september 1, 2017
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2 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
‘WE WILL BE BETTER’
After NCAA-worst kicking game in 2016, preseason competition gives hope Ben Leonard The Chronicle Not much seems to keep David Cutcliffe up at night. Duke’s head coach endured many roadblocks and ugly seasons in Durham before bringing the program back to national relevance. During those times, tasked with rebuilding one of the nation’s worst teams that also happened to have some of its most stringent academic standards, the level-headed Birmingham-bred football guru remained steady and confident in his vision for the program. But last year, one thing was very hard for him to stomach: his kicking game. Freshman kicker A.J. Reed made just one field goal longer than an extra point all season long, effectively eliminating kicking as an option by the last few games of the year. No team in college football was worse at kicking than Reed and Duke. A year removed from that nightmare, Cutcliffe was forced to import two new faces at kicker and call on his punter to fill the void, leaving a four-way competition between Reed, Austin Parker and newcomers William Holmquist and Jack Driggers for placekicking duties. “If a guy drops his head, if a guy stumps his toe, I’m looking at everything we’ve got because I will have a hard time living the way I lived last year,” Cutcliffe said. “I occasionally had acid reflux, and I don’t
Chronicle File Photo Redshirt sophomore Austin Parker might be Duke’s starting kicker, punter and kickoff man this year after the Blue Devils struggled in the kicking game in 2016.
want it worse, if that’s fair.” Cutcliffe said Tuesday that Parker will be the starting kicker, with Holmquist as the No. 2 option, though he said it would still be an ongoing competition between the two—the depth chart lists Parker first, but says “or” Holmquist. “I believe in my heart that we will be better,” Cutcliffe said. “I’m not afraid of kicking either one of them in a game.” Heading into the summer, Parker was listed as the lead candidate at placekicker after hitting a career-long 47-yarder in high
school. But he can do more than just kick field goals—Parker arrived at Duke as the starting punter last season and is still competing with Driggers for kickoff duties. The redshirt sophomore was lost for the season midway through 2016 due to a broken clavicle he sustained against Louisville, but in seven games, he averaged nearly 41 yards per punt and will return to his starting gig this year. “Austin’s a gifted athlete, [and we] just want him to [be] healthy,” Cutcliffe said. “If you look at what he did as a punter a
year ago before he got hurt, he had a really outstanding year going, but his punting, even net punting, so hang time and all of that stuff, we’ll see where it is.” Cutcliffe also added freshman Jackson Hubbard as a kicker and punter recruit this offseason, and he got a few chances to punt in an Aug. 12 scrimmage, but Parker was the more consistent option. The 2013 National Coach of the Year has made clear, however, that the competition remains tight between Parker and Holmquist. One of the new faces at kicker, Holmquist is a graduate transfer from Division III Tufts who certainly made an impression in the Aug. 12 scrimmage, connecting on all three of his field-goal attempts. A strong-legged kicker who has connected from 48 yards in games, Holmquist is partially deaf and relies on hearing aids to communicate off the field. But since 2015, he has not worn them on the field, instead looking to the play clock to time his kicks. “I’m kind of just in my zone,” Holmquist told the News & Observer in early August. “When I take them out, it’s my signal that I’m ready to go.” The Fuqua School of Business student connected on 21-of-31 field goals at Tufts and also punted, averaging nearly 37 yards per punt. See KICKING on Page 11
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 3
New additions set for immediate impact in the trenches Hank Tucker The Chronicle The lowest point of a low season for Duke last year came with 4:24 on the clock against Virginia Oct. 1. Backed up to their own one-yard line, the Blue Devils still had a chance to drive 99 yards for a game-tying touchdown when Daniel Jones took the snap from center Austin Davis and dropped back into his own end zone. Jones was upright for a little more than two seconds before linebacker Jordan Mack ran past the offensive line untouched and steamrolled him in the chest, knocking the ball loose for defensive tackle Eli Hanback to recover in the end zone for a Cavalier touchdown. It was the most jarring and the most costly of the 31 times Duke quarterbacks were sacked last season, sealing a home defeat to a lowly Virginia team that did not win a game the rest of the season. If the Blue Devils expect this year to go any better, it will start up front on both sides of the ball with a renewed emphasis on controlling the line of scrimmage. “That needs to be different than we were a year ago, just purely how physical we are as a football team,” head coach David Cutcliffe said following an early August practice. “We’ve got to find who’s playing at the highest level, and the old saying is that if you’re churning, cream will rise to the top. We’ve just got to keep
churning and find who the best football players we’ve got on this team are.” Duke’s offensive line will likely be improved this season—three starters return, and Davis is getting some attention as one of the top centers in the ACC. More importantly, the Blue Devils added Ohio State graduate transfer Evan Lisle at right tackle to replace Casey Blaser. Cutcliffe has not welcomed many graduate transfers since the NCAA instituted a rule in 2011 granting athletes immediate eligibility if they enroll in a graduate program that is not offered by their undergraduate school. But he said at ACC media day in July that he is comfortable taking a graduate transfer if they intend to complete a graduate degree. “I don’t think any rule should be made a farce,” Cutcliffe said. “Guys out there playing without really going to school, that’s not the student-athlete model. That’s not what the NCAA was founded on.” Lisle enrolled in the Fuqua School of Business’ one-year master’s in management studies program in January and joined the Duke team for spring practice. After playing in all 13 of the Buckeyes’ games last season, the 6-foot-7, 310-pounder will be the biggest body in the Blue Devils’ starting offensive front. “He’s acting like he’s got a purpose, and now he’s entrenched in our culture,” Cutcliffe said. “He did a good job of caring greatly coming in, but he’s entrenched
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Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Redshirt senior co-captain Mike Ramsay is the only returning starter on a defensive line that lost A.J. Wolf to graduation and two others to dismissal.
