The Duke football program has now lost two straight games following a 34-27 defeat on the road against Tulane. With all College Football Playoff hope now likely out the window for the program, Manny Diaz and his staff have a lot of thinking to do regarding the team's major issues, with the most glaring problem being offensive inconsistency as a whole. Similar to the 2024 campaign, the Blue Devils have yet to put four quarters of consistent offense together in a game this season. It's either been a lackluster first half followed by improvement in the second, or vice versa. Regardless, Diaz and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer desperately need to figure out what works for Duke to have any chance to compete at the top of the ACC standings.
Manny Diaz must address this glaring issue for Duke football to compete atop the ACC
It hasn't necessarily been one specific part of the offense, but inconsistency as a whole for large chunks of games that's limited the Blue Devils' ability to keep themselves within striking distance.
Against Elon, Duke mustered just 10 points in the first quarter, entering the halftime locker room tied 10-10 with the FCS opponent before outscoring the Phoenix 35-7 in the second half. Against Illinois, the Blue Devils were right there, down 14-13 at half to the No. 9-ranked Fighting Illini. Duke then followed this up with six second half points and a scoreless fourth quarter to lose the game 45-19. In Duke's most recent loss at Tulane, the Blue Devils went scoreless in the first quarter and entered the halftime locker room down 24-9. Duke outscored the Green Wave 18-10 in the second half, but the damage was too much for the program to come back and ultimately win the matchup.
There have been different issues in different games that have led to the lack of rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. Against Illinois, Duke turned the ball over five times, leading to 21 Illini points. Against Tulane, it was untimely penalties to either put Duke out of range or allow Tulane to continue possessions late in the contest.
Position changes may be on the horizon for the team, but it's mainly been self-imposed wounds that have hurt the offense overall. Duke hosts NC State this Saturday to begin conference play, and a win over the 3-0 Wolfpack is crucial for the Blue Devils' success for the remainder of the season.