Duke football 2013 – by the numbers

August 27, 2013 Patrick Cacchio

Sophomore RB Jela Duncan returns as Duke's leading rusher.

The 2013 Blue Devils kick off their season this Saturday at 4PM in Wallace Wade Stadium against NC Central in the Bull City Gridiron Classic. Led by reigning ACC Coach of the Year David Cutcliffe, this year's squad seeks to make Duke Football history, as they hope to earn the program's first ever back-to-back bowl bids. Here's our quick numeric guide to the 2013 gridiron Blue Devils.

Offense

#7 QB Anthony Boone takes over for the departed Sean Renfree, and will run Offensive Coordinator Kurt Roper's new-look read-option offense. Can the redshirt-junior reproduce last year's effort against UVA, where he threw for over 200 yards and 4 touchdowns? In order for the Blue Devil scoring offense to remain in the top 5 in the ACC, Boone must improve his accuracy and establish himself as a dual-threat quarterback.

Duke returns 4 of 5 starters along the offensive line from 2012, and the unit totals 113 career starts, which ranks #3 in the country this season. That experience combined with the read-option system and a stable of talented backs should allow the Blue Devils to improve upon the #98 ranked rushing offense from a year ago. With new starters in QB Boone and #62 C Matt Skura, Duke will have to be sure to avoid costly false start penalties. Expected to be a strength for this year's offense, depth along the offensive line could become a concern as the season progresses, after Duke lost 2 projected back-ups to injury (OT Tanner Stone and OT Casey Blaser) this August.

A consistently effective running game will be crucial in the new read-option offense. Over the past 10 years, the Blue Devils' best team yards per carry for a season was 3.8; this year's unit should eclipse that number behind #25 RB Jela Duncan (5.1 ypc in 2012) and #9 Josh Snead (5.0 ypc in 2012). Senior #23 RB Juwan Thompson will slide into the hybrid role played by Brandon Connette a year ago.

#3 WR Jamison Crowder is expected to be Boone's favorite target, and the Blue Devils will need the All-ACC junior to provide the veteran consistency lost with the graduation of Conner Vernon and Desmond Scott. #17 WR Issac Blakeney, a fellow Monroe native, should have a breakout year, not unlike Crowder in 2012; his combination of size, speed, and chemistry with Boone, should all make him a difficult match-up for opposing defenders. Similarly, young newcomers #83 WR Anthony Nash, #4 WR Johnell Barnes, and #10 WR Ryan Smith all have game-changing ability and around 4.40 speed in the passing game.

LB Kelby Brown returns from injury for Duke in 2013

Defense

If you're looking for numbers to improve upon for the 2013 Blue Devils, the defense is a good place to start. Even in their bowl-eligible 2012 season, Duke ranked #12 in the ACC in scoring defense, and #101 in the country in rush defense. It all starts up front, and Duke returns their entire defensive line from a year ago. Health will be paramount to this year's success, as the veteran trio of #84 DE Kenny Anunike, #92 DE Justin Foxx, and #95 NG Jamal Wallace missed a combined 16 starts in 2012. A healthy Anunike could become a real threat for opposing quarterbacks as he looks to build upon his 9.0 career sacks in his final campaign.

Linebacker is another position to expect improvement, bolstered by the return of #59 LB Kelby Brown, who will see his first game action in 644 days. Even after that extended absence, Brown returns as the team's active #1 in tackles for loss, QB pressures, and fumble recoveries. The linebacking corps formed by Kelby, brother #56 LB Kyler Brown, veterans #54 LB C.J. France, #47 LB David Helton, #48 LB Deion Williams, and recently moved #90 Mario Sanders, will be one of the deepest and most experienced position groups.

Speaking of experience, the Blue Devils will have to replace a lot of it in the secondary in 2013. Fortunately, they do return #6 CB Ross Cockrell, last year's #1 in the ACC in interceptions, but will still have to replace Walt Canty, Jordon Byas, and Lee Butler, who totaled 223 tackles in 2012. After finishing +2 in turnover margin a year ago, Duke hopes to improve upon that mark with a number of new playmakers in the secondary. The 2013 2-deep features 6 freshmen in the secondary, but it all starts with redshirt-sophomore #16 S Jeremy Cash, who will see his first snaps as a Blue Devil after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. Others who will see their first game action include #27 CB DeVon Edwards, #31 CB Breon Borders, #33 CB Deondre Singleton and #32 S Chris Holmes. That's a lot of new faces, which may result in a lot of inconsistency.

Duke faces 4 in-state rivals in 2013. BDN Photo

Special teams

Overall, special teams was a strength for the 2012 Blue Devils, and will be again in 2013. #41 P Will Monday finished #1 in the ACC in punting with an average of 44.64 yards, including a season-long 79 yard punt in the Belk Bowl. Not to be outdone, fellow first-year #35 K Ross Martin set a Duke all-time record with 106 points, and connected on an impressive 87% of his field goals. The duo of Martin and Monday will build upon their Freshman All-American campaigns and establish the Duke kicking game as one of the best in the country.