into this now, and he’s taken ownership. I love that about him. He’s a special young man.” The other new starter on the line will have much less college experience than Lisle. Sophomore Julian Santos will replace Tanner Stone at guard after playing 101 snaps as a true freshman last year. Santos is listed at 305 pounds—10 lighter than he was last year—and Cutcliffe and his teammates say he made a commitment to his conditioning in the offseason. “He knew he had a chance to be a starter, and he wasn’t going to let that
opportunity slip through his fingers,” Davis said. “I could see his work ethic change, his mentality. He really matured.” But the bigger question marks for the Blue Devils in the trenches will be on the other side of the line of scrimmage. A.J. Wolf, who anchored the defensive tackle position for years, graduated after last season, and defensive linemen Marquies Price and Brandon Boyce were both dismissed from the team in February. “When we had those two dismissals, I was a second-stringer and I had to move See PHYSICALITY on Page 11
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4 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
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The Chronicle’s 2017 Duke football predictions
Illustration by Matthew Conley | The Chronicle
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 5
OPINION: DUELING COLUMNISTS
Will the Blue Devils bounce back into a bowl? Jones’ arm will lead Duke to postseason Sullied by injuries and a brutal schedule, the Blue Devils cratered at the end of last season, losing five of their final six games. But during that stretch, Duke showed that it is ready to return to the postseason. Sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones flourished, priming the Blue Devils for an offense that will be much-improved with an experienced offensive line and deep receiving corps. In the second half of the season, Duke proved it could compete with some of the nation’s best teams— and with a much more favorable home schedule, it could win more of the close games that it lost last season. Pessimists will point to the Blue Devils’ thin secondary and defensive line as reasons not to have faith that they can rebound. But with one of the best linebacking corps in the ACC and three of the team’s top five tacklers returning, Duke will limit the big plays that plagued the defense last season and the Blue Devils will bend, but not break—enough for Jones’ offense to work with. Jones took the next step down the stretch last season, finishing with a 77.1 adjusted QBR in his last six games against Duke’s top opponents. If he continued that pace for the whole season, he would have been better than Heisman contender and Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph and in the company of fellow Heisman contender and Florida State signal caller Deondre Francois. After the freshman initially struggled to adjust to the college game, he settled in and threw one interception down the stretch. He’ll continue to grow from the shotgun for the Blue Devils, which will help establish the run game that they
Ben Leonard
sorely missed last season. Jones returns junior receivers Johnathan Lloyd and T.J. Rahming, and will get fourstar redshirt freshman Scott Bracey, which will force defenses to sell out to try and stop the pass. That will leave bigger holes for Shaun Wilson to run through, giving Duke a much more balanced offense. The Blue Devils were one of the worst rushing teams in yards per carry in the nation last season— don’t expect that, or anything remotely close to it, to happen again. It certainly won’t hurt that Duke will have a more experienced offensive line, returning three upperclassmen starters and picking up graduate transfer Evan Lisle from Ohio State. The lone projected starter who lacks that sort of experience, left guard Julian Santos, was a four-star prospect and played in nine games last season as a true freshman, logging 101 snaps. With improvements at every offensive and special teams position—the Blue Devils’ kicking situation is still up in the air, but it’s not possible for it to be any worse than it was last year—David Cutcliffe’s offense will have a breakthrough year. Although Duke will once again face a daunting schedule, it will do so mostly in the friendly confines of Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils will face eight teams in the top 44 of ESPN’s Football Percentage Index, but will get to play six of them at home. Outside of those games, Cutcliffe’s squad has four games that should be gimmes—Wake Forest, Virginia, North Carolina Central and Army. If the offense clicks as it should, Duke is very capable of starting the season 3-0 after wins against the Eagles, Northwestern and Baylor, which would put it in great position to make a bowl. See BOWL on Page 10
Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Ben Humphreys was a third-team All-ACC selection at linebacker last year, finishing second on the team in tackles behind roommate Joe Giles-Harris.
Too much uncertainty for Blue Devils to improve Duke’s players, coaches and fans have all been clear leading up to this season—last year’s 4-8 record was a disappointment and an unacceptable outcome if it becomes a trend. Head coach David Cutcliffe said at his season-opening press conference that he never wants to forget the miserable feeling of wrapping up the recruiting period in December and getting off the plane with no bowl to prepare for and nothing to do. It won’t be easy to forget, however, because I think he will go through the same thing this year. Most of the reason for optimism this year surrounds redshirt sophomore Daniel Jones, the Blue Devil quarterback who closed the season with 173 straight passes without throwing an interception. It is true that he got better as the season went along—he threw eight picks in the first five games and one in the last seven— and he did play very well in an upset win against North Carolina in November. But those numbers conceal the fact that Duke didn’t close the year well at all. The Blue Devils lost their last two games of the season to Miami and Pittsburgh by a combined 61 points, getting torched through the air and struggling to move the ball on the ground. Duke was depleted by injuries at that point—running back Jela Duncan and defensive backs DeVon Edwards and Breon Borders were all sidelined—but it’s not like those players are coming back. They all have graduated. I’m not confident those question marks
Hank Tucker
have been addressed entering this season. Starting running back Shaun Wilson has never been consistent, and though Brittain Brown is a talented freshman, it’s hard to expect much right away out of a player with no experience. In the secondary, the Blue Devils will trot out the same group that gave up several explosive plays a game last November. It’s one thing to say they have taken steps to address that, as every defensive back has mentioned in the preseason, but it’s another thing to translate that into results. Of course, that’s not to mention the biggest weakness of all from last season: kicking. After freshman A.J. Reed converted on just 3-of-10 field goals last season, Duke brought in several options for a wide-open competition for the job during fall camp. It appears that the Blue Devils have at least two options ahead of Reed on the depth chart in redshirt sophomore Austin Parker and Tufts graduate transfer Willie Holmquist, with Parker holding a narrow edge entering Week 1. That makes sense because Parker is the only person besides Reed on the roster who is on scholarship to kick footballs, but Parker is a more natural punter than a placekicker, and it is rare to find a one-man show that excels at every part of the kicking game. If he slips up, Holmquist was decent at Tufts, but has never kicked in anything close to an ACC environment. Jones is probably good enough to lead the Blue Devils to one or two big wins like he did against the Tar Heels and Notre Dame in 2016, but once again, there are not many guaranteed wins on the schedule that can be chalked up to pad the win total. It is likely that Duke would play in See NO BOWL on Page 10
Juan Bermudez | Chronicle File Photo Shaun Wilson will need to get more consistent as the only veteran in the Blue Devil running back corps for the team’s ground game to improve.
