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Duke Football: Injuries derailed what could have been special season

By Kevin Connelly

DURHAM, NC - OCTOBER 20: Daniel Jones #17 of the Duke Blue Devils drops back to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Virginia won 28-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - OCTOBER 20: Daniel Jones #17 of the Duke Blue Devils drops back to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Virginia won 28-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Football team had a successful season, but if not for injuries, the Blue Devils truly could have had a special year.

It had all the makings of a promising year for the Duke Football team.

They had a veteran quarterback, veteran weapons on the outside, and veteran players leading the defense, but after a victory in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl it felt like this season could have been bigger and better for the Blue Devils.

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All things seemed well in Durham after the first four games of the season. The Blue Devils defeated Army, Northwestern, Baylor, and North Carolina Central in convincing fashion, despite the injury to Daniel Jones half way through the second game of the season.

Quentin Harris stepped in and didn’t miss a beat, but after a bye week Jones returned at home against Virginia Tech and he and the rest of the Blue Devils struggled against the Hokies back up quarterback and ended up falling 31-14.

From that point on, it was an inconsistent struggle for the remainder of the season for Duke.

The Blue Devils would beat Georgia Tech on the road, but then fall to Virginia at home and to Pittsburgh on the road, before going down to South Beach and dominating the Miami Hurricanes.

Duke then returned to Durham to retain the Victory Bell with a big win over North Carolina, but the injuries sustained throughout the season and the inconsistency of the offensive line showed tremendously in the final two games of the regular season.

On the road against Clemson and at home against Wake Forest, the Blue Devils were outscored 94-13, only scoring one touchdown in those two games, before gaining its footing in the bowl game against Temple behind a dominant second half.

Without question of all the extended injures the Blue Devils sustained this season, the three most crushing all came on the defensive side of the ball with Mark Gilbert, Joe Giles-Harris, and Ben Humphreys.

Gilbert was able to take away one side of the field. He could shadow the opposing teams best receiver, and as other players had to step up in his absence, there was some growth in the secondary, but his presence was greatly missed.

Giles-Harris and Humphreys were the captains of this Duke defense, literally and figuratively. The middle linebacking duo were arguably the best players on this side of the ball, they were the ones to call the plays and get the lineman in the correct position.

Without the two on the field, the Blue Devils defense looked lost, but the unit as a whole was swarming in the final 30 minutes of the season.

With 2018 now in the rearview mirror for the Duke Football team, the Blue Devils turn its attention to 2019 as in the first game of the season on August 31 Duke will play the Alabama Crimson Tide in Atlanta, Georgia.

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