Duke is headed to its first-ever ACC Championship game after a 27-25 win against rival North Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. All three phases earn top marks this week, playing a solid game to notch a school-record 10th victory this season.
Offense: A
Pass: Quarterback Anthony Boone is healthy again and he is having no trouble exhibiting why he is the Blue Devils’ starting quarterback. The redshirt junior completed 23-of-34 passes for 274 yards and tossed two touchdowns to wide receiver Jamison Crowder. Boone has seemed more comfortable in the pocket than earlier in the season and is realizing that he can go throw to other weapons when Crowder is double-teamed. Wide receiver Brandon Braxton hauled in five catches for 70 yards, and tight end Braxton Deaver had a team-high seven receptions which went for 65 yards.
Rush: All four running backs saw close to ten carries on Saturday, with the exception of senior Juwan Thompson who carried the ball six times. Running backs Shaquille Powell, Jela Duncan and Josh Snead combined for 130 yards on 28 rushing attempts, with Powell leading the pack, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Even though the North Carolina defense contained wildcat quarterback Brandon Connette, the running backs picked up the slack, seeing carries in short yardage situations and picking up key first downs.
X’s and O’s: Head coach David Cutcliffe knew that Anthony Boone was going to need to throw the ball often in this game, and he gave Boone plays that helped shred the Tar Heel pass defense. When Connette was not having success out of the wildcat, they lined him up as a tight end had Boone throw to him. The coaching staff also slowed down the pace, keeping the Blue Devil defense off the field while the offense took its time marching down the field. This resulted in Duke dominating the time of possession statistic.
Defense: A
Pass: Tar Heel quarterback Marquise Williams did throw for 223 yards, but a large chunk came on an early 79-yard pass to tight end Eric Ebron in the first quarter. Williams completed fewer than half of his passes and had just one touchdown pass to wide receiver Quinshad Davis in the second half. The defense did not sack Williams Saturday afternoon, but they did apply just enough pressure to hurry throws, which resulted in two interceptions. Kelby Brown’s early-third quarter interception stopped a promising North Carolina drive, and DeVon Edwards’ interception with just 13 seconds left sealed the victory for the Blue Devils.
Rush: The Duke defensive unit has been no stranger to facing dual threat quarterbacks like Williams, as it has already faced Logan Thomas, Stephen Morris, Brandon Mitchell and Tanner Price this season. But Williams’ athleticism and his excellent decision-making in the zone read offense helped North Carolina rack up 225 rushing yards on 39 attempts. Williams had more than 100 yards on the ground and had two one-yard touchdown runs. The Blue Devils prevented any big plays on the ground, which helped them maintain a high grade for this week.
X’s and O’s: Once again, the defense was not perfect. It did not completely shut down any facets of the Tar Heel offense. But this well-disciplined and well-coached unit has made enough plays on the defensive side of the ball this season to win 10 games. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles continues to play four freshman, Breon Borders, DeVon Edwards, Bryon Fields and Deondre Singleton in the secondary, which has brought youth and energy to this unit. Knowles has the whole defense playing well, especially in the fourth quarter, where it has only given up 37 points this season.
Special Teams: A-
Crowder muffed a punt. Ross Martin missed a long field goal. But the special teams unit still walks away from this game with an 'A-'. Why? This game was won by the special teams unit. With Duke trailing 15-10, DeVon Edwards fielded the ensuing kickoff and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown that gave the Blue Devils a lead going into halftime. Martin redeemed himself when he nailed a 27-yard field goal with 2:22 to play in the game, giving Duke a 27-25 advantage. Another huge reason why this unit gets a good grade is because they did not allow North Carolina kick returner Ryan Switzer to take back his fifth punt-for-a-touchdown this season, holding him to just five return yards all game. This will not be in the box score, but is a huge accomplishment for the special teams.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.