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6 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
The Chronicle
Redshirt freshmen Bracey and Brown ready to debut Michael Model The Chronicle After redshirting the 2016 season, two highly-touted recruits are ready to burst onto the stage and make their mark for the Blue Devil offense. Running back Brittain Brown and wide receiver Scott Bracey entered camp looking stronger than ever and are hoping to contribute to an offensive unit that was inconsistent last season. Although Brown and Bracey did not gain a single yard on the field in 2016, both used their time on the sidelines wisely. The duo prepared to be their best selves come 2017 by spending their time off the field doing strength training and studying how their team runs its offensive attack, and now it is their turn to show it come Saturdays. “I think what I gained the most is just having a year to understand the offense and also just making my leg stronger so that I can be the college football player I can be,” Bracey said after an Aug. 12 scrimmage in which he caught two passes. “Just trying to help the team, that’s what I’m trying to do.” Bracey—a four-star recruit and the nation’s 55th-best receiver in ESPN’s Class of 2016 rankings—redshirted after injuring his hamstring last August. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the Richmond, Va., native is one of the Blue Devils’ more physical wideouts, and his potential has excited his teammates and coaches
when he has been healthy. Brown, on the other hand, redshirted due to an abundance of talent at the running back position. However, following the transfer of Joseph Ajeigbe and the graduation of Jela Duncan, it seems as though the 6-foot-1, 200-pound back will get his share of touches alongside senior Shaun Wilson, who is much smaller. “It was kind of difficult to redshirt him a year ago,” Cutcliffe said. “I think it was in his best interest and ours. I think he’s stronger, and I certainly think he may be faster.” Brown—the nation’s 18th-best running back in ESPN’s Class of 2016 rankings— has been impressive thus far during camp. The Canton, Ga., native rushed for 143 yards on 19 carries during two fall scrimmages, and Cutcliffe will likely rely on him to use his size to plow through defenses and pick up first downs in shortyardage situations. “He’s just a tremendous athlete and a really big back,” quarterback Daniel Jones said after an Aug. 21 practice. “He has a great understanding of what we’re asking him to do at running back—as just a redshirt freshman, he’s really picked that up fast. It’s great to see him run. He runs violently and aggressively, and that’s what you want to see in a running back of his size and skill set.” Brown and Bracey will look to follow in Jones’ footsteps and have success in their redshirt freshman seasons. Jones,
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too, knows what it is like to redshirt and how to fight for snaps in fall camp. He said the most important thing he gained from his redshirt year was learning the mental side of the game and how to practice at the college level. Like most freshmen, however, Jones felt the learning curve early on last season. But he emerged as a more consistent offensive threat in the second half of the year when he posted nine touchdowns to just one interception. “When you think about younger
guys, I think it’s as much mental as it is anything in capturing the more intricate aspects of the offense,” Jones said. “They’ve done a great job of doing that. Work ethic has never really been a question with those guys, so they’ve just continued to progress fundamentally and technically, but also focused in their understanding of the offense.” Bracey and Brown are not the only redshirt freshmen expected to play this See RECRUITS on Page 11
Hank Tucker | The Chronicle Four-star Scott Bracey is ready to join Duke’s deep receiving corps after redshirting last year due to lingering hamstring issues.
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 7
Simplified secondary looks to limit explosive plays like an unmotivated football player,” prompting them to change the way they The Chronicle make playcalls. Count Fields as one who believes Last season, Duke’s veteran secondary that the streamlined defense will reap was torched in the passing game, finishing benefits this season, especially for some next to last in the ACC defensive pass of the younger players. efficiency. Despite losing four staples “We’ve got a lot of young guys who from their secondary, the Blue Devils saw some playing time last year but expect to improve this season. are going to see a lot more this year,” How? By simplifying the defense. Fields said. “Those guys have embraced Often last season, opposing wide their roles and really been working receivers ran free during communication hard, kind of not forgetting about breakdowns—a trend that became more last season, but they’re really working frequent after veteran stars DeVon toward this season.” Edwards and Breon Borders went down Since defensive coordinator Jim with injuries, and inexperienced players Knowles arrived in Durham before the 2010 had to work with starters that they might season, he has employed a 4-2-5 defensive have only had limited practice time with. scheme, benefitting from standout talents “One thing that we’ve done with in the secondary, including All-American a lot of young guys on the defense is Jeremy Cash and current Pittsburgh simplification, so just a couple calls, then Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell. Despite guys really learn enjoying a wealth and understand of production lot of times, mistakes come and get a deep from a deep understanding linebacking corps from trying to do too much, of what we want overthinking. We’ve defnitely limitheading into this to do with those ed that.... You’ll see a lot less exploseason, Knowles is few calls, and it’s standing firm using letting guys play,” sives this year. his trademark redshirt senior — Cornerback Bryon Fields f o r m a t i o n , cornerback Bryon relying on the Fields said at ACC media day in July. “A lot simplification to obtain better results in of times, mistakes come from trying to do the five-man secondary. too much, overthinking. We’ve definitely Although Fields is the only returning limited that, and I think we’ll have some starter, the Blue Devils have a plethora guys make a lot more plays and you’ll see of defensive backs who saw time on the a lot less explosives this year.” field last season, but a few might be in Communication issues stood out different positions. especially in Duke’s final two contests Despite undergoing thumb surgery last season, when it surrendered 56 nearly two weeks ago, strike safety Jeremy and 40 points to Pittsburgh and Miami, McDuffie made an impression on the respectively. With a potential bowl game coaching staff after playing cornerback on the line—needing just five wins the last two seasons. He is expected to play to likely become bowl-eligible—the in a cast to start the season. defense faltered, and the Blue Devils If healthy, McDuffie should slide failed to reach the postseason for the into Cash’s, and more recently Corbin first time since 2011. McCarthy’s role, a position the The Blue Devil secondary frequently coaching staff expects him to thrive let receivers run free downfield for big in due to his speed and athleticism— gains numerous times, but both Cutcliffe McDuffie was an All-ACC performer and Fields reiterated during fall camp in both the triple jump and hurdles in that “a confused football player looks track and field in the spring.
Ben Feder
A
Juan Bermudez | Chronicle File Photo After transitioning to strike safety, Jeremy McDuffie will start the year wearing a cast on his hand to protect a broken thumb.
Mitchell Gladstone | Chronicle File Photo Senior Bryon Fields is the only experienced starter returning in Duke’s secondary and returned an interception for a touchdown against Pittsburgh last season.
