2020 Opponent Preview: Duke
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
When Boston College football returned to campus on June 22, the program began a journey that could have very well been cut short by COVID-19. That’s the way it was looking back in August after the Big Ten and Pac-12 canceled their fall sports seasons.
But, more than 2,000 coronavirus tests later—only one of which came back positive—BC is less than 24 hours away from its season opener. All but four ACC teams have already kicked off their respective 2020 campaigns. Meanwhile, the Eagles are gearing up for their latest start date since 1981, when then-head coach Jack Bicknell guided BC to a 13-12 win over Texas A&M.
In what will be BC’s first of six games against Coastal Division opponents this season, the Eagles will travel to Durham, N.C. to play Duke on Saturday afternoon.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Sept. 19., 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, N.C.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on NESN.
Series History
BC leads the all-time series, 4-3. That said, since joining the ACC, the Eagles are 2-2 against the Blue Devils and have lost each of the past two meetings. Those last two games have been nail biters, however, they haven’t been too pretty.
In 2015, BC suffered a 9-7 defeat at Wallace Wade Stadium. A 25-yard, second quarter Jeff Smith touchdown pass to Thadd Smith was overturned after the officials determined that Thadd Smith lost control of the ball when he hit the turf. That ended up being the difference-maker, as BC botched the hold on its ensuing field goal attempt and ended up losing the game by two points. The special teams folly brought back bad memories. Four years earlier, Nate Freese missed a potential game-winning, 23-yard field goal at Alumni Stadium. The kick hit the left upright, and BC fell to Duke, 20-19, slumping to a 0-3 start for the first time since 1991.
Duke’s record: 0-1 (0-1 ACC)
Breaking Down the Blue Devils
Offense: Duke’s offense sputtered out of control during the tail end of the 2019 season. The Blue Devils averaged a meager 16.3 points per contest over the course of the final six games of the year. Unsurprisingly, Duke went 1-5 during that stretch and limped to a 5-7 record. Quentin Harris had his moments and ultimately was responsible for 23 of the Blue Devils’ 37 touchdowns on the year. There’s no doubt, though, that Zac Roper’s offense was limited with Harris at quarterback. Even though Harris could do damage with both his legs and his arm, the air attack was reduced to a lot of dink-and-dunk passing. The Blue Devils averaged 4.5 yards per play, a far cry from their 5.5 yards per play average the previous year with Daniel Jones.
In comes Chase Brice, who backed up Trevor Lawrence the past two seasons in Death Valley and, despite not starting a game in a Tigers uniform, appeared in 25 contests, while throwing for 1,023 yards and nine touchdowns in relief outings. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Grayson, Ga. native impressed in his first Duke start, helping the Blue Devils put Notre Dame on upset alert last weekend. He completed 20-of-37 pass attempts for 259 yards and kept the game alive on the ground with a critical QB draw rushing touchdown and a 23-yard, fourth-quarter scramble. Brice was harassed by the Irish defense, which tallied three sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
He took some vicious hits but always got up and made the use of his weapons. Brice favored tight end Noah Gray and wide receiver Jalon Calhoun. Gray, a 6-foot-4 senior from Leominster, Mass., hauled in five passes for 68 yards, including a critical 19-yard touch pass off a fake option toss. Brice also hooked up with Calhoun five times. The 5-foot-11 wideout led the team with 420 receiving yards last season, and it looks like he could be in for a bigger year in 2020. In terms of the run game, Deon Jackson was in the spotlight last week, and that appears to be the case going forward. He had 15 carries for 52 yards. If the Blue Devils weren’t trailing in the second half, he probably would have seen an uptick in workload.
Defense: Aside from the hype surrounding Brice and what this Blue Devils’ offense could be, there are greater expectations for Duke’s defense. The Blue Devils returned 73% of their 2019 defensive output, which, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, was good for 41st in the country. That’s a pretty high mark for a defense that posted the 36th-best defensive SP+ last season. Coached by co-defensive coordinators Ben Albert and Matt Guerrieri, the Blue Devils’ defense is constructed to keep Duke in a bunch of games this year. We saw that last Saturday in South Bend.