The return game is a key question mark for the 2013 squad. Led by the departed Lee Butler, Duke finished #6 in the country in punt returns, but struggled on kickoffs, where they were just #114. Duke has a number of veteran potential returners, including offensive stars Crowder and Duncan, but Coach Cutcliffe should not be afraid to run out speedy newcomers like DeVon Edwards and Ryan Smith, who have game-changing ability in the return game.

With the improvements in depth and team speed across the roster, kick coverage should develop into one of the 2013 Blue Devils' biggest strengths. Leaving the opponent with a long field may prove crucial for this year's defense.

The bottom line

Duke's 2013 schedule ranks #84 in the country in terms of opponent winning percentage, which represents the 2nd biggest change from a year ago, when the Blue Devils' schedule ranked #34. With a number of potential home wins on the schedule, the Blue Devils would get a boost from a full house of 33,941 Wade Wackos for their 7 home contests. In 2012, Duke finished 3-0 against in-state opponents; this year, they face 4 in-state rivals. Those match-ups, particularly the November games against NC State, Wake Forest, and North Carolina, will serve as the benchmark for the 2013 season. Prior to 2013, the Blue Devils have just 1 November win under Coach Cutcliffe. Consistency in all 3 phases of the game throughout all 3 months of the season will be critical if Duke expects to take advantage of their improved schedule and surpass last season's 6 win season to earn the program's 2nd consecutive postseason invitation.

Duke Football

Duke QB Anthony Boone talks the season opener

August 27, 2013 Mark Watson

Duke Football kicks off it's 2013 football season this Saturday afternoon versus North Carolina Central University at 4:00 in Wallace Wade Stadium Today, players addressed the media for the last time and Blue Devil Nation, soon to be Devils Sports Beat was there to get player thoughts. Check out what Anthony Boone, the Devils starting quarterback had to say -

Duke Football

Ross Cockrell and Jamison Crowder talk Meet the Devils

August 19, 2013 Mark Watson

Duke Football held their annual Meet the Devils Day this past Saturday with an estimated fan turnout of 1700 people according to Duke marketing. The Duke players were able to mingle with their fans in an up close and personal manner while showing off new facilities at the same time. Most of the kids would ask for the guys to score as many touchdowns as possible, while some just wanted pictures with the the team they root for.

Coach David Cutcliffe signed autographs for every person which came, running an hour over the designated time to do so. I was able to catch up with a few players for their thoughts on the event that included Ross Cockrell and Jamison Crowder -

Jamison Crowder -

Duke Football, Monday Musings

Monday Musings – It’s time for some Duke Football

August 19, 2013 Mark Watson

It's that time of year again folks! Duke Football is less than twelve days from kicking off their 2013 season against North Carolina Central in Wallace Wade Stadium. It'll be a 4:00 start. Inside the locker room, the Blue Devils are where most teams are this time of year mentally: they're anxious to compete against someone other than a teammate.

Coach David Cutcliffe has ushered in many changes since his arrival in Durham, with the main boost being facilities upgrades. Those upgrades were on display this past Saturday during Meet the Devils Day, where fans could meet and interact with players, and pick up some autographs and pictures along the way.

The event was held in the Paschal Field House, which is the new practice facility, so it allowed fans to see the new digs first hand. Having observed the changes surrounding the program in an up close and personal way through our coverage, I can tell you that the differences are like night and day from when Cut and company arrived on the Methodist Flats. Players quickly pop to their assigned areas in practice, and there is a definite sense of togetherness and focus. Trust me when I say this: there will be some more bumps in the road along the way, but a foundation is finally in place and as a result, Duke recruiting continues to get better each season. Better recruiting of course leads to better results on the field.

In the coming seasons we'll be seeing the removal of the track and a new press box, not to mention an upgraded concourse which will connect to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Some of us used to say we wanted to see these kinds of things happen before we die. Well, I'm not dead yet, and it is just great to see the administration finally dedicating the necessary support for these important steps to be taken.

Duke players, coaches, and fans had a ton of fun going to the Belk Bowl last season, despite losing it in heartbreaking fashion. But let's face it: to make another bowl game this season, Duke will need to take another step forward -- this one being winning games that are regarded as toss-ups on paper. Many fans are falling into the trap of thinking Duke will be a favorite over teams they defeated a season ago, like Wake Forest and Virginia. Even without Florida State and Clemson on the schedule this year -- which is nice -- you could make a case that ten games could fall into that toss-up category. Duke has to start winning some more of those.

But if the Blue Devils struggle in those games, and the record suffers, it is important for the fan base to focus on the big picture. That big picture consists of a program that undoubtedly is moving in the right direction.

Duke can and will win some games this season, but keep in mind that it wasn't that long ago when the Devils struggled simply to compete at this level. It takes time -- a lot of time -- for a foundation to solidify.

For me, I will enjoy attending the opener like any other person who follows the program. It will be a new team, breaking in a new starting quarterback and replacing some really good players who graduated off of last year's squad. It will be interesting to see which players step up and how they handle the inevitable adversity which comes to all teams. I can tell you that these players are hungry for a win after losing every game since their rollicking and most satisfying victory over arch rival North Carolina a season ago, a win which landed the Victory Bell back in Durham.

