The Duke football program is gearing up for a potentially season-altering matchup on Saturday against No. 11 Illinois at home. Duke took down FCS opponent Elon 45-17 in its opener, and now has a chance to make a serious statement with a marquee victory over one of the top teams in the Big 10. However, there were certainly a few areas of concern for the Blue Devils against the Phoenix, which will need to be cleaned up in order for the squad to take down a pesky Fighting Illini squad. Win, and Duke will almost definitely find itself in the AP Poll and be recognized as a true contender on a national scale.
What are the biggest areas of concern for Duke against Illinois?
The run game, both offensively and defensively
The rushing attack was likely the most glaring issue for the Blue Devils in 2024. And in the team's first game of the 2025 campaign, it didn't look much more promising. Duke rushed for just 34 yards in the first half, with the bulk of that credited to a 32-yard touchdown run by Jaquez Moore. The Blue Devils flipped the switch entirely on the offensive side of the ball in the second half and finished the contest with 159 rushing yards as a team on 25 carries. Illinois only allowed 29 rushing yards on 26 carries in its opener against Western Illinois, but the Blue Devils will likely need to establish some kind of consistent run game to keep the offensive flow moving. However, Duke's rush defense also needs to greatly improve. Against an FCS opponent, the Blue Devils allowed 163 rushing yards to the Phoenix. Illinois rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns as a team against Western Illinois last week. Head coach Manny Diaz will need to clean that up before Saturday.
A slow start on offense
The first half offensively for Duke against Elon wasn't pretty. The Blue Devils had absolutely no rhythm, and several missed throws and a fumble in the red zone ultimately led the Blue Devils to be tied with Elon 10-10 at halftime. Duke exploded in the second half to win the game handily, but the Blue Devils may not be able to get away with a slow start against the Fighting Illini. In a 52-3 victory over Western Carolina, Illinois scored 31 points in the first half and double-digit points in three of the four quarters. Controlling the tempo of this game will be one of the biggest keys for Duke to come out victorious, and establishing a flow offensively early will be crucial.