It starts on the D-Line. Well, the edge really. The Blue Devils have two of the best defensive ends in the conference in Chris Rumph II and Victor Dimukeje. The duo combined for 23 TFLs and 15 sacks last season. Dimukeje, now a senior, led the way in 2019 with a team-best 8.5 quarterback takedowns. Work your way to the interior of the Blue Devils’ defensive line, though, and you’ll start asking questions. Duke is inexperienced in the middle of the D-Line and will likely rely on underclassmen to rotate inside throughout the season. On the bright side for Duke, senior Derrick Tangelo—who missed some time in the Notre Dame game with an injury—is in the lineup at defensive tackle for the Blue Devils this week.
Stopping the run could be Duke’s Achilles’ heel this year, as the Blue Devils aren’t all that deep at linebacker either. Irish running back Kyren Williams rumbled for 112 yards and two touchdowns last week. The Blue Devils will be tested again this time around when BC’s David Bailey bursts through the trenches. On the other hand, Duke is in solid shape on the back end. Down the stretch, Ian Book and Notre Dame enjoyed success through the air, but the secondary of Mark Gilbert, Michael Carter II, Marquis Waters, Lummie Young IV, and Josh Blackwell is legit. After one game, Duke ranks 24th nationally with a 136.8 pass efficiency defense. Notably, Gilbert—a cornerback who received All-America votes in 2017—played in his first game in 734 days last weekend after sitting out two seasons while recovering from a 2018 hip injury.
Special Teams: Last year, Duke ranked 23rd in the country in special teams SP+. The Blue Devils had to replace two of the best punters and kickers in the ACC this offseason, yet it seems like the unit has made a relatively seamless transition.
Last weekend, redshirt freshman Porter Wilson booted the ball six times, averaging 45.7 yards per punt. His first-ever collegiate punt traveled 60 yards, not to mention that he pinned Notre Dame inside the 20-yard line four times. Classmate Charlie Ham has some big shoes to fill—AJ Reed, the Blue Devils’ former kicker, was the only PK in the ACC with three field goals of 49+ yards last season—but Ham’s off to a good start. He knocked in his first two field goal attempts of the year, both of which were within 30 yards. Keep an eye out for Damond Philyaw-Johnson. The redshirt junior kick return specialist ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2019 and ranked second nationally in return average (32.3 yards per kick return).
Three Storylines
Who’s starting under center for BC?
Hafley believes that competition brings out the best in his players at every position, including quarterback. That mindset also allows him to keep his cards close to his chest. We’ll find out at or around kickoff if Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec will be starting the season under center, or if—unexpectedly—incumbent Dennis Grosel will be given the keys in Durham.
How will BC respond to an empty Wallace Wade Stadium?
Because of COVID-19, Duke will be filling Wallace Wade Stadium (40,000 seat capacity) with cardboard cutouts instead of fans. Cue the inevitable joke about Wallace Wade not being full in normal times. Sure. But it’s going to be interesting to see if, and how, this will affect coach-to-player and player-to-player communication.
Who will win the battle in the trenches?
Duke has two of the most dominant edge rushers in the ACC. BC has what many consider to be the best O-Line in the conference. It’ll be quite the head-to-head matchup. It’s an important one, too. If Jurkovec gets his first collegiate start, having time in the pocket would be a huge plus for the redshirt sophomore. Conversely, as mobile as he is, feeling discomfort between the tackles can throw off any inexperienced signal callers’ mojo.
Line: Duke (-6)
ESPN FPI: The database gives BC a 54.6% chance of beating the Blue Devils.
Outlook: The Jeff Hafley era begins on Saturday. It’s been nine months since he was hired, and he’s already won over the BC fan base. The 41-year-old is about to walk out of the tunnel for his first-ever game as a head coach. There are going to be mistakes, no doubt (especially since BC is playing its season opener, and Duke has already had its Week 1 jitters).
How Hafley makes in-game adjustments and caters to his players’ strengths will likely determine the outcome of this matchup. BC’s offensive line and run game measures up well against Duke’s weak interior. The underlying question is, how will BC’s defense fare? After all, that’s what Hafley was brought in to rebuild. Brice will certainly test the Eagles’ secondary in a game that could go either way.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
When Boston College football returned to campus on June 22, the program began a journey that could have very well been cut short by COVID-19. That’s the way it was looking back in August after the Big Ten and Pac-12 canceled their fall sports seasons.
