In its season opener against Elon, Duke football came out with a 26-3 win. The Blue Zone is here to break down the victory with three key takeaways, stats and a look ahead:
Three key takeaways
1. A new look
Friday night was the debut of head coach Manny Diaz’s tenure in Durham, and he immediately made his mark on the program. With Texas transfer Maalik Murphy starting at quarterback, a revamped defensive line pressuring the Phoenix and a distinct shift in play style on both sides, Duke fans finally got a look at what Diaz will look like as a coach.
Furthermore, some changes to the gameday atmosphere made their debut at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade stadium. Devils Deck filled up with fans, and the home squad showcased its in-game DJ and host Rachel DeMita. Taken together with a convincing 26-3 win, enthusiasm for Blue Devil football has every chance to grow as the season continues.
2. Slow offensive start
Unlike last year’s rush-heavy, time-of-possession offense, Diaz and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer gave Murphy the opportunity to throw early and often. And while the redshirt sophomore ended with a 65% completion rate, he missed on some early shots downfield. The offense was kept out of the end zone until less than a minute remained in the first half, when Murphy connected with graduate wideout Eli Pancol for 55 yards and senior running back Jaquez Moore punched it in for a touchdown.
The good news for Blue Devil fans is that a good number of Murphy’s throws did not miss by much. If a few deep balls had fallen into receivers’ hands instead of tipped out, the scoreboard could have been even more lopsided.
3. Aggressive play-calling
In addition to Murphy’s downfield throws, Duke was aggressive early and often on defense. Nearly every time Elon quarterback Matthew Downing dropped back, he was met by multiple Blue Devils in the backfield. A trademark of Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke’s defensive philosophy is getting the opponent behind the sticks, and Duke certainly succeeded in that Friday.
A possible drawback to this style of defense is a relative vulnerability to runs and screen passes. Nearly every one of the Phoenix’s positive offensive plays came on one of these two options, and a better team could take advantage of pressure and turn it into touchdowns. Stopping big gains will come down to discipline and tackling by the secondary, which was up to the challenge Week 1.
Three key stats
1. 2.2-yard rushing average
Despite their success on the scoreboard, the Blue Devils struggled to run the ball all game. Moore’s touchdown run was one of the few highlights on the ground for Duke, and the team’s struggles rushing the ball are likely in part due to turnover on the offensive line. Brewer will look to the film to find ways to improve run blocking ahead of Week 2, but it is unlikely that the Blue Devils will find offensive success without a much-improved run game.
2. 0 accepted penalties
Any college football team without an enforced penalty in a Week 1 game should be happy, and that is especially true for a squad with a new coaching staff. Duke avoided any defensive penalties even with its aggression, and while the offensive line has room to grow on the ground, it did a perfect job keeping Murphy clean in the pocket without holding. Avoiding flags is also crucial for keeping the pace that Brewer wants to play at on offense. A clean sheet to open the season is a great sign for the Blue Devils, and continued discipline will be something to watch as the schedule toughens.
3. 16 tackles for loss
It’s impossible to talk about Friday’s game without mentioning tackles for loss. Not only did Duke collect eight sacks, the defense totaled 16 tackles for loss — last season, the Blue Devils never had more than 10. While Duke did not secure a takeaway, the defense completely set the tone of the game. The production also came from up and down the lineup, as 14 players totaled at least 1/2 TFL.
Looking ahead
After winning their first home game of the season, the Blue Devils will hit the road to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern. Last season, Duke took down the Wildcats 38-14 in Durham, but Northwestern turned around after that to finish 8-5. The Blue Devils’ success in Week 2 will come down to continued defensive dominance and a more consistent showing from Murphy and the offense.
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Dom Fenoglio is a Trinity junior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.