Duke Football: What Happened Against Miami, Virginia, and FSU?

After winning four straight games to start the season, Duke Football has struggled in their last three losses. What’s happening to the Blue Devils?

Duke Football started the season hot, winning four straight games and even earning votes in the national polls. The offense was prolific seeming to move the ball and score at will, while the defense was among the best in the country. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils have now lost three straight which has Duke fans wondering what is going on with the team? Here are the three biggest issues from their losses:

1. Running Game

Live Feed

Canes Warning

Duke excelled early on because they were able to run the ball very well. Tailbacks Shaun Wilson and Brittain Brown dominated early, starting the season as two of the top running backs in the conference and the NCAA. The Blue Devils eclipsed 200 rushing yards in each of the first three games on 23.35 rushes per game, averaging 227 run yards in their first four wins. The running game also accounted for about three touchdowns per game during the winning streak, more than the 1.5 passing TDs.

However, in the last three losses the running game has fallen off drastically. Duke Football has averaged about 141 rushing yards, 19 attempts, and less than one rushing TD per game in their last three losses. Most of that is due to playing better defenses, such as Miami and FSU, but the Blue Devils will need to figure out how to improve running the ball to open up things in the passing game.

2. Points Off Turnovers

The Blue Devils lead the ACC in interceptions, however have rarely been able to capitalize on the extra opportunities. They have compiled 47 total points of turnovers, however 28 of those are from interceptions returned for touchdowns. The offense has really only accounted for 19 points off 8 interceptions and 2 fumbles recovered, not including the pick-sixes, good for less than two points per turnover. This played a major role in Duke losing winnable games against Virginia and FSU, causing them to lose out on potential points.

3. Increased Turnovers

After playing mostly mistake-free football in the first four matchups, Duke has turned the ball over at least once in each of their three losses. These have also been costly for the Blue Devils, going from giving up about a FG per turnover to almost a TD per turnover. The offensive turnovers and lack of scoring opportunities off turnovers also keeps the defense out on the field for extended periods of time. This has been evident in the increased number of points and total yardage per game allowed by Duke compared to the beginning of the year.

Next: Why Was The Duke-UNC Football Game in September?

Duke Football will be back in action this week hosting a struggling 2-5 Pittsburgh team. The Blue Devils are most likely out of the running for the conference division title, but are still well within striking distance to return to a bowl game after missing the postseason last year. Hopefully Duke will be able to fix these problems going forward for the rest of the season.