But, more than 2,000 coronavirus tests later—only one of which came back positive—BC is less than 24 hours away from its season opener. All but four ACC teams have already kicked off their respective 2020 campaigns. Meanwhile, the Eagles are gearing up for their latest start date since 1981, when then-head coach Jack Bicknell guided BC to a 13-12 win over Texas A&M.
In what will be BC’s first of six games against Coastal Division opponents this season, the Eagles will travel to Durham, N.C. to play Duke on Saturday afternoon.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Sept. 19., 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, N.C.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on NESN.
Series History
BC leads the all-time series, 4-3. That said, since joining the ACC, the Eagles are 2-2 against the Blue Devils and have lost each of the past two meetings. Those last two games have been nail biters, however, they haven’t been too pretty.
In 2015, BC suffered a 9-7 defeat at Wallace Wade Stadium. A 25-yard, second quarter Jeff Smith touchdown pass to Thadd Smith was overturned after the officials determined that Thadd Smith lost control of the ball when he hit the turf. That ended up being the difference-maker, as BC botched the hold on its ensuing field goal attempt and ended up losing the game by two points. The special teams folly brought back bad memories. Four years earlier, Nate Freese missed a potential game-winning, 23-yard field goal at Alumni Stadium. The kick hit the left upright, and BC fell to Duke, 20-19, slumping to a 0-3 start for the first time since 1991.
Duke’s record: 0-1 (0-1 ACC)
Breaking Down the Blue Devils
Offense: Duke’s offense sputtered out of control during the tail end of the 2019 season. The Blue Devils averaged a meager 16.3 points per contest over the course of the final six games of the year. Unsurprisingly, Duke went 1-5 during that stretch and limped to a 5-7 record. Quentin Harris had his moments and ultimately was responsible for 23 of the Blue Devils’ 37 touchdowns on the year. There’s no doubt, though, that Zac Roper’s offense was limited with Harris at quarterback. Even though Harris could do damage with both his legs and his arm, the air attack was reduced to a lot of dink-and-dunk passing. The Blue Devils averaged 4.5 yards per play, a far cry from their 5.5 yards per play average the previous year with Daniel Jones.
In comes Chase Brice, who backed up Trevor Lawrence the past two seasons in Death Valley and, despite not starting a game in a Tigers uniform, appeared in 25 contests, while throwing for 1,023 yards and nine touchdowns in relief outings. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Grayson, Ga. native impressed in his first Duke start, helping the Blue Devils put Notre Dame on upset alert last weekend. He completed 20-of-37 pass attempts for 259 yards and kept the game alive on the ground with a critical QB draw rushing touchdown and a 23-yard, fourth-quarter scramble. Brice was harassed by the Irish defense, which tallied three sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
He took some vicious hits but always got up and made the use of his weapons. Brice favored tight end Noah Gray and wide receiver Jalon Calhoun. Gray, a 6-foot-4 senior from Leominster, Mass., hauled in five passes for 68 yards, including a critical 19-yard touch pass off a fake option toss. Brice also hooked up with Calhoun five times. The 5-foot-11 wideout led the team with 420 receiving yards last season, and it looks like he could be in for a bigger year in 2020. In terms of the run game, Deon Jackson was in the spotlight last week, and that appears to be the case going forward. He had 15 carries for 52 yards. If the Blue Devils weren’t trailing in the second half, he probably would have seen an uptick in workload.
Defense: Aside from the hype surrounding Brice and what this Blue Devils’ offense could be, there are greater expectations for Duke’s defense. The Blue Devils returned 73% of their 2019 defensive output, which, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, was good for 41st in the country. That’s a pretty high mark for a defense that posted the 36th-best defensive SP+ last season. Coached by co-defensive coordinators Ben Albert and Matt Guerrieri, the Blue Devils’ defense is constructed to keep Duke in a bunch of games this year. We saw that last Saturday in South Bend.