Brandon Feamster, who is attempting the opposite transition from safety to cornerback, has also drawn strong reviews this offseason. “One of the keys right now to our defense—and I hope he can stay healthy— is I think Jeremy McDuffie has found a home at our strike [safety position],” head coach David Cutcliffe said in July before McDuffie’s thumb injury. “His ability to do so many things gives us some flexibility that we haven’t had before.” After back-to-back strong recruiting classes boasting four-star defensive back recruits, Duke hopes to start to see some of the benefits. Sophomore and previous four-star recruit Dylan Singleton, who impressed on special teams last season, figures to split time with senior Alonzo Saxton II at the rover safety position, and redshirt sophomore Jordan Hayes is expected to occupy the bandit safety position, with true freshman Marquis Waters pushing for time as well. The final piece of the secondary—
the cornerback opposite Fields—will be sophomore Mark Gilbert, who shined in Borders’ place last season, especially in Duke’s 28-27 upset victory against North Carolina. At 6-foot-1, Gilbert had little issue matching up with taller wideouts and figures to do more of the same this season. But along with young talent comes inexperience for this Blue Devil defensive backfield. Knowles, Cutcliffe and the rest of the Duke squad know they are taking a major risk relying on a talented but young secondary, especially after the issues that have plagued them in the past. Simplifying defensive signals and communication is not a surefire path to success, and it may be the reason why Cutcliffe’s squad either takes a step forward or remains stuck in the mud in 2017. “That’s how explosives are made, through not communicating with each other,” Saxton said. “[We need to be] sure we’re all on the same page making the right reads and the right checks.”
Juan Bermudez | Chronicle File Photo Cornerback Mark Gilbert will start opposite Bryon Fields after seeing a lot of playing time in the last few games of his true freshman year.
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8 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
The quarterback...
In just two years, Daniel Jones has gone from a walk-on to one of the top signal-callers in the ACC Ben Feder The Chronicle Rewind to about this time last year, when Daniel Jones was merely an afterthought on the quarterback depth chart. As a redshirt freshman working behind presumptive starter Thomas Sirk, Jones was battling for the third-string job behind veteran Parker Boehme. That was until August 25, 2016. Sirk ruptured his Achilles tendon in practice, and the injury completely changed Duke’s outlook at quarterback—not just last season but for the future. Jones stepped up, jumping past Boehme into the starting quarterback role. As the Blue Devils’ primary signal-caller, Jones had his growing pains in his first season and he was often buoyed by his running attack to move the ball down the field, but head coach David Cutcliffe never lost trust in his young quarterback. Now, with Shaun Wilson as the only returner from the backfield group and a deeper receiving corps for Jones to throw to, this is unquestionably Jones’ team. There is plenty of excitement surrounding his improvement heading into the season, and according to everyone around him, Jones has taken all the right steps in the offseason. “In spring practice, Daniel was significantly different, and his teammates knew it. It’s funny when offensive linemen—they do a lot of work together on their own— come to me and say, ‘Hey coach, wow, you ought to see Daniel,’” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said at ACC media day in July. “That’s a great thing to hear because a year ago, I’m not even sure they all knew him as well as you might think. It had been Thomas Sirk and Parker [Boehme] and that was it, and here’s this guy that no one knew a lot about.” For a player that arrived at Duke as a walk-on out of Charlotte Latin School, Jones has taken an unlikely path to conversations about his NFL potential. Much of Jones’ rapid rise was simply about taking more repetitions under center. Last season, his performance saw a clear upward trajectory, as Cutcliffe continually challenged him to limit turnovers. By season’s end, Jones had amassed a streak of 173 consecutive passes without tossing an interception, a mark that leads the nation heading into 2017. His development continued in the spring and summer, when he attended the Manning Passing Academy and spent time with NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning, Cutcliffe’s two most famous protégés. “That was kind of a surreal experience to be honest, to be hanging out and spending time with Peyton and Eli, hearing them tell stories,” Jones said at ACC media day. “Since I was old enough to comprehend football,
Peyton and Eli were kind of the guys of football, so that was a lot of fun.” All of his experience last season has not just helped build chemistry with his pass-catchers, but has bolstered his own confidence as well. To challenge Jones, Cutcliffe and offensive coordinator Zac Roper have added more elements to an offense that finished 11th in the conference in total scoring offense and ninth in passing yards. The deep ball has been a major emphasis this offseason, especially with the impending debut of highlytouted wideout Scott Bracey—who was forced to redshirt due to lingering hamstring issues last fall—and returners like T.J. Rahming and speedster Chris Taylor. “He’s not quite as gun-shy with certain things,” tight end Daniel Helm said earlier this month. “This might be bad to say, but he might try to fit it in a little more than he did before, which I like, personally. The offensive coordinator might not, but then recognizing blitzes and stuff like that, he’s just grown a lot, so it’s good to see him so confident.” Duke hopes that an effective quick-strike offense can open up opportunities for the running game, something Jones excelled in last season as he led the team with seven rushing touchdowns. “He’s got the arm. He’s got all the tools. One of the reasons in his mind is this is a very gifted group of fast receivers,” Cutcliffe said in July. “A year ago, [often times], when we threw it deep, if you’re not real sure, if you don’t have pre-snap thoughts, then you just start chucking the ball.” Jones’ growth in year two has also helped some of his wide receivers. They have been able to run different types of routes, knowing that Jones can make the throws in game situations. Whereas the redshirt sophomore spent a lot of time adjusting to a collegestyle offense with pre-snap reads in 2016, Jones has been able to spend more time working on timing with his receivers this year. “I’m just able to understand a whole lot more and able to focus on more specific things. You don’t have to worry about some of the things that you had to worry about last year because they’re kind of ingrained in you,” Jones said. “I’ve developed into a point where they’re not as much of a cognitive thought process.” Although Jones had a decent statistical season in 2016, with a completion percentage of 62.8 percent and 16 touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions, the Blue Devils hope that Jones’ growth is the key to getting them back to a bowl game after a disappointing 4-8 season. Drawing comparisons to current NFL players and See JONES on Page 12
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 9
...and his firepower
Jones’ success will largely hinge on the development of a deep but inexperienced group of pass-catchers. Mitchell Gladstone The Chronicle There is no question as to who the most important member of this Blue Devil squad is. Quarterback Daniel Jones is the one player who can potentially carry Duke back to bowl eligibility—and maybe even beyond in seasons to come. But no group will be more important to his success than the Blue Devil receiving corps. Even with the loss of Anthony Nash to graduation, Duke’s wide receivers and tight ends make up the one of its deepest and most talented position groups this season. “A large part of any quarterback’s success is the people around them,” Jones said at ACC Media Days in July. “You know, I would say collectively as an offense, we have a great chance to be a dynamic, explosive offense when you look at the people we have coming back and some of the guys that even haven’t played as much that maybe y’all haven’t seen as much. We’re certainly excited of the possibilities and what we can be as an offense. That’s a big part of my success.” Of all the targets Jones will have at his disposal, T.J. Rahming will certainly be the top option yet again. Last season, Rahming pulled in 70 receptions—more than twice that of anyone else of the roster—averaging 61.8 yards per game. This summer, Jones and his top target made it a priority to further their relationship. And it showed right from the start of summer camp with the junior wideout and his quarterback “clicking from day one” according to Rahming, something that has caught the eye of Duke’s head coach. “T.J. is a talent,” David Cutcliffe said at his first weekly press conference Tuesday. “His shortspace quickness and his explosiveness and his route-running ability do rival [former Blue Devil standout] Jamison [Crowder], and not just the number resemblance.” Over and over, though, Cutcliffe also expressed his desire for consistency from his wideouts. Last season, excluding Rahming, no receiver tallied more than 398 yards or three touchdowns, and although the Blue Devils ran nearly twice as many times as they passed, it is hard to foresee either senior Shaun Wilson or redshirt freshman Brittain Brown carrying Duke from the backfield. And with all of Rahming’s success in his sophomore season, he will not be able to do it alone in 2017. The solution: Johnathan Lloyd and Chris Taylor.
