After mustering a less than inspiring performance last Saturday in what amounted to a rough loss against Kansas, the Blue Devils needed all the help they could get as they looked to bounce back against cross-town rival N.C. Central in the first-ever Bull City Gridiron Classic.
They got that help at Wallace Wade Stadium from some of the usual suspects, like quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and linebacker Vincent Rey, and from a first-time source.
Running back Desmond Scott contributed 100 yards and a touchdown in his first college game as the Blue Devils (2-2) took down the Eagles 49-14 in a torrential downpour Saturday night.
For Scott, Homecoming lived up to its meaning in every sense of the word. Scott, a Durham native, not only had the opportunity to participate in the first game between these schools, but also suited up for his debut as alumni poured into town.
The freshman seized the moment in this historic game breaking the century mark in just 16 carries. The highlight of his Homecoming performance came with 8:42 left in the first quarter when on his third carry, Scott broke two tackles and scampered 23 yards into the end zone for a touchdown."For a guy in his first game to go out there and not be scared or not turn the ball over is big," senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis said. "For [Scott] to play in front of his home crowd the way that he did and not get too anxious shows the maturity level he [has]."
Scott and the Blue Devils jumped out to an early 21-0 lead, as Duke scored on its first three possessions.
The Eagles (0-4), though, fought back and managed to score two consecutive touchdowns in a four-minute span. Late in the first quarter, running back Tim Shankle scored on a one-yard run, and just three minutes laster, safety Jeffe Henderson picked off Duke quarterback Sean Renfree and returned the interception 83 yards to pull N.C. Central within a touchdwon of the Blue Devils.
The rest of the game, however, was dominated by Duke, as the Blue Devils scored 28 unanswered points to seal the victory.
Duke's offense proved two-dimentional Saturday, as for the first time all season, the team successfully ran the football.
Scott was the first Duke player to rush for over 100 yards in a game since Justin Boyle managed the same feat in 2006 against Vanderbilt. His performance gave the Blue Devils hope that they could revitalize the running game despite losing running backs Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth to injuries.
"[Scott's play] was huge," senior defensive tackle and fellow Durham native Kinney Rucker said. "From a freshman who played in high school last year to come out and have a 100-yard game is huge. It's huge for his confidence, for the offense and [for the] run game where we've been struggling for a bit.
"Hopefully he just keeps progressing to the next level."
It is only natural that playing in a game of this magnitude would evoke some nervousness for the freshman. Understanding that his running back would be anxious in his career debut, head coach David Cutcliffe had Scott under a watchful eye.
"I could tell that Desmond was way into this thing," Cutcliffe said. "I was a little concerned when we won the toss, when we put Desmond back on the kick. Here's a guy in his first game handling the ball and was wound up pretty tight…. I watched every step he took with that ball and he had a nice return."
Cutcliffe notified Scott that he would be taking snaps with the first team early last week after it became clear Boyette and Hollingsworth would not be able to start Saturday.
Redshirt freshmen Patrick Kurunwune contributed 93 rushing yards of his own in Duke's 223-yard rushing effort, their highest of the season.
Kurunwune's output was his career best and he also scored a touchdown on a 14-yard run in the first quarter. While his play should not be overlooked, it was Scott who stole the spotlight.
"I knew Desmond was ready, and he's got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but he's got a lot of quickness, capability and strength," Cutcliffe said. "He's got a lot of confidence, and that's a good thing, but sometimes we have to harness a little bit of that.... It's a real opportunity next week for him [at Virginia Tech]."
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