Blue Devils look to step up defense against Penn State

Duke looks to take another step towards correcting a disappointing start to its season Saturday afternoon against Penn State (0-5) at Koskinen Stadium. With difficult home losses to No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 4 North Carolina, the No. 10 Blue Devils (3-3) have yet to put the pieces together that earned them the preseason No. 2 ranking.

In both of its home losses Duke has shown an inability to close out games. Notre Dame outscored the Blue Devils 5-2 in the second half to take an 11-7 victory in February, and just last week North Carolina broke a 6-6 tie down the stretch to win 13-7.

Most of the blame for the late collapses falls on a largely inefficient Blue Devil defense that ranks in the bottom 50 percent nationally. Considering the squad is anchored in goal by a freshman, Dan Wigrizer, an early transition period was expected. Saturday’s contest presents the perfect chance opportunity to gain some confidence defensively against a mediocre Nittany Lion offense before re-entering conference play.

Matthew Mackrides and Billy Gribbin have been the lone bright spots for the Penn State attack. The two are the only double-digit scorers on the team but have not yet been able to spark the rest of their team to a victory.

In the offensive third, Duke is led by a “Big Three” of its own. Seniors Max Quinzani and Ned Crotty along with junior Zach Howell have accounted for 66 of the team’s 98 points. The experienced trio stands poised to exploit a porous Nittany Lion defense that ranks 50th nationally.

Quinzani and Howell benefit immensely from Crotty’s prodigious passing skills. The senior attackman has racked up almost three assists per game, the most nationwide.

This game may ultimately come down to turnovers. The Duke defense ranks in the top 10 in takeways, but the Nittany Lions rarely give away possession.

Nevertheless, although Penn State does not represent Duke’s typical caliber of competition, this game will go a long way in determining whether or not the Blue Devils have what it takes to rise up to the quality of play that their pedigree suggests.