One of the things Coach Cutcliffe has mentioned on several occasions this off-season is how much the fans helped Duke defeat North Carolina at home. We live in an age in which every move a team makes is televised in some way, but attending the games with some good old-fashioned live support makes things happen. Fan support is one of the most important elixirs when it comes to winning, so in a sense the fan base and team are in this thing together.

And should the Blue Devils make it to another bowl, it will not likely be right down the road as it was in Charlotte last year, so fan turnout and continued support will be even more important. A season ago in their close loss to Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl, Duke drew some very solid ratings on ESPN. The team got a taste of something special and fans' thirst for a bowl game was quenched. But everyone left wanting more. And that's a good thing.

The truth of the matter is that the program is not at a place where you can count on a bowl game just yet, but these Blue Devils are in a position to compete in every game on their schedule this season and with some luck and good play, they could take their fan base bowling again.

But one game at a time is the way to get it done. Game One: Duke will take on NCCU at Wallace Wade on August 31st at 4:00. Tickets are still available through GoDuke.com.

Duke Football

Ross Cockrell says team ready to hit someone else

August 16, 2013 Mark Watson

Ross Cockrell and Duke Football are just 13 days away from kickoff and the team held a scrimmage today in preparation. We caught up to Cockrell after practice who stated the team is ready to hit somebody else. A reminder, you can meet Ross and his teammates tomorrow and get a team poster and autographs at Meet the Devils Day which will go on sun or shine. If there is inclement weather, the event will take place in the Paschall Field House, so turn out and support the 2013 Duke Football Team.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Top in-state DE Darian Roseboro impressed with Duke

August 14, 2013 Patrick Cacchio

Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe hosted top in-state DE Darian Roseboro on a recent unofficial visit.

In order to take the next step as a program, it's no secret that the Blue Devils must improve their defense, and it all begins up front. The Duke defensive line has made strides under Coach Rick Petri in Durham this offseason, and the staff is hopeful that it will be a strength for the 2013 season. Having worked with college and NFL stars such as Warren Sapp and John Abraham during his career, Coach Petri knows what it takes to build a dominant defensive line. But with the pending graduation of 8 defensive linemen over the next two years, Duke will have to reload in the class of 2015.

With that in mind, the Blue Devils have targeted an elite in-state junior defensive end on the recruiting trail. Duke was the first to offer a scholarship to Lincolnton star Darian Roseboro. At 6'4" and 260 pounds, the explosive defensive ends is one of the top defensive line prospects in the class of 2015, and has recently been named one of the top 300 players in the country by the scouting services. Among his many accomplishments already in his high school career, Roseboro totaled 30 tackles for loss and 8 sacks as a sophomore. With his strong work ethic both on and off the field, the Blue Devil staff feel he is the ideal candidate to excel in Durham. Just as they have built a strong recruiting class around top-300 prospect Nico Pierre in 2014, the Blue Devils hope that Roseboro will anchor their recruiting class of 2015.

BDN caught up with Darian after a recent unofficial visit to Durham with his mother.

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What are your strengths on the field?

I'm a pretty good playmaker, quick hands, quick footwork. I'm a good pass rusher and I'm able to stop the running game as well.

What position do most college coaches expect you to play at the next level?

Defensive end.

What are the most important factors you are looking for in a school?

Well, an amazing coaching staff, a family-like environment. Somewhere I can fit in on the field and off the field. That always offers a great education, education system. If the program's on the rise, it has a really good program.

Where do you stand with scholarship offers?

I have 11 scholarship offers. Duke was one of the first offers, actually Duke was the first one to offer me, then Carolina offered me second. But Duke offered me first, and the schools that have offered me have been Duke, Carolina, Clemson, Virginia, NC State, Michigan, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, ECU, Tennessee and a couple other schools.

That's an impressive list already; do you think distance from home will be a factor in your decision?

I'm kind of open to anything. But whether it's ACC or SEC or Big-10 or Pac-12, wherever I'm more comfortable.

Living in the heart of ACC country, is there a school or conference that you've grown up following?

Well, I followed . . . I can't say a particular school, but I followed the ACC a lot when I was a kid, not only in football but basketball as well. But supporting local teams, home teams. You get to see more of the home teams.

Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far?

I have . . . I've been to NC State and Duke, Carolina. I've been at Clemson and Auburn. I made more appearances at Duke and NC State. I'm really impressed with NC State and Clemson. I'm really impressed with Duke. I like the coaches they have at Duke. Coach Cutcliffe's a great guy. He's all about family, and I really respect that and I really like that about Duke. I really don't have any top school right now, but if I did, Duke would be one.

Do you have a timeline in mind for when you hope to narrow things down or even make a decision?

Yeah, I'll probably narrow it down by the end of football season, this football season, and I plan on committing the end of my junior year, early in my senior year, somewhere in-between there because I will be enrolling early and graduating early.

Is there anything else you want college football fans to know about you?

Well, all I have to say about me, I'm a real hard worker. I'm not afraid to do all the work. I like to improve my game as much as I can. I feel like nothing's good enough. I'm all about family and putting education first, football second.

Thanks, Darian.

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