ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Entering Saturday’s game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Duke coaching staff made it clear that they had a precise game plan for the offense.
After electing to receive the game’s opening kickoff and get its offense on the field to set an immediate tone, Duke gave the ball to running back Desmond Scott on the game’s first offensive play. While the three-yard plunge was nothing spectacular, it sent a message that the Blue Devils were going to the ground game on first down.
In fact, Duke ran the ball on first-and-10 each of the first ten times it faced that situation. This emphasis on establishing the rushing attack was a premeditated decision made by the coaching staff in an attempt to keep Navy from controlling the clock with its patented long scoring drives.
“We felt like we wanted to keep the downs and distances as friendly as possible,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “We were going to play their kind of football.”
No Blue Devil back rushed for over 50 yards on the day, but the strength of the rushing game was in its balance. Including the two quarterbacks, Sean Renfree and running specialist Brandon Connette, five Blue Devils got carries in the game and combined to gain 142 yards on 45 attempts for a respectable 3.2 yards per carry.
To complement the ground game, the offense repeatedly turned to the bubble screen to give its elusive receivers opportunities to make plays after the catch. On top of yielding significant chunks of yardage, these horizontal throws were high-percentage completions that allowed Renfree to get in a rhythm and build his confidence.
“Certainly we put him in a position to be successful by taking what the defense gave us,” Cutcliffe said. “Our screens are part of our run game, too. He did a great job of getting the ball accurately to guys in positions where they could run with it.”
In addition to the wide receiver screens, Renfree looked just a little further downfield and got his tight end and running back involved in the quick passing attack. Cooper Helfet had a career-high seven catches for 69 yards, and Scott reeled in five balls for 49 yards. Taking advantage of these short passes was something that the team identified as a priority during its week of preparation.
“Their linebackers drop very deep, and we knew we had to come underneath them,” wide receiver Conner Vernon said. “That was exactly what we saw on film, and we came out here and executed.”
Renfree, whose 15 interceptions over the last six games have been well documented, had a turnover-free outing and managed to complete an impressive 16 throws in a row to open the game. Following the contest, Duke’s signal caller stressed how important this consistency was for both his own and the team’s confidence.
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks, so it feels great to get back in the groove and score some points,” Renfree said. “We had a good game plan offensively, and I just let our guys make plays.”
While it would be fair to describe Duke’s offensive approach as conservative, the coaching staff did stay aggressive when it mattered most.
On a fourth-and-2 from the Navy 40 late in the third quarter, Duke elected to go for it and try to extend its 24-7 lead. A Connette keeper led to a successful fourth-down conversion, and three plays later, Vernon turned a short pass into a touchdown and furthered the Duke advantage.
“Going into the game, I told the coaching staff to expect us to go for it on some fourth downs,” Cutcliffe said. “When you’re playing teams that possess the ball, you’re forced into making those decisions.”
Even as Navy made the game interesting with some fourth-quarter offensive fireworks, the Blue Devils kept up the pace with their no-huddle offense. Continuing to combine the rushing game with short passes, Duke was able to move the ball downfield and get a Will Snyderwine field goal that ended up giving Duke three decisive points.
Even though the defense faltered in the fourth quarter, the offensive play calling and subsequent execution was enough to secure the win.
“I thought Kurt Roper did a masterful job of managing our offense, and credit the guys for the going out and making plays,” Cutcliffe said.
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