Duke football in must-win scenario on Saturday night against Charlotte

It’s a must-win scenario for the Duke football program against Charlotte.

Good things do not normally happen to the Duke football program on Halloween. OK, we won’t go there, but the Blue Devils are facing a must-win in their battle against Charlotte on Saturday night.

Duke (1-5) is playing against its only non-ACC opponent of the regular season in the 49ers (2-2).

The Blue Devils will be the first Power-5 team the 49ers face this season, although Will Healy‘s team is coming off two straight victories against North Texas and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Charlotte has seen its schedule disrupted by cancelations, forced by COVID-19 outbreaks, as matchups with North Carolina, Georgia State, and Florida International all did not take place as scheduled because of the virus.

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Duke has been inconsistent at best on offense, with turnovers playing a large part in the demise on that side of the ball, and the lack of possession time has forced the defense into being on the field too long to keep the team competitive.

In the lone victory for the Blue Devils, Duke was able to sustain offensive drives and keep its defense on the sideline, something that has not been done for the other five games this season.

Following a bye week, David Cutcliffe had a chance to reset his team, but things got late early for the Blue Devils, who could not find ways to win their games against Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and North Carolina State.

Duke football must be focused against Charlotte

The Blue Devils are in no position to overlook any opponent, especially one with a better record than them, but it’s something that could happen with a mid-major program entering Wallace Wade Stadium with Duke’s rivalry game against the North Carolina Tar Heels looming next week.

There’s no question about this: Duke must dominate this game for the full 60 minutes.

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Quarterback Chase Brice and the offense must be crisp, efficient, and confident while the Blue Devil defense has to find a way to stop the two-headed monster in the Charlotte backfield of Aaron McAllister and Tre Harbison III, who have combined for 439 yards and six touchdowns in four games.

Kickoff is at 7:00pm EST, and the game can be seen on various Regional Sports Networks.

PREDICTION: Duke 38, Charlotte 20