The Duke football program picked up a lopsided 38-3 victory at Syracuse this weekend to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. After Virginia's upset of Florida State and Clemson's continued struggles, the ACC crown is there for the taking, and it looks like the Duke offense is beginning to find its rhythm. The Blue Devils scored at least seven points in all four quarters for the second straight week, after not doing so in any of their first three games. Now, Duke will return home to host California as it looks to get off to a 3-0 start in ACC action. There were a few guys this week who helped their case to continue to get more snaps, but also a few who are on the wrong side of that. Let's take a look at two risers and fallers following Duke's win.
Riser: RB Nate Sheppard
3-star freshman running back Nate Sheppard is blossoming into Duke's workhorse RB1 after leading the team in carries for the second week in a row against the Orange. Sheppard tallied 15 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 11 yards per attempt. The freshman now leads the team in carries and rushing yards, with 12 more carries than the next back on the depth chart. It looks like Manny Diaz has found his bell cow.
Faller: RB Jaquez Moore
As Sheppard continues to see his workload increase, senior running back Jaquez Moore is fizzling out of the rotation completely. Moore totaled just one carry this week, giving him four total over Duke's last two games, after tallying 24 over the Blue Devils' first three. After missing almost the entirety of the 2024 campaign with injury, Moore was supposed to be Duke's feature back as a veteran. However, it now looks like he'll hit the bench behind Sheppard and Anderson Castle.
Riser: S Caleb Weaver
The Sam Houston State transfer put together what was likely his best outing in a Blue Devil uniform against Syracuse. Weaver finished second on the team in tackles with six to go along with an interception and 0.5 sacks. A 2024 All-Conference USA performer, Weaver was expected to play a big role as star safety Terry Moore recovered from an injury he suffered in the Blue Devils' bowl game a season ago. Weaver now leads the team in total tackles with 36.
Faller: WR Andrel Anthony
Andrel Anthony looked like he was turning into Duke's WR1 through the first couple of weeks of the season, but his last two contests have been fairly quiet. Anthony totaled eight catches for 109 receiving yards and three touchdowns over the Blue Devils' first two games, compared to three receptions for 18 yards and no scores through Duke's most recent two outings he's played in. It would be strange to see Anthony fizzle out of the mix consistently after showcasing his talent through the first two weeks, but he's fallen off as of late.