“Competition makes everybody better, because you know whoever’s behind you is going to just step in and play and make plays,” Lloyd said in early August. “It pushes everybody every day to go out there and work their hardest because everybody wants to play, and if you’ve got a stop, you don’t want to let up off of it.” Lloyd’s consistency from last season should at least help ease some of Cutcliffe’s major concerns. He caught at least one ball in every game but two and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. Plus, the redshirt junior is no longer playing baseball and completed his undergraduate degree last May, allowing him to focus solely on football this summer. The same cannot be said, however, for Taylor’s consistency. A 6-foot-1 redshirt junior, the Miramar, Fla., native caught just seven balls in the first seven games before pulling in 22 during the final five contests of 2016. That trio still excludes Aaron Young, whose 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame makes him one of Jones’ bigger targets among the wide receiving corps. And on top of that group, the Blue Devils have a pair of former three-star recruits in Keyston Fuller and Damond Philyaw-Johnson, a veteran presence in redshirt senior Quay Chambers and perhaps the biggest puzzle of all, redshirt freshman Scott Bracey. “I’m just anxious and he’s anxious,” Cutcliffe said of Bracey following the team’s August 12 scrimmage. “I think it’s probably been amazingly frustrating to him to have as many issues as he’s had to this point. When he’s been well, we’ve been enthused. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s a good runner. I think he can make contested catches for you.” But the same health issues that plagued Bracey last summer and fall have popped up again. A hamstring injury kept the 6-foot-2 wideout off the field for all of his first year in Durham, and Cutcliffe mentioned Tuesday that Bracey’s conditioning is not yet up to par after getting banged up in preseason camp. Currently, Bracey is listed a a second-stringer behind Taylor, but beyond Rahming, things remain very much up in the air. So if Bracey can show what earned him that four-star billing and scholarship offers to schools like Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame, it could be a gamechanger for Duke’s air attack. “At the end of camp, I thought [Bracey] really came on strong,” Jones said. “He made an impact See RECEIVERS on Page 12
Photo courtesy of Duke Athletics
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Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Although Duke went just 4-8 last season, Daniel Jones improved as the year went on with 10 touchdown passes in his last seven games.
BOWL from page 5 Even during the 1-5 stretch to end the season, the Blue Devils showed they could hang with strong teams. They were a mindless roughing the kicker penalty, a late stop and a blocked field goal away from beating then-No. 7 Louisville, Georgia Tech and then-No. 18 Virginia Tech before toppling then-No. 17 North Carolina. A more experienced squad will start to make more of the plays it needs to win games, and is due for some better breaks— and will certainly turn the ball over less. Gone are the days of Jones’ five-pick game against Virginia. Although some of the concerns about the secondary and defensive front are
legitimate, an improved running game and more successful offense will decrease the amount of time the defense has to be on the field and take some pressure off the unit. With the leadership of Joe GilesHarris and Ben Humphreys steadying the defense, big plays will be less of an issue that they were last year, when Duke was 98th in the nation in stopping opponents from making explosive plays, according to S&P+. Cutcliffe has assembled a much deeper group than in seasons past due to years of improved recruiting, which will only help the Blue Devils make stops and withstand injuries. Riding Jones’ right arm and a muchimproved rushing attack, the Blue Devils will jump right back into the postseason for the fifth time in six years.
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Chronicle File Photo Tight end Daniel Helm is entering his second year as one Daniel Jones’ biggest targets after transferrring from Tennessee in 2015.
NO BOWL from page 5 a bowl if it finishes 5-7 due to its high Academic Progress Rate, but I think it is a stretch to even find five wins on the Blue Devils’ schedule. Even if Duke rises to the occasion and gets another big nonconference win against Northwestern or Baylor, the Blue Devils could lose to Wake Forest and Virginia again to cancel out that win. My guess is the Blue Devils will finish with four wins, but ESPN’s Football Percentage Index only gives them a better than 62 percent chance to win in one game—the season opener against N.C. Central. That means the floor for Duke is 1-11. Not even the Army game on the road is
a guaranteed win after the Black Knights won eight games last year and kept it close against the Blue Devils in a monsoon at Wallace Wade Stadium. On the other side of the continuum, there are not many games that can be written off as losses. Although the ACC’s rotating schedule did Duke no favors with a matchup against Florida State this year, the Blue Devils are likely to be in several close games, and games that are decided by a field goal or a lastchance two-minute drill against Duke’s secondary are more likely than not to swing against the Blue Devils. There is still too much uncertainty in those areas for me to think the Duke’s chances of playing in December have improved at all.
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KICKING from page 2 With all of the new faces, Cutcliffe now has much more depth at the position than he did last year, when Reed was the only kicker he trusted to trot out on the field. “The best part of it is there’s flexibility,” Cutcliffe said. “We’ve got an amazing amount of depth. It doesn’t stop with those two, but there’s where I had to focus at the end of the camp, on those two.” Reed certainly had a memorable moment last season, nailing the eventual game-winner against Notre Dame from 18 yards out, but will need to be much more consistent if things go awry with Parker and Holmquist and he wants another chance. Cutcliffe now also has Driggers, who connected on 17-of-
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28 field goal attempts in high school and certainly has a strong leg—he logged 35 touchbacks in 42 kickoff tries. Like the competition that occurred at other positions, Cutcliffe says it will ultimately motivate his players to perform better. “Competition creates hunger. In every position, you’ve had to play well to stay where you were on the depth chart,” Cutcliffe said. “There’s been more movement on the depth chart than we’ve had in the past, which is good. And it’s not fake, it’s real. Anybody in their right mind that’s been around here should be hungrier after a 4-8 season.” Hank Tucker and Mitchell Gladstone contributed reporting.
