Just like in the opening game for his first two seasons at Duke, head coach David Cutcliffe is preparing his team to take on a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
Last year, the Blue Devils found out how tough these smaller schools can be when they were upset by Richmond, the defending FCS national champion. The Phoenix, while not defending a title, had a 9-3 season and postseason appearance in 2009. They definitely have Duke’s full attention as it prepares for the Saturday night tussle.
“We have to be ready for this game,” quarterback Sean Renfree said. “Richmond was a great team, and Elon is a very, very good team. We’re not going to overlook anyone. We’re going to come out and play.”
Everything that Elon does offensively starts with its four-year starter at quarterback, Scott Riddle. The veteran signal caller is a traditional drop-back passer who has already broken many of Elon’s passing records.
Although he will be without one of the FCS’s top playmakers from last year, graduated wideout Terrell Hudgins, Riddle will be a tough test for the Duke secondary if he is given time to find receivers Lance Camp and Sean Jeffcoat. To combat this passing attack, Duke will need its front seven to get into the backfield and pressure Riddle.
“He’s the one that makes the offense go,” linebacker Damian Thornton said. “I feel like if we can get to him, we’ll disrupt their offense.”
While Elon will definitely look to move the ball through the air early and often, it also has a pair of competent running backs. Jamal Shuman and A.J. Harris will split carries. Shuman is more of a scatback with big play potential, while Harris is a bruiser who also excels as a receiver out of the backfield.
In addition to its high-powered offense, the Phoenix excel defensively. They return seven players from a unit that relinquished just 248 yards and 13 points a game last season. They also lead the Southern Conference in takeaways, and ball-hawking cornerback Terell Wilson has the ability to make a game-altering play.
“They don’t do a whole lot of stuff from a scheme standpoint,” Renfree said. “But, what they do, they do very well. They’re clearly very well coached.”
As the Duke coaching staff continues to put more emphasis on having a balanced offense, the season opener will be a good opportunity to see what kind of push the offensive line can get up front. While Elon performed well against the run last year, they certainly won’t have the same size that future Division I and ACC opponents will.
“This matchup is good for us,” Cutcliffe said. “I think it’s great for us to play a quality team that knows how to win. We need to measure ourselves since we’re such a young team building a program.”
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