Duke welcomes No. 9 Clemson to Durham for the first game of a highly-anticipated 2023 season. Ahead of the Monday night matchup at Wallace Wade Stadium, the Blue Zone identifies a key player from each side that can lead their teams to victory.
Duke: DeWayne Carter
If the Blue Devils want to pull off a big upset to open their season, they’re going to have to stop the Tigers’ potent rushing attack.
Clemson is led by junior running back Will Shipley, who has been one of the better rushers in the ACC since he stepped on campus, and the preseason All-ACC selection will undoubtedly be who head coach Mike Elko keys in on when looking at the Tiger offense. If Duke wants to limit Shipley, redshirt senior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter will have to be the wrecking ball he is capable of being on the defensive line.
Carter is returning to Durham for his fifth season, becoming the headliner for new defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci’s unit. The Pickerington, Ohio, native has been a dominant force for the Blue Devils over the past two seasons, winning the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award in both campaigns. In 2022, the fifth year was a second-team All-ACC selection, racking up 36 tackles and a team-best 11 tackles for loss.
The preseason All-ACC selection will have a tough task, not just wrestling down Shipley but getting past Clemson’s stout line to rush sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik. Carter will likely be blocked by veteran center Will Putnam for the majority of the contest, providing an immense challenge to open the season.
If Carter can pierce the backfield and come up with some deflating sacks and hits on Shipley in the backfield, Duke could gain the momentum it needs to shock the Tigers on Labor Day.
Clemson: Beaux Collins
If Clemson wants to beat Santucci’s defense, the team will need to take the top off.
Duke has the most roster turnover from last season in its secondary, creating some question marks on the back end. With Darius Joiner moving on to the NFL, the Blue Devils will have to fill a hole at safety. For their sake, they better figure it out quickly, as Tiger wideout Beaux Collins could torch Duke early and often.
The junior has the potential to become the next great Clemson wideout, following in the footsteps of superstars like Tee Higgins and Mike Williams. The Los Angeles native has struggled to stay on the field during his career due to injury, but Collins is electric when on the gridiron. Collins went for 373 yards and five touchdowns last season in eight games, and he was especially torrid to start the campaign. The junior reached paydirt in each of the Tigers’ first four games, becoming the first wideout to do so for the program since Sammy Watkins in 2011.
If Collins continues this tendency, Duke could have its hands full in the defensive backfield. The Blue Devils will probably elect to put sophomore cornerback Chandler Rivers on Collins, creating a tough matchup for the season opener. If the Tiger pass catcher finds his way behind the defense for a big one early, the momentum may mount too high for Duke to right the ship.
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