It starts on the D-Line. Well, the edge really. The Blue Devils have two of the best defensive ends in the conference in Chris Rumph II and Victor Dimukeje. The duo combined for 23 TFLs and 15 sacks last season. Dimukeje, now a senior, led the way in 2019 with a team-best 8.5 quarterback takedowns. Work your way to the interior of the Blue Devils’ defensive line, though, and you’ll start asking questions. Duke is inexperienced in the middle of the D-Line and will likely rely on underclassmen to rotate inside throughout the season. On the bright side for Duke, senior Derrick Tangelo—who missed some time in the Notre Dame game with an injury—is in the lineup at defensive tackle for the Blue Devils this week.
Stopping the run could be Duke’s Achilles’ heel this year, as the Blue Devils aren’t all that deep at linebacker either. Irish running back Kyren Williams rumbled for 112 yards and two touchdowns last week. The Blue Devils will be tested again this time around when BC’s David Bailey bursts through the trenches. On the other hand, Duke is in solid shape on the back end. Down the stretch, Ian Book and Notre Dame enjoyed success through the air, but the secondary of Mark Gilbert, Michael Carter II, Marquis Waters, Lummie Young IV, and Josh Blackwell is legit. After one game, Duke ranks 24th nationally with a 136.8 pass efficiency defense. Notably, Gilbert—a cornerback who received All-America votes in 2017—played in his first game in 734 days last weekend after sitting out two seasons while recovering from a 2018 hip injury.
Special Teams: Last year, Duke ranked 23rd in the country in special teams SP+. The Blue Devils had to replace two of the best punters and kickers in the ACC this offseason, yet it seems like the unit has made a relatively seamless transition.
Last weekend, redshirt freshman Porter Wilson booted the ball six times, averaging 45.7 yards per punt. His first-ever collegiate punt traveled 60 yards, not to mention that he pinned Notre Dame inside the 20-yard line four times. Classmate Charlie Ham has some big shoes to fill—AJ Reed, the Blue Devils’ former kicker, was the only PK in the ACC with three field goals of 49+ yards last season—but Ham’s off to a good start. He knocked in his first two field goal attempts of the year, both of which were within 30 yards. Keep an eye out for Damond Philyaw-Johnson. The redshirt junior kick return specialist ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2019 and ranked second nationally in return average (32.3 yards per kick return).
Three Storylines
Who’s starting under center for BC?
Hafley believes that competition brings out the best in his players at every position, including quarterback. That mindset also allows him to keep his cards close to his chest. We’ll find out at or around kickoff if Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec will be starting the season under center, or if—unexpectedly—incumbent Dennis Grosel will be given the keys in Durham.
How will BC respond to an empty Wallace Wade Stadium?
Because of COVID-19, Duke will be filling Wallace Wade Stadium (40,000 seat capacity) with cardboard cutouts instead of fans. Cue the inevitable joke about Wallace Wade not being full in normal times. Sure. But it’s going to be interesting to see if, and how, this will affect coach-to-player and player-to-player communication.
Who will win the battle in the trenches?
Duke has two of the most dominant edge rushers in the ACC. BC has what many consider to be the best O-Line in the conference. It’ll be quite the head-to-head matchup. It’s an important one, too. If Jurkovec gets his first collegiate start, having time in the pocket would be a huge plus for the redshirt sophomore. Conversely, as mobile as he is, feeling discomfort between the tackles can throw off any inexperienced signal callers’ mojo.
Line: Duke (-6)
ESPN FPI: The database gives BC a 54.6% chance of beating the Blue Devils.
Outlook: The Jeff Hafley era begins on Saturday. It’s been nine months since he was hired, and he’s already won over the BC fan base. The 41-year-old is about to walk out of the tunnel for his first-ever game as a head coach. There are going to be mistakes, no doubt (especially since BC is playing its season opener, and Duke has already had its Week 1 jitters).
How Hafley makes in-game adjustments and caters to his players’ strengths will likely determine the outcome of this matchup. BC’s offensive line and run game measures up well against Duke’s weak interior. The underlying question is, how will BC’s defense fare? After all, that’s what Hafley was brought in to rebuild. Brice will certainly test the Eagles’ secondary in a game that could go either way.
