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Duke in the NFL: 2021 season preview
By Evan Yee | September 5, 2021The Blue Zone takes a look at all of the Blue Devils on NFL active rosters to start up the 2021 season.
The Blue Zone takes a look at all of the Blue Devils on NFL active rosters to start up the 2021 season.
In a disappointing start to the season, the Blue Devils were defeated 31-28 by Charlotte, and the Blue Zone is here to break down their performance with three key takeaways and stats, plus a look ahead.
Duke football lost a heartbreaker Friday night, dropping its season opener 31-28 on the road to the 49ers as not even senior running back Mataeo Durant’s school-record 255 yards rushing could mask the Blue Devils’ shortcomings on the defensive end.
The Blue Devil faithful saw Duke get taken down 31-28 by Charlotte. It was a game in which even historic play by senior running back Mataeo Durant was not enough to make up for a combination of defensive lapses and offensive failures in key moments. The South Carolina native rushed for 255 yards, a Duke program record, and tallied three touchdowns, but it wasn't enough.
Duke came in as a 6.5-point favorite, but Charlotte commanded the game early on. Second-quarter touchdowns from Jordan Waters and Mataeo Durant gave the Blue Devils some much-needed energy as they headed into the locker room up 14-10.
One offseason removed from 2020’s miserable 2-9 showing, this year’s Blue Devils look to right the ship starting with Friday night’s season opener at Charlotte.
Every football game, our beat writers Cam Polo, Jake Piazza, Max Rego, Alex Jackson, Micah Hurewitz and Jonathan Levitan will be here to give you their picks for Duke's upcoming matchup, and we'll keep track of their prediction records every week. First off, Duke has Charlotte on the road at 7 p.m. Friday, where the Blue Devils are favored by 6.5 points.
Duke aims to recreate a monster win to kick off its 2021 season.
The quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends are labeled as skill positions. But the guys in the trenches have as much of a role to play in a football game.
Our football beats make their predictions for the 2021 football season.
The Chronicle brings you our annual Blue Devil football preview. Check out our preseason features, beats' predictions and opponent previews here.
We previewed all of Duke's opponents for the 2021 season.
Duke looks to improve upon a miserable 2020 season that saw them finish 2-9. This starts with a solid opening matchup against the Charlotte 49ers. In anticipation, the Blue Zone gives you a player to watch from each team for Friday’s season opener.
As the saying goes: good things come to those who wait. So is true for Duke football’s Gunnar Holmberg. The graduate student has waited more than his fair share of time to take the helm for the Blue Devils, and now the time has come.
After a disappointing 2-9 season in 2020, Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils are closing in on their first game of the season against the Charlotte 49ers. As Friday draws closer, the Blue Zone has you covered with some film study.
For Shaka Heyward, the gridiron is more than just a platform to pursue his passion—it’s a link to his family history. Like many kids growing up in football-crazy Georgia, Heyward found himself involved in some classic backyard battles with his siblings. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?
Duke announced its starters for Week One of the 2021 season in head coach David Cutcliffe’s Monday afternoon press conference.
Heading into 2020, Durant sat second on the depth chart at running back behind senior captain Deon Jackson. With only 114 career carries to his name and just a single touchdown, he began the season as a bonafide backup, and after an underwhelming start in the season opener against Notre Dame, it seemed as if Durant was destined to lie another season in waiting before his opportunity finally rolled around. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t ready yet.
Gunnar Holmberg will be taking the reins of the offense after several key departures.