Duke football uses strong start to blow out Charlotte in much-needed win

The Duke football program used a fast start for a much-needed victory.

Finally, the Duke football team used a fast start en route to a blowout victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday night in Durham.

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 17-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, winning 53-19 and improving to 2-5 (1-5 ACC) on the season.

Much like the only other victory against Syracuse, Duke used its ground attack all night long, rushing for 274 yards as a team on 34 carries.

Mataeo Durant and Deon Jackson led the charge for the Blue Devils as Durant paced the offense with 12 rushes for 104 yards and two touchdowns while Jackson went for 101 yards on ten carries and two touchdowns.

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Third-string running back Jordan Waters also had the best game of his life as the freshman found the end zone in addition to 78 yards on five carries.

Duke ran for 363 yards in its victory over Syracuse, so it’s not a secret how the Blue Devils can have success on the field.

David Cutcliffe never needed to ask quarterback Chase Brice for much as the transfer completed 8-of-14 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Brice’s lone touchdown came to Jalon Calhoun late in the third quarter, which put the Blue Devils up 37-13.

How can the Duke football team build on this victory?

The missing component all season for Duke has been sustaining success. Whether it be throughout the course of a game or putting two games together, the consistency has not been there for the Blue Devils.

Trying to string two games together will not be easy as Duke will host the North Carolina Tar Heels next week in the Battle for the Victory Bell.

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However, the one positive for Duke going into the game is that the Tar Heels have a very vulnerable defense compared to their star-studded offense.

Mack Brown’s team is coming off a loss on the road to the Virginia Cavaliers, where the Tar Heel defense gave up 418 total yards, 210 coming on the ground.

The key to success is there for Duke. Now, it’s up to the team to try and put it together.