Duke vs Virginia: Blue Devils Look To Extend Winning Streak

The Duke Blue Devils (4-2, 0-2) enter Saturday’s contest against the Virginia Cavaliers (2-4, 0-2) with the chance to capture not only their third consecutive victory, but their first one in ACC play.

Oct 12, 2013; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Josh Snead (9) runs against the Navy Midshipmen at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

David Cutcliffe’s squad is fresh off a 35-7 thrashing of Navy, out-hustling and outperforming the Midshipmen to the tune of a +116 yardage margin and a plus-three turnover margin. The Virginia Cavaliers, meanwhile, have slumped their way to a three-game losing streak that HC Mike London would love to bring to an end. After two ugly losses against Pittsburgh and Ball State, the Cavs nearly pulled off a dramatic victory in College Park last weekend, but a missed 42-yard field goal by Junior K/P Alex Vozenilek with 00:15 left sealed the deal for Maryland.

While both teams are currently winless in conference games, Duke likely has the most room for optimism, as QB Anthony Boone returned to the starting lineup with force last weekend.

Boone, who was out with an injury in losses to Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, lit up the Navy defense for 295 yard and three touchdowns in just a little over three quarters worth of Duke running their regular offense (Boone threw his final pass around the 11:00 mark in the 4th quarter). On the year, the junior QB is 58-74 for 570 yards and three touchdowns, along with one interception.

Cutcliffe’s high-scoring offense bodes well for the Blue Devils against Virginia, who have had their season derailed by a lack of offensive firepower. The Cavs currently sit near the bottom of most offensive categories, including 100th in points scored (22.3) and 85th in yards (375.5) per game. Duke, on the other hand, has averaged 35.8 ppg and 448.8 ypg.

The Cavaliers are led by junior RB Kevin Parks, who has amassed 291 total yards and three touchdowns over his last two contests. Parks can and will present a serious matchup problem for Duke, as they have shown to still be very susceptible against legitimate rushing attacks. As of now, the Blue Devils rank 84th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 178.0 ypg. For what it is worth, they have seen an encouraging improvement in the area this year, but I don’t expect them to contain Parks.

Oct 5, 2013; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Kevin Parks (25) celebrates with teammates Cavaliers fullback Billy Skrobacz (3) and Cavaliers wide receiver Miles Gooch (17) after scoring a touchdown against the Ball State Cardinals in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Another thing to note on Virginia’s offense is the improvement of first-year starter David Watford. The sophomore QB struggled mightily at the beginning of the season, but has since come on strong. In the Cavaliers 27-26 loss to Maryland last Saturday, Watford threw for 263 yards and a touchdown against the Terrapins, who came in ranked in the top-fifty in pass defense. He has also seen an increase in productivity on the ground, rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown his past two games.

With both teams desperate for a conference win, this could turn into a full-on shootout that is ultimately decided by which offense makes the least mistakes. Duke already has first-hand experience with one of these games, as their four turnovers cost them a victory in a brutal 58-55 loss to Pittsburgh back on September 21st.

Notes: Last year, Duke defeated Virginia 42-17 in Durham. Anthony Boone started in place of QB Sean Renfree and threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 41 rushing yards. Virginia leads the all-time series between the two teams, 33-31.