Stock Watch: Duke defense trending up after finally solving Georgia Tech's triple option attack

The bell of the Blue Zone stock exchange has just rung again, meaning it's time for another taking a look at who is rising and falling with their performances for Blue Devil sports teams. Each week The Blue Zone will look at whose stock is on the rise and whose stock has taken a hit from the week in the world of Duke athletics.

Bull Market—Trending Up

• Duke football defense: The Blue Devil defensive unit held two dynamic offenses in Miami and Georgia Tech to 25 points or less in its last two games and currently holds the nation's seventh best scoring defense, only allowing opponents 15.5 points per contest. The secondary has been especially good, with the 16th-best passing defense in the FBS, and has intercepted opponents eight times in six games to help Duke jump out to a +7 turnover margin, which is tops in the ACC. Some might say that these stats are a result of an easy non-conference schedule, but they have remained static through two games against ACC Coastal DIvision opponents.
• Anthony Boone: The redshirt senior finds himself trending up this week after a dismal performance at Miami in which he only completed 43 percent of his passes and was intercepted twice. He managed the game much better this past weekend in Atlanta, completing 16-of-26 passes for 131 yards and an early four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Max McCaffrey. Boone is now 15-3 as Duke's starting quarterback and will look to roll his momentum into Saturday's critical ACC Coastal matchup with Virginia. But plays such as this one will need to be put behind him if he wants to lead the Blue Devils to their second straight ACC championship game.
• Cooper Helfet, Vincent Rey and Juwan Thompson: The former Blue Devils are representing Duke in the NFL very well this season. We'll start with Helfet, who after three years in the league finally caught his first NFL pass with the Seahawks last Monday against Washington on Monday Night Football. He followed that performance up with another catch on Sunday in a loss to Dallas. Rey, who started off as a special teams player with Cincinnati, has slowly worked his way into the linebacking rotation, playing in all five games this season and recording 17 tackles. He has also started in the Bengals' last two contests. Thompson has also emerged of late, scoring his first NFL touchdown last Sunday against Arizona for the Broncos and racking up 38 yards on eight carries in the team's win against the Jets this week. With starter Montee Ball struggling early in the season and now sidelined with an injury, Thompson should only see more touches as the season wears on.

Bear Market—Trending Down

• Jamison Crowder and Issac Blakeney: Head coach David Cutcliffe was very high on his senior receiving duo coming into the season, and they did nothing to disappoint through the first four games as Duke's most productive receivers in non-conference play. But in ACC play, the Monroe, N.C., natives have caught a combined 15 passes for only 106 yards and zero touchdowns. Both are fighting injuries to their fingers, which may explain why each has had multiple drops against Miami and Georgia Tech. But with even tougher ACC games ahead, the Blue Devils need their star wide receivers to up their production and create big plays down field in the passing game to keep opposing defenses honest.
• Jameis Winston and Todd Gurley: It all began when Gurley was suspended after he allegedly exchanged autographs for money. The dynamic running back was on-track for a Heisman-Trophy-worthy season in 2014, but all his accomplishments are on hold pending a NCAA Investigation. Winston is still on the field, but the reigning Heisman winner and ACC Player of the Year found out that he might face disciplinary action from Florida State due to his involvement in a possible sexual assault against a fellow student Dec., 2012. Winston is still slated to start in a primetime matchup with No. 5 Notre Dame this Saturday, but is now also being investigated for autograph exchanges like Gurley. .