in his career.
With Moore having emerged as the Blue Devils’ primary wideout, he will no doubt receive attention — both offensively and defensively — in Saturday’s contest against Pittsburgh. There’s a strong chance that Panthers’ ballhawk M.J. Devonshire will shadow him throughout the contest, but Moore is still bound to receive good looks. His link with Loftis will prove important in securing a Duke win, even if it involves taking pressure off of other receivers such as Jalon Calhoun.
Slow down Means
Pittsburgh has struggled this season, representing the worst win mark of the Pat Narduzzi era. However, in the Panthers’ last few contests, one bright spot has emerged — redshirt senior wideout Bub Means.
In the last seven games, Means has hauled in 565 yards and five scores, averaging an outstanding 19.5 yards per reception. Against Boston College last Saturday, the Lovejoy, Ga., native hauled in a long catch-and-run from quarterback Nate Yarnell to give Pittsburgh the lead for good. Means has proven strong in route running, creating separation and garnering deep contested catches.
Up until their latest contest, the Blue Devils’ defense had not allowed a passing touchdown longer than 21 yards. However, against the Cavaliers last Saturday, the secondary finally cracked, letting up two long touchdowns from Malik Washington and Malachi Fields. In order to power past the Panthers, the likes of Al Blades Jr. and Brandon Johnson will have to contain Means’s explosiveness Saturday.
Rely on Waters and Moore
Duke’s run game has relied on the two-headed combination of graduate back Jordan Waters and junior Jaquez Moore. Waters has compiled 722 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, the latter of which ranks second in the ACC. Meanwhile, Moore has averaged an outstanding 6.1 yards per carry while compiling 591 yards of his own.
Head coach Mike Elko has shown a strong tendency to rely on the “hot hand” when it comes to this duo. Against Florida State Oct. 21, for example, Waters could only muster 39 yards on 13 carries, yet Moore garnered 110 yards and a score. On the flipside, Moore only received two carries against the Tar Heels Nov. 11, but Waters notched 113 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Facing a solid rushing defense in Pittsburgh, it will be all the more important to use this switchability strategy for a Blue Devil victory. After all, no opposing team has truly been able to contain both of these backs at once, so Duke should not be afraid to rely on one back or the other depending on game flow.
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