Hank Tucker | The Chronicle Tufts graduate transfer William Holmquist contended for the starting job in fall camp after a solid career at the Division III level.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | 11
PHYSICALITY from page 3
RECRUITS from page 6
up, so at that time in my head, I was like, ‘This is my shot,’” said redshirt junior defensive tackle Edgar Cerenord, who is now slated to start next to redshirt senior Mike Ramsay. “I can’t blow it.” Cerenord has never started a game in his career, but has a lot more experience than the two players Duke is expected to start on the ends—sophomore Tre Hornbuckle and true freshman Victor Dimukeje. Cutcliffe said during fall camp that other underclassmen and true freshmen could be in the mix on the defensive line, including Drew Jordan and Ben Frye. “The size and force of people, we haven’t had, and they’re going to have to get in a little better shape, which is going to happen with playing and practicing,” Cutcliffe said Aug. 9. “There’s some promise there.” Defensive line coach Ben Albert has faced a challenge before, inheriting a team that only had 17 sacks in 2015 before helping that number improve to 29 in his first year. It will be an even more daunting task to improve that number again without Wolf in uniform against some of the strong offensive fronts the Blue Devils will face this year. But a good pass rush up front is one factor that could prevent some of the explosive plays that haunted the Blue Devils last year. “[Wolf] was definitely a great guy, great player, great motivation,” Ramsay said. “But I feel like every team loses a great talent. Every team always moves on. I feel more than capable to fill that role.”
season—right tackle Robert Kraeling, linebacker Xander Gagnon and cornerback Myles Hudzick are all on the two-out depth chart entering their first on-field season after redshirting last fall, and it will be interesting to see how they make their mark on the 2017 Blue Devils. Both Brown and Bracey should get plenty of opportunities to impact the Duke offense in the opener against N.C. Central and beyond, and their physicality and athleticism can help them succeed immediately on the field. Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
Hank Tucker| The Chronicle Redshirt freshman Brittain Brown could use his physicality in short-yardage situations.
find housing at The Chronicle’s online guide to living near Duke.
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JONES from page 8 former Duke stars Sean Renfree and Thaddeus Lewis—who also worked with Jones during the summer—certainly helps to boost Duke’s confidence. “All of the things that we’ve seen—guys we’ve had not only at Duke but previously, the reasons they were successful collegiately and on in the NFL—Daniel has a lot of those attributes,” Cutcliffe said in July. “He will reach his potential in my opinion, and he is right in line from an ability standpoint, and in some ways beyond because of his size, to have an opportunity to have an incredibly successful career as a college quarterback and potentially beyond that.” Hank Tucker contributed reporting. Chronicle File Photos T.J. Rahming, Johnathan Lloyd and Chris Taylor are slated as the starters at wide receiver on Duke’s depth chart to begin the year.
RECEIVERS from page 9
Sanjeev Dasgupta | Chronicle File Photo Daniel Jones has thrown 173 straight passes without an interception.
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and really stood out, so I think he’s in a position to show what he can do throughout the season.” All of this goes without even mentioning the Blue Devil tight ends, who have had plenty of skin in the passing game during the Cutcliffe era. Redshirt juniors Daniel Helm and Davis Koppenhaver return as the leaders of the group after pulling in a combined 38 receptions and four scores last year. On Tuesday, though, there was a new
name listed right behind the duo on the season’s first depth chart. “[Noah Gray’s] had a tremendous camp, so we’ve made that decision to go with him,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s going to be a guy that can play at tight end, he can play in the area of special teams and we really feel good about what he’s accomplished in camp.” Any true freshman listed on a Cutcliffe depth chart is notable—this year, just eight of the 51 offensive or defensive spots are filled by players in their first year with the Duke program. If Gray adjusts well enough to play this
year, that gives Jones three options at tight end, all at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds or bigger. Altogether, that makes for 11 different weapons in the Blue Devil quarterback’s arsenal. He may use some every game and others might see little or no action this season. The point is, the pieces are there. Whether Jones, Cutcliffe and offensive coordinator Zac Roper can put them together properly to build a winning puzzle remains to be seen. Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
SPORTS THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE
For the full list of 101 Things to Do Before You Graduate visit welcome.dukechronicle.com o Play volleyball on central o Go to a sporting event outside of Cameron or Wallace Wade o Cheer on the Durham Bulls
o Run the Al-Buehler Trail at WaDuke o Chat with a basketball player o Tent in K-Ville
o Enroll in a golf class at The Washington Duke o Go “crazie” at the DukeUNC basketball game o Walk the American Tobacco District
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A look at Duke’s nonconference opponents N.C. Central September 2, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium N.C. Central will cross town to visit Wallace Wade Stadium for the Bull City Gridiron Classic for the third straight year and the sixth time since David Cutcliffe took charge of the Blue Devils in 2008. The Eagles have never come within 30 points of Duke, but they enjoyed their best season in more than a decade last year and won every regular-season game they played against FCS opponents on their way to an outright MEAC championship
But N.C. Central enters this season having to replace its unquestioned leader on offense, dual-threat quarterback Malcolm Bell, and will likely rely on redshirt sophomore Naiil Ramadan under center. N.C. Central’s top performer on defense is back in redshirt senior linebacker Reggie Hunter. A secondteam All-MEAC selection last season, Hunter led the Eagles with 81 tackles and four interceptions. —Hank Tucker
Baylor September 16, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium Despite a 6-0 start last year, the Bears finished the 2016 regular season on a dismal six-game losing streak. After a defensive fallout and a season-ending injury to its starting quarterback last year, Baylor will now turn to first-year head coach Matt Rhule and its veterans to help right the ship entering 2017. Quarterback Zach Smith will lead the Bears offense full-time after starting the last four contests of 2016 in place of Seth Russell, who dislocated his ankle. The sophomore struggled with accuracy
in his brief starting stint last season, however, as he was intercepted seven times in just four starts. On the defensive side of the ball, Baylor enters the season with plenty of uncertainty. The Bears were unable to contain opposing offenses last season when they surrendered more than 35 points in six of their final eight regularseason contests. And after losing three of their top-four tacklers from last season, the defensive struggles will likely continue. —Michael Model
Northwestern September 9, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium When Northwestern last faced Duke, it was limping. After starting the season with a loss against Western Michigan and scoring just seven points versus Illinois State, an eventual 6-6 FCS team, head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team was 0-2. From then, the Blue Devils and Wildcats went in opposite directions. Northwestern torched Duke’s secondary in a 24-13 victory and proceeded to finish the season on a 7-4 run, establishing themselves as Big Ten West title contenders headed into this season.
