Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Duke Blue Devils season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Duke Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 8-5 overall, 3-5 in ACC
Head Coach: David Cutcliffe, 12th year, 67-72
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DUKE OFFENSE
– Duke managed to pull off eight wins and survive the season despite a wildly consistent offense that scored 14 points or fewer in four of the last nine games – losing them all. Just four starters are back, but there’s reason to think things might not be all that bad.
– For starters, there’s a reason why New York Giant fans went apespit over their team drafting Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick. Mostly, it’s because they had no idea who he was, but it’s also partly because he was just okay. Replacement Quentin Harris is a better runner, has time in the system, and he’s a David Cutcliffe-coached quarterback – he’ll be fine.
– The Giants have used the talking point that Jones is better than he looked because he didn’t have a whole lot of help around him. Granted, it’s not like he was throwing to Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, but TJ Rahming and Johnathan Lloyd were good enough to combine for 126 catches and 13 scores, They’re gone, making sophomore Jake Bobo – 10 catches for 167 yards – the top returning wide receiver. It’s a young corps, but there’s good size.
– The backfield is solid with the 1-2 rushing punch of Deon Jackson and Brittain Brown to rely on, and three starters are back on an O line that wasn’t a rock, but also wasn’t that awful. The interior of the front five will be solid, but the tackles are going to need a little time – making the mobility of Harris that much more important.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DUKE DEFENSE
– Eight starters return to a defense that struggled at getting into the backfield and gave up 409 yards per game, but was good enough to get by. When the D allowed 27 points or fewer, Duke was 7-0. 27 or more, and it was 1-5. It shouldn’t take any sort of a step back, and it might even be a bit stronger thanks to a terrific secondary.
– The pass defense was good, now it should be great with the return of all-star CB Mark Gilbert, who picked off seven passes two years ago but was lost to a hip injury early on last season.
S Dylan Singleton was fantastic before suffering a broken ankle – he’s back, along with Gilbert – and fellow safeties Marquis Waters and Leonard Johnson are good-tackling vets who can ball.
– The linebacking corps is the issue after losing Joe Giles-Harris and Ben Humphreys, but it’s not starting from scratch. Junior Brandon Hill will be one of the team’s leading tacklers, and 230-pound Koby Quansah is a solid veteran.
They’ll be helped by a line that returns all four starters, led by top pass rushing DE Victor Dimukeje and run-stopping DT Derrick Tangelo on the inside.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP DUKE PLAYERS
Best Duke Offensive Player
RB/KR Deon Jackson, Jr.
The 6-0, 220-pounder did a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils. He led the team with 847 rushing yards with seven scores – averaging over five yards per carry – caught 26 passes for 253 yards and two scores, and he used his straight-line speed as a dangerous kickoff returner averaging close to 22 yards per pop.
2. QB Quentin Harris, Sr.
3. C Jack Wohlabaugh, Jr.
4. RB Brittain Brown, Jr.
5. OG Rakavius Chambers, Jr.
Best Duke Defensive Player
CB Mark Gilbert, Jr.
The 6-1, 175-pound junior picked off seven passes and made 35 stops as an all-star in 2017, but he went down right out of the gate last year with a hip injury. On the plus side, it happened in the second game of the season to not only preserve a redshirt season, but it also was early enough to give him time to heal. Once he’s back to 100% – he’s expected to be by the start of the season – he’ll be among the ACC’s best corners.
2. S Dylan Singleton, Sr.
3. DE Victor Dimukeje, Jr.
4. S Marquis Waters, Jr.
5. S Leonard Johnson, Soph.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Duke Offense
Get the ground game going on a consistent basis. The receiving corps is the team’s most inexperienced area, but the backfield is in place to carry the attack. It’s not going to happen in the opener against Alabama, but after that, the more QB Quentin Harris can get moving, and the more the O can rely on the veteran running backs, the better. Duke was 6-1 last season when running for just 120 yards or more, and it’s 12-3 over the last two years when it hits that mark.
Biggest Key To The Duke Defense
Start forcing a turnover or three. Duke has’t been great at forcing takeaways over the years, but the 13 in 2018 were paltry even by its own mediocre standards. The secondary might have taken a hit after it lost CB Mark Gilbert early on, but there’s still no excuse for only coming up with four interceptions on the year and just one over the last nine games. The fumble recoveries weren’t there, either, going eight games without one.
Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Robert Kraeling, Jr.
The interior of the Duke offensive front should e solid, but the tackles are a question mark. The pass protection was hit-or-miss, and there wasn’t enough of a push for the running game. On the outside, the 6-7, 310-pound Kraeling has to turn into a steady force at one of the tackle jobs. He was good last year – starting every game on the right side – but he has to stay healthy with little developed depth to rely on.
Key Game To The Duke Season
at Virginia Tech, Sept. 27
The Blue Devils should be 2-1 to start the season – if everything goes according to plan – and then the ACC campaign kicks in. After going to Virginia Tech, the next two games are at home, and the Blue Devils only leave the state of North Carolina once the rest of the way.
– Duke Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Duke Fun Stats
– Duke 3rd Quarter Scoring: 122 – 4th Quarter Scoring: 61
– Time of Possession: Opponents 32:10 – Duke 27:50
– Rushing Yards Per Game: Opponents 209.3 – Duke 159.6
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. DUKE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
The Blue Devils need to be more consistent, but that’s probably not going to happen. They don’t have the depth or the overall talent of the better ACC teams, but there’s enough in place to at least go bowling and be a problem for just about everyone on the slate …
After the opener against Alabama.
The Blue Devil quarterback situation is in good hands with Quentin Harris taking over for Daniel Jones, and the rest of the backfield is good, too. Now the running game has to start to work.
The receiving corps is undergoing an overhaul, and it might take a bit before the passing game turns into the efficient force it needs to be.
The defense should be the star, with a quietly good defensive front that will do just enough to get behind the line, and with the linebackers growing into the respective roles. With a secondary that should be among the best yet under David Cutcliffe, there’s a lot to like, but …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 6
Can the Blue Devils recover from the Alabama game to kick things off? There might be just two teams on the schedule that didn’t go bowling, but there are just enough winnable games to push for six wins. However, there can’t be many – if any – slip-ups at home.
There’s no Clemson or Florida State to deal with from the Atlantic, and the dates against Pitt, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Miami are all in Durham. The down side is that every game but the early date with North Carolina A&T is losable.
It’s going to take the team jelling right away – at least, after the Bama game – and it’s going to take a few upsets, but it should be a third straight bowl season.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
