Three Keys for Duke Football to Get Back on Track Against Army

Duke Football is coming off a disappointing loss to Virginia last weekend. What are the three keys to the game for the Blue Devils against Army?

The Blue Devils experienced a letdown losing 34-20 to the Virginia Cavaliers last week after a huge upset win at Notre Dame. Here are the keys to the game for Duke Football to get back on track and earn a potential season-saving win.

1. Consistency

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After an excellent victory over Notre Dame, the Blue Devils followed it up with a disappointing performance against Virginia. Duke Football executed at a high level and played consistently against the Fighting Irish, but fell apart last week against the Cavaliers. The inconsistency throughout the season is mostly due to a young team including first-year starting quarterback Daniel Jones in addition crucial injuries to important players, but the team has no excuses after facing similar circumstances against Notre Dame and needs to become more disciplined going forward this season.

2. Limit Turnovers

Jones and the Duke offense recorded six turnovers last week, including four interceptions in the first half which helped Virginia pull away and keep the Blue Devils from catching up. The Cavaliers scored 21 points off Blue Devil turnovers which essentially gave them the win. Daniel Jones made several key mistakes and bad decisions, and Coach Cutcliffe has urged the redshirt freshman to “quit trying to make plays and just execute the play” going forward. Protecting the ball will be even more difficult this week with the rainy weather conditions from Hurricane Matthew.

3. Continue Success Against Triple Option

The Duke football program has excelled recently against teams that utilize the triple option offense, such as Army and Georgia Tech, and will look to continue that success this weekend. However, one of the main reasons the Blue Devils were successful against the scheme was All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jeremy Cash who is no longer with the team. The defense has struggled in giving up big plays in games so far this season, and will need to step up to limit an improved Black Knights offense.

Next: Key Duke Football Players Suffer Injuries Against Notre Dame

Duke Football will host Army in Wallace Wade at 3:30 pm Saturday afternoon. The game will continue as scheduled, but the athletic department announced the pregame tailgate and fan activities will be cancelled due to the weather. The Blue Devils will need to get a win this weekend with a difficult road trip coming up at Louisville and then at Georgia Tech.

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