Five observations and more from Duke football's first half against Georgia Tech

<p>Deon Jackson's two touchdowns paced an effective Duke rushing attack.</p>

Deon Jackson's two touchdowns paced an effective Duke rushing attack.

Though Georgia Tech struck with the first score of the afternoon, the Blue Devils quickly took control of the game, heading into the locker room with a 38-14 advantage. Here are some quick observations and stats from the first half of Duke's showdown with Georgia Tech.

Five observations:

1. Georgia Tech had a strong start, securing a touchdown within the first five minutes of the competition thanks to a solid running game. The Yellow Jackets picked up 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground

2. Duke quarterback Quentin Harris had a nice touch on the deep ball within the first half. His longest strike went to Jalon Calhoun for 42 yards on the team's first possession, but the Blue Devils failed to finish the drive off with a touchdown. The second deep connection came early in the second quarter as Harris completed a 41-yard pass to Darrell Harding Jr. 

3. Duke’s defensive play got into the groove late in the first quarter, as the Blue Devils sacked quarterback James Graham on third down, preventing the Yellow Jackets from extending their drive and potentially the lead. 

4. The Blue Devils played aggressively on offense throughout the first quarter, as they converted three fourth downs. After the third 4th-and-1, Duke’s dominant rushing game set them up for a second touchdown. 

5. Harris seemed to depend on Calhoun a lot, as he passed the ball to the freshman wideout five times. Calhoun proved to be reliable as he leads all receivers with 54 yards.

By the numbers:

  • 52 passing yards for Georgia Tech: Duke’s defense put pressure on the Yellow Jackets, yielding just 52 yards through the air thanks to solid play on the line and in the secondary. 
  • Duke wins the battle on the ground: The Blue Devils had a solid running game with 28 rush attempts for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Georgia Tech was less successful, totaling 68 yards on 20 rush attempts.
  • 2-for-7 on third down for Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets struggled to break free from Duke's swarming defense, failing to keep drives alive all half.

A moment that mattered:

A touchdown on Georgia Tech's first drive woke Duke up for the competition and set the tone for more aggressive play on both the offensive end and defensive end for the Blue Devils. 

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