Duke football: 2020 season preview, predictions included
By Riley Platt
Duke football season preview: GAMES 9-10
Wake Forest is coming off of one of its best seasons in recent memory. However, the Demon Deacons do lose a load of talent, with QB Jamie Newman transferring to Georgia and WR Sage Surratt opting out of the season. Despite this, they look to still put together a solid 2020 campaign.
This is a game that Duke lost in both of the last two seasons, and this year should be quite the matchup. Sam Hartman will take over at QB and looks to lead the Demon Deacons to their fifth consecutive bowl game.
This is one of the games on Duke’s schedule that looks like it’ll be one of those toss-ups. Fans or no fans, I believe that this game being played in Durham will provide a slight edge for the Blue Devils. They will be motivated to defend their turf against local rival Wake Forest and pull off a hard-fought win.
Final Score: Duke 28, Wake Forest 24
In his first year at Georgia Tech, Geoff Collins showed significant potential. While the 3-9 record may be nothing to write home about, this shouldn’t necessarily be looked down upon. Taking this program out of the long-standing triple-option era is by no means going to be an easy task, but Collins seems up to the challenge.
This isn’t the Yellow Jacket offense we’ve grown accustomed to. The breakaway from the triple-option is gonna require the offensive line to step it up, which is a major question mark.
The quarterback job is up for grabs in Atlanta, as James Graham will have to fight to keep his spot as QB1. The Jackets bring in highly-touted QB Jeff Sims out of Jacksonville, Florida. The former FSU commit is a threat both on the ground and through the air. Given time to develop, Sims could soon become one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC.
As for how Duke stacks up with this team, the Blue Devils look to continue a stretch of success against Georgia Tech. Chris Rumph II and Vic Dimukeje look to wreak havoc by exploiting Tech’s weak offensive line. The Jackets will surely be a better team than last year, but this is still a game that the Blue Devils should win.
Final Score: Duke 35, Georgia Tech 14