Duke kicks off the Manny Diaz era by welcoming FCS foe Elon to Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils enter the halftime locker room in a low-scoring fight with the Phoenix, leading 10-0:
Five observations
Murphy’s debut in Duke blue: After months of anticipation, transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy finally took his first official snaps in a Duke football uniform, yielding mixed results in the opening 30 minutes of play. On the Blue Devils opening drive, Murphy went 5-for-7 for 50 yards as Duke drove down the field before settling for an early Todd Pelino field goal. The Inglewood, Calif., native began to struggle a bit as the half progressed, missing some throws down the field and failing to move the chains. The former Longhorn made up for his struggles just as the half was about to end during the Blue Devils’ only touchdown drive, where Murphy connected with receiver Eli Pancol on a 55-yard pass to set Duke up in the red zone. The Blue Devil quarterback racked up 149 total yards in the air.
New defensive identity: Head coach Manny Diaz’s new-look, high-energy defense also debuted in the first half. The Blue Devils defensive line was the star of the show, as the unit collected sacks on each of Elon’s first four possessions. Duke immediately held the Phoenix to a three-and-out after a big sack from redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Wesley Williams, and followed that display up with another two sacks on Elon’s second possession. While Diaz’s men did allow the Phoenix to drive down the field late in the half, they ultimately racked up a staggering five sacks and gave up no points in just one half of play.
Working quickly: Duke’s offense looks considerably different from what fans have become accustomed to. New offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer’s pass-happy offensive scheme was put on full display in the first half. The Blue Devils employed an extremely fast-paced, no-huddle offense, prioritizing short passes to the team’s weapons on the outside. While the scheme was extremely successful on Duke’s opening drive, the team’s offensive momentum stalled as the half progressed, save for the final possession. In particular, the Blue Devils struggled to get drives going and convert on third-down situations, though Pancol’s catch and run late in the half ultimately salvaged a mediocre display.
Rebuilt offensive line: The departures of linemen Graham Barton and Jacob Monk to the NFL have raised questions about how Duke’s new-look offensive line will perform. In the first half, the unit yielded mixed results, blocking superbly in the passive game but struggling to create running lanes for star back Jaquez Moore. Murphy was not sacked in the first half and was not pressured on most passing attempts, but Moore only mustered 21 yards on the ground in 30 minutes of play.
Forcing the Phoenix into third-and-long situations: Duke’s dominant defense often made big stops on early downs, putting Elon in difficult situations on third down. Big sacks played a role in slowing down the Phoenix, but a strong showing against the run also was important. Elon often opted to concede and run the ball on third-and-long rather than risking a turnover by going for the conversion.
By the numbers
174 total yards on offense: Duke struggled to move the ball during large portions of the first half, but thanks to big plays early and late, ultimately finished with 174 total yards in the opening 30 minutes. Besides an early 24-yard catch and run by star Jordan Moore, the Blue Devils had a hard time pushing the ball down the field. Part of this lack of explosiveness could be attributed to Brewer’s offensive scheme, but it also could be due to a lack of early-season chemistry between Murphy and his new receiving core. However, with less than two minutes remaining in the half, Murphy found Pancol over the middle to give him confidence going into the locker room.
Five sacks: Duke’s defense exploded out of the gates with three sacks on the Phoenix’s opening two drives, and ultimately finished with five in the half. The Blue Devils kept Elon quarterback Matthew Downing constantly under duress, as the redshirt senior was constantly pressured even when he wasn’t taken to the ground. Diaz has preached the importance of creating negative plays on the defensive end, and that emphasis reflected itself greatly in the season’s opening half of play.
25 total rushing yards: Last season, the running game was a staple of Duke’s offense amidst the team’s flurry of injuries at the quarterback position. But early against Elon, the Blue Devils struggled to establish a presence in the running game, often putting Murphy in a difficult position to convert on long third downs. Moore rushed for only 21 yards on eight attempts, and backup running back Star Thomas nearly costed Duke by fumbling the ball deep in the Blue Devil’s territory
A play that mattered
Duke’s offense finally came to life late in the half, as Murphy connected with Pancol at midfield, before the graduate wide receiver broke a few tackles and took the ball for a 55-yard catch-and-run. The Blue Devils immediately capitalized as Moore took the ball into the end zone for a 7-yard score to give Duke a 10-0 lead into the locker room.
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Rodrigo Amare is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.