HALFTIME: Duke 49, N.C. Central 0

The Blue Devils outscored N.C. Central 100-0 in the teams' two meetings before Saturday's season opener.

After 30 minutes at Wallace Wade Stadium, they are well on their way to adding to that total and continuing the shutout streak.

Duke leads the Eagles 49-0 at halftime after dominating N.C. Central in all three phases of the game. The Blue Devils racked up more than 400 yards of total offense—with redshirt freshman quarterback Daniel Jones shredding N.C. Central in his first career start—and only surrendered 71. Toward the end of the first half, several Duke backups entered the game, including quarterback Parker Boehme, but the Blue Devils did not miss a beat.

Jones finished the first half 9-of-13 for 182 yards through the air and added a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Boehme also made several big plays, accounting for 86 total yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jela Duncan scored Duke's first two touchdowns of the game and finished the half with 98 yards on 12 carries.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Joe Giles-Harris led the way defensively in his first start, flying around the field for five tackles—including a sack and two tackles for loss—and a pass breakup.

Here are some observations from the first half:

• If Jones was nervous in his first start, he did not show it. After Duncan broke off a 50-yard touchdown run on Duke's first possession and added another score, Jones found his rhythm through the air, finding slot receiver Johnathan Lloyd for a 55-yard touchdown. He then added a rushing touchdown before finding tight end Erich Schneider for his third score of the half.
• Schneider was not the only tight end who was active early. Tennessee transfer Daniel Helm had two receptions for 25 yards and redshirt sophomore Davis Koppenhaver caught a four-yard touchdown from Boehme late in the half. The Blue Devil quarterbacks completed 14 passes to 11 different receivers.
• Duke forced two Eagle turnovers, one on a Breon Borders interception and the second when Bryon Fields leveled an N.C. Central receiver. Head coach David Cutcliffe's team also got the ball back late in the second quarter after the Eagles did not field a kickoff, setting up up a Boehme rushing touchdown on the last play of the second quarter.
• The only negatives for the Blue Devils were two turnovers of their own. Veteran punt returner Ryan Smith muffed a punt late in the first quarter and reserve running back Joseph Ajeigbe fumbled in the second quarter.
• Duke's defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, recording three sacks and making N.C. Central quarterback Malcolm Bell's life miserable. Bell finished the half 5-of-15 for 54 yards.
• Former Blue Devil safety and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jeremy Cash was honored in the second quarter. Cash recently made the Carolina Panthers 53-man roster as a weakside linebacker.