Then-sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson throttled the Blue Devils for 320 passing yards, and figures to build upon his breakout second-year season this year. Northwestern returns seven other starters alongside him, including running back Justin Jackson, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Although their offense appears poised to improve once again this season, the Wildcats will build around what figures to be one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, featuring an elite secondary. —Ben Leonard
Army
November 11, 2017, Michie Stadium After an abysmal 2-10 campaign in 2015, the Black Knights rebounded with their first eight-win season since 1996. In 2016, the Black Knight defense averaged fewer than 20 points allowed per game for the first time this century, but will now have to replace three of its top four tacklers, including star linebackers Andrew King and Jeremy Timpf. With those losses, Army will unlikely be able to replicate its stifling defense that held the Blue Devils to 13 points—albeit
in the midst of Hurricane Matthew. But the Black Knights will return nine starters on offense and eight of their top nine rushers—all of which rushed for at least 100 yards in Monken’s tripleoption attack. That group includes third-year starter and senior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 824 yards and threw for 703 yards. Although the Black Knights ran almost 95 percent of the time, they were still 12th in the nation in yards per carry. —Ben Leonard
o Travel to an away sporting event o Follow Duke sports coverage in The Chronicle o Explore the Duke Basketball Museum o Hike to Eno Quarry and swim
o Watch a game with friends at Satisfaction o Play an IM sport o Paint your face Duke blue and show your spirit in the student section at Cameron o Swim in the Central pool o Do the walk-up line for a non-UNC game
o Tailgate for a Duke football game o Run around the East Campus loop
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2017 ACC opponents
North Carolina
September 23, 2017, Kenan Memorial Stadium Following a loss to then-No. 18 Georgia in the season opener, the Tar Heels went on a tear, winning seven of their next eight contests before ending the regular season with losses to in-state rivals Duke and NC State. Repeating last season’s success could be a great struggle for North Carolina, however, after the departure of a majority of its offensive starters. LSU graduate transfer Brandon Harris will likely take over at quarterback for the Tar Heels. Harris threw for 2,165 yards and 13 touchdowns during his junior season in 2015 with the Tigers. The Bossier City, La., native struggled last season, though, losing his starting job after just two weeks.
In addition to turnover at quarterback, North Carolina will see new leaders all across the offense. The Tar Heels lost both their top two rushers and their top two receivers from last season as welll and will need increased contributions from players with little experience like freshman running back Michael Carter. In order for North Carolina to repeat its success from its previous two seasons, they will have to continue to dominate unranked opposition. From September 2015 to November 2016, the Tar Heels went undefeated in 15 contests against teams outside the AP top 25, and this year, they will face no opponent ranked higher than No. 16 in the preseason poll. —Michael Model
Virginia October 7, 2017, Scott Stadium The Cavaliers return their top passer and wideout from last season, which for many teams would provide reason for great optimism. That senior duo of Kurt Benkert and Doni Dowling, though, led the team to a dismal 2-10 record in 2016, despite high hopes created by the arrival of new head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Without many new faces at the head of the Cavalier offense, it is unlikely the team will be able to snap its streak of five consecutive losing seasons. Benkert, now a senior, set several school records last season—his first in Charlottesville after transferring from East Carolina—and will surely need to build on his impressive performance to best 2016’s win total. Perhaps the greatest area for offensive
improvement is in the Cavaliers’ rushing game, where the team averaged an ACCworst 113.6 yards per game, led by nowdeparted halfback Taquan Mizzell and senior Albert Reid. Even if Virginia steps up its game offensively, they have shown an inability to keep opponents out of the end zone. The team was outscored 405-270 last season and ranked 11th in the conference in sacks, giving opponents plenty of time to pass for an average of 256.6 yards per game while also rushing for 190. With this said, the Cavaliers’ lone conference victory last year came during their trip to Durham, when the team bested Duke 34-20 behind 336 yards and three touchdowns from Benkert. —Drew Johnson
Miami September 29, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium The Hurricanes had quite a rollercoaster 2016-17 season, taking advantage of an easy early slate to hop off to a 4-0 record. But they then dropped four straight, starting with a gut-wrenching 20-19 loss against rival Florida State. To its credit, though, Miami bounced back to win its final four regular season contests all by comfortable margins, and then beat West Virginia 31-14 in the Russell Athletic Bowl to cap off its season. After losing quarterback Brad Kaaya to the NFL—he started each of the past three seasons—the Hurricanes’ biggest question mark is under center, where redshirt junior Malik Rosier won the
starting job after summer practices. Rosier has plenty of weapons at his disposal, most notably AllACC running back Mark Walton and freshman All-American wide receiver Ahmmon Richards. Defensively, Miami boasts an intimidating front seven, all of which are returners from last season. Defensive ends Chad Thomas and Joe Jackson combined for 13 sacks last year, and all three linebackers started as freshmen in 2016. Although the secondary remains as a concern, the Hurricanes have plenty of talent, and with a fearless pass rush, should be able to limit the passing game. —Ben Feder
Florida State
October 14, 2015, Wallace Wade Stadium Despite losing their all-time leading rusher and a few pieces on defense, the Seminoles find themselves in the top five to begin the season. Quarterback Deondre Francois is a big reason why after racking up 25 total touchdowns a year ago and leading his team to wins in tough games against Ole Miss and Michigan. But the sophomore may find himself flat on his back against strong defenses if his offensive line does not improve. Francois’ line will be tested right away with a matchup against top-ranked Alabama in Atlanta. Although an early loss would not dash Florida State’s playoff hopes, the Seminoles face an uphill battle running the table after the opening weekend with four more ranked opponets on the schedule.
Florida State enters the year with questions about its playmakers surrounding Francois. Junior Jacques Patrick and freshman Cam Akers are expected to replace the production of Dalvin Cook in the backfield and junior Nyqwan Murray has the potential to emerge as the Seminoles’ top wideout. One area Florida State will improve in is in the secondary, where All-American safety Derwin James returns after a knee injury a year ago. With junior Tavarus McFadden—whose eight interceptions last season were tied for best in the nation—and a pair of senior linebackers in Matthew Thomas and Ro’Derrick Hoskins, the Seminoles should be a tough team to move the ball against. —Sameer Pandhare
Previewing the rest of the ACC Clemson After losing to Alabama by five points two years ago in the national championship, Clemson completed its road to redemption last year, defeating the Crimson Tide 3531 in a thrilling title game that saw three touchdowns in the final five minutes. Despite the recent success, the Tigers may see a dropoff in play, having sent critical pieces of their offense off to the NFL. Despite boasting the most first-team allconference selections with five, the Tigers will sorely miss quarterback Deshaun Watson, who accounted for 50 touchdowns last season and 4,593 passing yards and wide receiver Mike Williams who led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The duo, which led a unit ranked 14th in scoring offense, was taken in the first round in the NFL draft. With tight end Jordan Leggett, running back Wayne Gallman, and receiver Artavis Scott also gone, Clemson will lose 240 catches, 2,863 yards, and 23 touchdowns from last year.
