For the ACC slate, our football beat writers predict whether the Blue Devils will pick up a win in their weekly matchup. In the final matchup of the regular season, Duke will travel to take on Wake Forest at noon Saturday:
Ranjan Jindal: Duke 34-24
I don’t think this will be a walk in the park for the Blue Devils, especially because Wake Forest’s slow mesh offense can chew clock and throw off opposing defenses. I do think Maalik Murphy should have a good day through the air against the worst pass defense in the league. The Demon Deacons may hang around for a bit, but Duke just has more to play for and should pull this one out in the end.
Dom Fenoglio: Duke 31-17
Maybe I’m manifesting a complete showing from the Blue Devils, but I think they are better positioned against Wake Forest than in any other conference game. The Demon Deacons will likely call a similar offensive game to Virginia Tech, but they have not seen nearly the same level of success. Likewise, Wake Forest’s defense has struggled at times to contain opponents, and Murphy should bounce back from a three-interception night against the Hokies. Should the Blue Devils capitalize on the opportunities I anticipate they will, head coach Manny Diaz will end his first regular season in Durham with nine wins.
Caleb Dudley: Duke 28-14
I think the Blue Devils should fare well this weekend. The offense has been explosive at times of late, as was evidenced by Eli Pancol’s monster first quarter against Virginia Tech. The Wake Forest defense has been leaky for the majority of the year, so I expect to see Murphy make a concerted effort to push the ball downfield early. Demond Claiborne is the next name on an excellent list of recent Demon Deacon ball carriers, and could give Duke’s vulnerable run defense trouble. However, I see the Blue Devils having command wire-to-wire in Winston-Salem and capturing the “state championship.”
Martin Heintzelman Duke 28-17
Duke is far and away the better team out of these two. Wake Forest has struggled this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With an explosive Blue Devil offense that thrived against Virginia Tech last week, I see Duke taking that momentum into this week. One problem that could present itself for the visitors is their tendency to play down to their opponents’ level, especially once the Blue Devils lead. But ultimately, Duke will close this one out to end the regular season.
Abby DiSalvo: Duke 34-17
Duke enters this game with an upper hand on both sides of the ball. A dismal Demon Deacons’ pass defense will only complement Murphy’s preference for the air, and Duke’s reliably strong defensive unit should wreak havoc on Wake Forest’s ground game. The Demon Deacons have relied on rush production in three of their four wins this season — so if the Blue Devils can stall that momentum while limiting their own mistakes, they should comfortably walk away with the win in Allegacy Stadium.
Rodrigo Amare: Duke 30-13
The Demon Deacons sit near the bottom of the ACC standings and have very little to play for after a disappointing campaign. Meanwhile, Duke is riding the momentum of a two-game win streak and is dreaming of finishing with its best regular-season record in a decade. Against an extremely porous Wake Forest secondary, I think Murphy and his receivers could connect on several deep passes early on, just like in the wins over N.C. State and Virginia Tech, giving the Blue Devils an early lead which they will never relinquish.
Tyler Walley: Duke 35-21
This contest has all the makings of a fantastic regular-season finish for Duke. Wake Forest has allowed 281.7 passing yards per game, the worst mark in the ACC, and has a poor 1-5 record at home this season. Furthermore, the Demon Deacons are out of bowl contention, while the Blue Devils are looking to make their postseason matchup even more prestigious. With a passing offense that has hit its stride in the last four games and a defense with a knack for taking the ball away (17 forced fumbles in 11 games), I have Duke taking this one by two scores.
Season records
Jindal: 8-0
Fenoglio: 6-2
Dudley: 7-1
Heintzelman: 6-2
DiSalvo: 6-2
Amare: 6-2
Walley: 6-2
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Dom Fenoglio is a Trinity junior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.
Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.
Rodrigo Amare is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.
Martin Heintzelman is a Trinity junior and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.
Abby DiSalvo is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.