Jonathan Brewer looks to keep pounding the ball

Duke football offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer primarily likes to throw the football and move down the field quick, which showed early on in the season. It became easy for defenses to pick up on it after some time due to the lack of a run game the Duke offense was able to offer. This is a big reason why the Blue Devils have been struggling to convert on third downs throughout the season, as defenses practically know a pass is coming.

But, over the last two weeks, we've seen the Duke run game become a major factor in the offense, even after the injury to Jaquez Moore. New Mexico State transfer Star Thomas has taken the lead back role and the ground game as a whole has established itself as a part of the Blue Devil offense defenses must respect.

In the first two games of the season, Duke combined for 152 rushing yards and a touchdown while averaging 2.6 yards per carry. In its two most recent matchups, those numbers jumped to 266 yards total through those two games averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Thomas also scored two touchdowns against Middle Tennessee State this past weekend and Peyton Jones ran one in as well.

It was a need for this team, but we're seeing Brewer actively integrate the run into his scheme and it's been relatively effective. He talked about it in his press conference ahead of Duke's first ACC matchup against North Carolina this Saturday.

"People have decided to not let us throw the ball at times and we've taken advantage the last two weeks of vertically running the football."

Brewer was later asked just how important the run game is to what he wants to see from the offense overall and what it brings to diversify offensive attacks from the Blue Devils. He also harped on the changes to the offensive line Duke dealt with and how with time, the chemistry is growing.

"Master the easy things, right. And, I think that's been the motto for our guys, is, in the run game, we had a whole new offensive line to start fall camp and its taken so much time to gel those guys and to get them working together...It shows that they're coming along in that world."

Aside from the run game itself, this Duke team has opened up its target share and found a few more weapons for quarterback Maalik Murphy to throw the ball to, such as freshman wideout Que'Sean Brown and senior tight end Nicky Dalmolin.

After seeing a total of four catches through his first two games of the season against Northwestern and Connecticut, Dalmolin was utilized heavily against Middle Tennessee State, collecting four receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Brewer touched on how Dalmolin is a big piece of this offense and how he will continue to see action after a season-ending leg injury to tight end Jeremiah Hasley will give Dalmolin more time on the field.

"He's such a viable weapon for throwing the football when we can get out wide. We've got to use him and make people defend him. We felt like the matchup was there last week, not only in the open field, but in the red zone. That was one of our game plan deals into that game, if Nicky was in those man-to-man situations, we had to get him the ball."

We're seeing the Blue Devil offense continue to get deeper and more fluid with each week that comes. Duke has an opportunity this weekend to improve to 5-0 and etch itself in the upper-echelon tier of the ACC.