If Thomas Sirk is not fully recovered from a torn Achilles tendon in time for Duke's season opener Sept. 3, most Duke fans likely assumed redshirt junior Parker Boehme would step in as the starting quarterback.
It might not be that simple.
Redshirt freshman Daniel Jones took most of the first-team snaps at quarterback and threw two touchdown passes during an intra-squad scrimmage Friday night at Wallace Wade Stadium, revealing a complicated quarterback competition with two weeks left in the preseason.
Although Sirk says he has been improving each day as he recovers from the February injury, he continues to sit out of live action in practice and sat out Friday. And even though Boehme filled in for Sirk last year, head coach David Cutcliffe opted to give Jones and redshirt freshman Quentin Harris more opportunities Friday.
"There’s a point with quarterbacks you have to put them in with units to see how they respond," Cutcliffe said after the scrimmage. "It’s not a statement, but it is an indication that we think he’s potentially the player there, but you have to find out."
Boehme—who started against Pittsburgh last year when Sirk was injured and played in 10 games—stepped in for a couple of series late in the scrimmage and completed 4-of-7 passes for 26 yards. Harris led the second-team offense for the entire scrimmage and threw a touchdown pass.
Both redshirt freshmen showed flashes of effectiveness and Boehme did not make any mistakes while he was on the field, but none of the three quarterbacks had consistent success Friday evening. If Sirk has to miss any major time during the season, the Blue Devils might have to lean on their running game like they did on Friday's first possession.
On that possession, redshirt senior running back Jela Duncan carried the ball four straight times to put Duke's first-team offense within striking distance. Jones then fired a 31-yard touchdown strike to redshirt senior Anthony Nash against man coverage.
"We’ve been working with those receivers, that group all summer. Everyone works with everyone," Jones said. "You build that chemistry in the summer with really all the guys on the team."
Duke's defensive unit stifled Jones and the offense for a few possessions in a row after the first touchdown, putting pressure on the Charlotte native and bottling up receivers with its depth in the secondary.
The Blue Devil offensive line was bolstered by guard Tanner Stone's return from back surgery and helped pave the way for Duncan, freshman Brittain Brown and junior Shaun Wilson, but struggled at times in pass blocking. Sophomore defensive end Marquies Price and veteran defensive tackles A.J. Wolf and Mike Ramsay were part of the group that harassed Jones.
Although Jones and the first unit struggled to move the ball at times, the offense never committed a turnover. Taking care of the ball was a major issue in the Blue Devils' first practice in full pads last Saturday, and Cutcliffe was pleased with the discipline his young quarterback showed Friday.
"I saw a comfort in him just in seeing the field," Cutcliffe said. "He’s extremely talented. It doesn’t take a sharp eye to see that, but he played with a poise."
Jones finally broke through again near the end of the scrimmage during a drive that started on the defense's 20-yard line, threading a 14-yard touchdown pass to sophomore T.J. Rahming, who made an impressive diving catch in heavy coverage in the corner of the end zone.
"It was like a fade route in the red zone, just beating him to the spot, beating him to the back pylon," Rahming said. "Daniel Jones, knowing him, he’s going to put it on the spot so we can make the play."
The two touchdown passes accounted for most of Jones' offensive production, as he finished 6-of-10 for 55 yards.
Boehme's night was highlighted by a swing pass to redshirt junior running back Joseph Ajeigbe, who shook off a few tackles and powered his way forward for about 20 yards. But the drive stalled when two runs went for no gain and Boehme had to throw a third-down pass away under heavy pressure.
The most explosive play of the scrimmage did not come from either Jones or Boehme, but from Harris. The Wilton, Conn., native quarterbacked the second-team offense for the entire scrimmage and threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Sayvon Sampson immediately after Rahming's touchdown.
Sampson caught the pass in the middle of the field, evaded a would-be tackler and outran the secondary for the last 50 yards to the end zone.
Harris displayed impressive speed for a quarterback and ran for several short gains, but he was unable to sustain any lengthy drives deep into the opponent's territory.
Duke does not have any more official scrimmages before its season opener against N.C. Central Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
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