SPORTS | FOOTBALL
Blue Devil Blitz Episode 12: Manny Diaz comes to Durham
By Ranjan Jindal and Caleb Dudley | December 7, 2023
Following a near-upset against No. 1 South Carolina, the Blue Devils looked like a team that could hold its own against the biggest names in women’s college basketball. But from the first whistle, Duke came out as a different team than the one that had taken the top ranked team in the country Gamecocks to the final minutes.
Diaz comes to Durham after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Penn State, which led the country in total defense in 2023.
Duke men's basketball looks to bounce back from its two-game losing streak as it returns home to face Charlotte. The Blue Zone identifies three keys to victory for the Blue Devils.
The concerns are especially pertinent surrounding scheduling, and there will obviously be growing pains, but what will the student-athlete experience be like? Traveling from coast-to-coast is not unusual for many sports, but the frequency and length of stay will certainly increase due to this move.
From his hiring, when he said that “now is the time for Duke football,” Elko was supposed to be the guy to bring the Blue Devils into national prominence. But he nonetheless decided to leave, and leaves a complicated question behind him. What now?
As Duke football prepares for its bowl game, several former Blue Devils are helping their teams vie for the playoffs. The Blue Zone breaks down some alumni making a difference with their performances.
They say the devil is in the details. But in Durham, the Blue Devils are in the details – and the numbers.
While Duke men’s basketball has had some recent struggles in its early-season slate, some former Blue Devils are finding success in the NBA. The Blue Zone takes a look at some Duke alum succeeding on the game’s biggest stage.
Duke men's basketball is currently in a tough stretch, dropping to the No. 22 position in the AP poll after opening the season at No. 2. The Blue Zone is here to recap the rest of the poll.
Sportswrap is your one-stop shop for everything Duke athletics, where we’ll recap how each of Duke’s sports currently in competition performed over the last week and give a brief look ahead. Here’s our recap for the week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3.
Up North in Boston Saturday, Maatoug raced to a third-place finish in the 3000m women's race at the Sharon Colyear-Danville season opener, lowering her own school record by almost nine seconds in the process. Her time of 8:46.89 is now seventh all-time in collegiate indoors.
The Blue Devils were never going to win this matchup on the offensive end by scoring in the paint and running sets. Rather, in an environment where Duke was physically undermatched, the team shot 3-pointers and ran in transition. And for most of the game, the plan worked.
After each Duke men’s basketball game this season, check back here for the Player of the Game and more. The Blue Devils were defeated by Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon in a 68-72 loss, and the Blue Zone is here to break down the contest.
Duke has been selected to play Troy in the Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium Dec. 23 at 12 p.m. ET. The Blue Devils are headed to their second bowl game in as many years, and will take on the Trojans for the third time in program history and the first time since 2014.
The loss, in which the Blue Devils trailed for 34:41, leaves Scheyer’s squad to figure out how to reclaim its team-to-beat status before its next ACC matchup one month down the line.
South Carolina women’s hoops might be equally as or more dominant than any other program in recent college sports memory. On Sunday afternoon, the Gamecocks showed up in Cameron Indoor Stadium to prove exactly that. The visitors outlasted the Blue Devils in the second half, escaping with a 77-61 victory.
Coming off of a victory in the ACC/SEC Challenge against Georgia, the Blue Devils welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday afternoon, looking to upset the top-ranked team in the nation. At the halftime break, the Blue Devils trail the Gamecocks 35-29.
It has certainly been a hectic few days for Duke football — a set that will define the future of the program. There has been no shortage of fan reactions, and a wide variety of opinions regarding former head coach Mike Elko’s Monday departure to Texas A&M and quarterback Riley Leonard’s Wednesday entrance into the transfer portal.
Coming off a road victory against Georgia Thursday night, Duke returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday afternoon to take on what might be its most formidable opponent yet: No. 1 South Carolina. The Chronicle’s womens’ basketball beat writers are here with their predictions for the marquee matchup.