Duke’s Abraham Kromah has heard about it for a while now.
At Northgate Mall. In his barbershop. All around Durham. The buzz is palpable, the linebacker says—this game is not like any other.
“I’ve heard about [the game] since this summer,” he said. “Everywhere I go in Durham, I hear about it.”
It’s no wonder that Kromah has heard about this game for months now, because Saturday’s clash marks the first time in school history that Duke (1-2) has played crosstown N.C. Central (0-3). It’s being billed as the “Bull City Gridiron Classic,” and, as Kromah has found out, it has the sensation of being more than just a game.
In a town torn apart by racial tension between the two schools three short years ago, it represents something more—a healing of past wounds.
“This game is a long time in the making,” Duke president Richard Brodhead said in a statement. “[It] will be an important and historic moment for Duke, NCCU and the city of Durham.”
Although the game has historic meaning, when the 7 p.m. kickoff comes, the focus will be just on football.
“I think the game is a unique opportunity for Durham to celebrate two fine universities,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “But more importantly, it’s about two good football teams that are moving in the right direction.”
Duke does not come into Saturday’s contest with positive momentum, however. A 44-16 loss to then-No. 22 Kansas last week, while not unexpected, left the Blue Devils frustrated at their inconsistent play.
“If they’re not frustrated [about last week], then I’m mad at them,” Cutcliffe said. “And I’m a little bit angry.... I’m surprised we haven’t played better than we’ve played.”
The offense continued to look stagnant last week.
Senior Thaddeus Lewis and redshirt freshman Sean Renfree were shuffled back and forth at the quarterback position the entire game. Lewis went 16-of-27 for 184 yards with two interceptions, while Renfree completed 14-of-23 for 115 yards and one touchdown. Lewis will still start this week.
The running game was also ineffective against the Jayhawks. Duke backs have combined for only 184 yards rushing, an average of just 2.3 yards per carry. Lewis’s touchdown run on the opening drive of the game last week was the only time the Blue Devils have scored on the ground all year.
Running backs Re’quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth are both hampered with injuries this week—Boyette will not play Saturday and Hollingsworth is listed as doubtful.
Luckily, help is on the way. True freshman running back Desmond Scott will make his first appearance for Duke against the Eagles Saturday. Scott was a blue-chip recruit—ranked No. 5 at his position by Rivals.com—who rushed for 2,249 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior at Durham’s Hillside High School.
“[Scott has] been practicing with the first and second string and has come a long way,” Cutcliffe said. “His performance in practice was the biggest reason [for playing him]. He knows now what we want from him.”
Also helping the running game will be a newly refocused offensive line. The line has been criticized all year for not helping Duke’s running backs, perhaps deservedly so, guard Brian Moore says.
“I think that we need to take responsibility for [the lack of running game],” he said. “We need to get our job done. Every week it needs to be our focus.”
The offensive line showed flashes of effectiveness during the Kansas game. During Duke’s first drive, several key blocks on an Austin Kelly catch allowed the receiver to hit a seam in the Jayhawk defense and run for 66 yards. After the subsequent Lewis touchdown, though, the linemen were powerless to stop a swarming Kansas pass rush and stifling run defense. Three sacks and 11 tackles for loss later, Duke left Lawrence battered and bruised.
Starting guard Mitchell Lederman will join Boyette on the sidelines because of an undisclosed leg injury.
Another reason for the loss lies in continuingly underwhelming third-down play. Duke is 9-for-42 on third-down conversions this year—a 21 percent clip. Cutcliffe sees poor offense on first and second downs as part of the problem.
“You’ve got to protect the quarterback better, and you’ve got to throw and catch it better,” he said. “I’ve seen lack of production on first and second downs that create long third downs.”
Still, while there are major problems to address with the offense, they are not likely to matter much this week. The Blue Devils face a team in N.C. Central that has not won a game this year, totaling only five offensive touchdowns during its three losses. The Eagles are not technically an NCAA Division I team yet—they are still making the transition from Division II—which means that this game doesn’t go towards Duke’s bowl count if the Blue Devils win.
Regardless, the Eagles do have their weapons. Duke is particularly concerned with Will Scott, N.C. Central’s go-to receiver, who has two touchdowns this season. And the team will have a strong fan base at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday.
Although the game is equivalent to an exhibition for the Blue Devils, the ramifications of a loss have not escaped them.
“We definitely have to win this game. I don’t even want to think about [losing to Central],” safety Matt Daniels said. “It would affect our confidence so much—they live five minutes from us. If we lose this game this week and win out, it’s still going to affect us.”
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