By admin 
On Saturday afternoon, Duke was faced with its second brutal loss in a row, this time against No. 4 Miami. The Blue Devils led 28-17 at one point, but they coughed up the lead late in the third quarter and never regained it. When the fourth quarter rolled around, the Hurricanes simply overpowered Duke, scoring two touchdowns and forcing two turnovers. leading to a final score of 53-31.
Now, head coach Manny Diaz’s team looks ahead to a matchup against NC State in Raleigh, a team riding a two-game win streak in the rivalry game. The Wolfpack had a rough start to the year; they unconvincingly defeated Western Carolina before being crushed in a 51-10 blowout against Tennessee. After a quarterback injury and poor defense, NC State was 3-4, a disappointing record for a team that entered the season with ACC Championship aspirations. Since then, however, the Wolfpack have posted wins against California and Stanford, the latter finishing 59-28.
Leading the resurgence has been new quarterback CJ Bailey. The freshman stud has come out on top this season, posting a total of 157.0 passers in seven games. His arm strength and accuracy are dazzling, and if he has the time to make a strong throwoff, the Duke defense should be concerned. Bailey’s ability to throw the ball deep over the hashes gives NC State’s offense the ability to spread the defense and create space for its weapons. Watch as he drops a dime perfectly into his receiver’s hands, 17 yards down the field. (3:13)
Watching that play, it’s clear that Bailey can make the defense pay if given the time. At the same time, he also excels at buying a few extra seconds. The Miami native is a great scrambler, and he can also avoid pressure to create space for himself to throw – and give his receivers time to get open. The Blue Devils have struggled with mobile quarterbacks this season, best exemplified by Miami’s Cam Ward’s 400 yards passing and five touchdowns last weekend. Watch Bailey step out of the pocket and send his receiver through the end zone to find him for a touchdown pass. (4:49)
Duke must continue to rush the quarterback effectively to win against the Wolfpack on Saturday. The Blue Devils’ pass rush came home twice against the Hurricanes, and Diaz’s aggressive defensive mentality also forced two turnovers. Likewise, Duke has to pressure Bailey all day to get him out of his comfort.
On the other side of the ball, the Wolfpack defense has been terrible this year. NC State has held an offense under 20 points just once this year and has given up more than 30 points four times. For the Blue Devils, controlling the ball effectively has been the key to success this year as the passing game has been inconsistent. The Wolfpack defense has struggled mightily, with opponents averaging 152.4 yards on the ground per game this season. Duke’s two-headed monster of Peyton Jones and Star Thomas should be able to overcome a weak offense, coming off a week in which Jones averaged nearly six yards per carry. NC State’s linebackers are often slow to react, so if the offensive line can reach the second level, look for the Blue Devil rushers to beat the Wolfpack secondary and run free. Watch Stanford’s Ashton Daniels break away for a 48-yard touchdown scamper. (6:07)
NC State hasn’t fared much better against the air raid either, as opponents have thrown fourteen touchdowns for an average of 233.4 yards per game through nine games. Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy has often tried to throw the ball deep downfield, especially to star receiver Jordan Moore. Watch Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik scramble away and launch a 30-yard ball to a wide-open receiver in the end zone. (1:07)
Moore should be open on these types of routes Saturday afternoon, and if Murphy can connect, it could be a long day for the Wolfpack defense. If Duke plays aggressively on offense and keeps Bailey out of his comfort zone, he can return from Raleigh with a win this weekend.
Get The Chronicle delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.