The Duke Blue Devils had been enjoying one of their better football eras… because since the 1960s, Duke football really hasn’t had a good football era to enjoy. Duke had been one of the least successful football programs in any power conference when coach David Cutcliffe took over the program several years ago, but “Cut” has steadily collected the kinds of achievements his predecessors could not deliver. He won a division championship and made the ACC Championship Game. He made bowl games in consecutive seasons. He finally won a bowl game, giving Duke its first bowl win since the early 1960s. Last year, though, the operation ran into problems. It’s up to Cutcliffe to get the car back on the road with fresh tires.
How Did They End 2016
The Blue Devils ended 2016 with blowout losses to Pittsburgh and Miami, but in many ways their inability to make a bowl game was shaped in the first half of the season. When they woke up on the morning of Sunday, October 2, they had already lost home games to Wake Forest – a decent but not great team – and a Virginia team that never found a groove over the course of the 2016 season. Those were the two games Duke could not afford to lose, but the team lost them, and that’s why a possible 6-6 bowl season turned into a 4-8 nightmare. Both losses were terrible offensive games. Quarterback Daniel Jones began the season not expecting to be the starter, but he was pressed into service and threw a lot of interceptions. This leads to the subsection on offseason changes:
Offseason Changes
Thomas Sirk was supposed to lead this team in his final year of eligibility, but he got injured. This year, Daniel Jones has spent the whole offseason knowing that he is the man who will lead this team. His best moment of 2016 was when he led Duke to a victory at Notre Dame, by far the biggest highlight for the team as a whole. Jones possesses evident natural talent, and it is expected that under Cutcliffe’s tutelage, he will be ready to make this offense a powerful force. The offense will need to be a powerful force, because Duke loses important players on defense. Breon Borders and DeVon Edwards will no longer be in the secondary after becoming dependable back-line defenders for the Blue Devils.
Team X-Factor
Defensive line stands out as a critical area of need – Duke is losing three of four starters and needs reinforcements. Duke’s D-line does not have to be great, but it needs to be adequate. Otherwise, opposing offenses can run the ball up the gut and control the clock, keeping Jones and the Duke offense off the field, which would be a worst-case scenario for the team this season.
What To Expect From The Blue Devils This Year
Jones appears to be the real deal at quarterback, which should at least mean that Duke won’t struggle on offense the way it did last season. This means that while Duke’s defense will have problems, the offense can probably win a few more games than it did last year. Slight to moderate improvement should be expected.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 4-8
2015: 8-5
2014: 9-4
2013: 10-4
2012: 6-7
Schedule & Outlook
Duke has a challenging start to the season. They’ll begin with a winnable game against NC Central at home but from there, they’ll be tested. In non-conference games, they’ll welcome Northwestern and then Baylor. Conceivably, they could win both but this isn’t exactly a trio of cupcakes. After that, they’ll have a tough stretch inside ACC play where they’ll play North Carolina, Miami and Florida State in a span of four games. The good news for them is that Clemson is not on the schedule.
Duke won’t roar to life and win eight or nine games, but a 6-6 season is a legitimate goal for this team, and if Jones improves to the extent many people feel he will, the Blue Devils should be able to reach that goal and return to a bowl game in 2017.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 5.5
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