With a powerful second-half ground game and a stout defense, Duke pushed past Virginia 20-13 to take control of the Coastal Division and become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. The Blue Devils broke the 13-13 tie on a jump-pass by backup quarterback Thomas Sirk with 7:23 left in the fourth quarter. Duke’s defense then stood strong and kept the Cavaliers out of the end zone on their final two possessions to secure the victory.
Offense: B
Pass: Although redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Boone did not post the most impressive numbers against the Cavaliers— going 22-of-37 for 176 yards and one touchdown— he was able to stay turnover-free against one of the most opportunistic defenses in the nation. The Weddington, N.C., native threw a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Erich Schneider to put the Blue Devils up 7-0 early in the first quarter and frequently targeted wide receiver Jamison Crowder—who ended up with eight catches for 99 yards.
But Boone and Duke’s pass offense would go on to struggle for much of the second half, plagued by familiar issues—inaccurate throws and a lack of open receivers downfield. Perhaps Duke’s biggest problem on offense was not capitalizing in the red zone with Boone on the field. The Blue Devils were forced to kick short-field goals of 19 yards and 25 yards on drives that spanned 79 yards and 68 yards, respectively. The biggest pass of the game in the red zone came from the backup Sirk, whose three-yard pass to David Reeves caught the Cavalier defense completely by surprise. Although Crowder and Issac Blakeney finally got going, Duke's pass offense still has not put together a full 60 minutes in more than a month and has been held to less than 200 yards through the air during that span.
Rush: Virginia came into the game giving up an average of only 91.5 rushing yards per game—sixth-best in the nation. However, Duke was able to effectively run the ball at the Virginia defense, ending up with 155 total rushing yards on 30 carries. The leading rusher for the Blue Devils was Shaquille Powell, who ran for 68 yards on 11 carries, all of which came in the second half after the Blue Devils' other three running backs had limited success in the first half.
With his brother in the hospital in Las Vegas, Powell made his mark on the decisive drive of the game, during which he ran for 32 yards on four carries and ignited a stagnant Duke offense. The Blue Devils' longest run of the game came on a 23-yard keeper on the read-option by quarterback Anthony Boone, which positioned Duke on the Cavaliers’ seven-yard line on what ended up being the game-winning drive. As the season has progressed, it has become more evident and evident that the Blue Devils strength on offense is their potent running game spearheaded by a committee of shifty running backs.
X’s and O’s: The play-calling by offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery consisted of a mix of both questionable and seemingly genius decisions. The Duke offense had three three-and-outs that lasted 65 seconds or less and put significant pressure on the defense to continue making stops. As has been the case much of the season, the Blue Devils lacked a downfield passing game for much of the contest and resorted to mostly bubble screens and short passes for the duration of the game. But an effective mix of run plays and pass plays on the decisive drive of the game helped Duke finally move the ball downfield. Montgomery’s boldest and brightest decision of the afternoon was to call the jump-pass play for Sirk on second and goal from the three-yard line.
Defense: A-
Pass: Although Virginia quarterback Matt Johns passed for 306 yards—a career high— against the Blue Devils defense, Duke was able to tighten the screws when it really needed to in the second half of the game. Often placed in a precarious position by ineffective offensive possessions, the Blue Devil defense kept the game a 13-13 tie throughout the third quarter and prevented the Cavaliers from finding the end zone late in the fourth. As has been the case for much of the season, redshirt junior safety Jeremy Cash wrecked havoc on the field, ending up with 11 tackles and one pass break-up. The safety also forced the Cavaliers only turnover of the game—a fumble by Miles Gooch—which gave Duke momentum early in the game. Cornerback Breon Borders also turned in a strong performance with three pass break-ups for the game.
Run: The Blue Devils run defense showed the strides the unit has made throughout the season with a strong performance against the Cavaliers. The same defense that was gashed by Miami running back Duke Johnson just two games ago allowed only an average of 4.5 yards per carry to the Cavaliers. The Duke run defense forced the Cavaliers to stray from their gameplan and caused Virginia’s Matt Johns to attempt a season-high 44 passes. Although missed tackles plagued the defense on occasion, the Blue Devils linebackers were sure-handed for much of the game, led by senior David Helton’s 14 tackles. Dangerous Virginia running back Kevin Parks finished with only 75 yards on 16 carries.
X’s and O’s: The Duke defense came through down the stretch and stopped the Cavaliers’ on their final two opportunities to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Although the Blue Devils defense bent on many occasions and allowed 465 total yards of offense, they never broke and twice held the Cavaliers to short field goals. Only able to force one turnover, it took a consistent effort by the Duke defense to withstand fatigue and force three-and-out’s for the majority of the second half. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has clearly made significant adjustments with the Duke defense, which now appears to be the biggest strength of the team after struggling earlier in the season.
Special Teams: A
The Blue Devils special teams once again turned in a solid effort that should not be overlooked. Kicker Ross Martin connected on two short field goals of 19 and 25 yards and remained perfect on the season. Punter Will Monday was forced onto the field seven times, but responded by pinning Virginia inside the 20 on three different occasions. The Duke punt coverage was effective once again, allowing only eight yards on two returns by Virginia’s Khalek Shepherd.
Although the Blue Devils special teams has yet to make the game-changing plays that have lifted the team in the past, the unit was effective Saturday as it has been for much of the season. Kickoff specialist Jack Willoughby and the kick coverage team limited the only Cavalier kick return to just 18 yards, showing that Duke is fixing its weaknesses as the season progresses.
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