The Tigers now turn to junior Kelly Bryant to run the offense. Although Bryant’s ability to throw the ball is a relative unknown, he poses a threat as a runner and will be well-protected by an offensive line boasting returning six players, including two All-ACC preseason selections—junior tackle Mitch Hyatt and senior Tyrone Crowder. Sophomore Tavien Feaster, who averaged six yards per carry backing up Gallman, will also hope to find some running room behind the stout offensive line. In the aerial attack, junior wideouts Deon Cain, Ray-Ray McCloud and Hunter Renfrow, who caught the game-winning pass in the national championship game, will look to fill the void left by Williams. On the defensive end, Clemson returns a strong unit that finished tenth in points allowed per game last season. The Tigers have an imposing defensive line led by Christian Wilkins, who received 11 votes for ACC preseason player of the year, and the sophomore duo of Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell, who combined for 21.5
tackles-for-loss and 12.5 sacks last season. In the middle of the field, Clemson returns its entire starting linebacker unit, save for national championship game hero Ben Boulware. —Dilan Trivedi Louisville After winning nine of its first ten contests, including a 63-20 drubbing of Florida State and a heartbreaking, nail-biter loss to eventual national champion Clemson, Louisville stumbled to the finish—the Cardinals lost three straight with two defeats by 20 or more points. However, with reigning Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson returning, if the preseason No. 16 Cardinals can put together a complete season, they may be able to sneak into this year’s playoff. Jackson is one of the most electrifying players in college football, throwing for 3,543 yards, rushing for 1,571 yards and accounting for 51 touchdowns last season. If Jackson is to be effective, though, the offensive line must
step up its performance. By giving up 47 sacks and 83 tackles-for-loss, they often left Jackson under duress, which contributed to his 56.2 percent completion average. If the offensive line can keep Jackson upright, especially considering the imposing defensive fronts of Clemson and Florida State, the Cardinals’ quick-strike offense should thrive. On the other side of the ball, nine starters return to a unit that finished 14th in the nation. However, a new coordinator will be calling the shots after the departure of Todd Grantham to Mississippi State. Grantham was replaced by the Georgia’s defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon. Although top tackler Keith Kelsey is gone, Louisville will still be able to generate pressure from linebacker James Hearns, who led the team in sacks last season. In the secondary, the Cardinals feature All-ACC preseason selection Jaire Alexander, who tallied five interceptions and nine pass breakups. Louisville’s ability to play consistently throughout the season will determine its
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2017 ACC opponents
Pittsburgh
October 21, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium A dynamic offense helped Pittsburgh pull off surprising upsets against Penn State and national champion Clemson last year, before the Panthers finished off their season with a disappointing 31-24 loss against Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl. Pittsburgh boasted the 10th-best scoring output in the nation, scoring less than 30 points just three times throughout the 2016 season. The Panthers lost their offensive coordinator Matt Canada, however, as well as starting quarterback Nathan Peterman and star running back James Conner to the NFL. And although they have solid replacements in Southern California transfer quarterback
Max Browne and tailback Qadree Ollison, Pittsburgh will have to make major adjustments to produce the same results on offense. Browne will also have dynamic wideout Quadree Henderson—who doubles as an All-American return man— at his disposal. Defensively, though, the Panthers were a nightmare last season, and it does not appear that they will improve much this year. Pittsburgh lost seven starters from a unit that surrendered 35.2 points per game last season, and is hoping that strong safety Jordan Whitehead, who missed a portion of the season with a broken forearm—will help take the them a step forward. —Ben Feder
Georgia Tech
November 18, 2017, Wallace Wade Stadium Under head coach Paul Johnson, the Yellow Jackets have been on a turbulent ride in recent years, going from an 11-win 2014 Orange Bowl campaign to winning just three games in 2015 and then nine last season. Now, they will have to break in a new quarterback and a pair of new offensive line starters after one of the best quarterbacks in school history, Justin Thomas, graduated. Certainly, Georgia Tech does not pass the ball as frequently as other teams given its triple-option offense, but Thomas amassed nearly 5,000 passing yards in three seasons as a starter. But the Yellow Jackets will bring back top rusher Dedrick Mills, along with four other 100-yard rushers. success this season. With a relatively weak non-conference slate, the Cardinals must play their best at home Sept. 16 against No. 5 Clemson and on the road Oct. 21 at No. 3 Florida State. —Dilan Trivedi N.C. State The hype train is roaring into Raleigh. The Wolfpack are not yet ranked, but they accumulated the fifth-most votes of any team that missed out on a spot in the preseason top 25 and have been floated as a possible dark horse for a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff. And the excitement around N.C. State football is with good reason. Redshirt junior Ryan Finley will be back under center after throwing for 18 touchdowns and completing more than 60 percent of his passes following his transfer from Boise State. But the Wolfpack have a number of other offensive weapons that should only elevate Finley’s play. H-back Jaylen Samuels was named a second-team preseason AllAmerican and can do it all, playing out of the backfield and as a wideout. Although N.C. State will be replacing running back
The defense, which has been consistently solid yet unspectacular in recent years, will return eight starters and seven of its top nine tacklers from last season—although Johnson will return just one player who recorded multiple sacks. The secondary is rife with playmakers like Corey Griffin and Lance Austin, who combined for five interceptions last season. On the road last fall, the Blue Devils nearly knocked off Johnson’s squad despite Thomas racking up 459 total yards. Duke trailed by three scores at halftime but rallied to gain a 3-point lead with less than six minutes to play, until Thomas broke free for a 50-yard run that set up an eventual game-winning touchdown. —Ben Leonard Matthew Dayes, expect reserve quarterback Jalan McClendon to help in the ground game when the Wolfpack utilize their wildcat formation. Where N.C. State will likely excel, however, is on the defensive side of the ball. Bradley Chubb, a 6-foot-4 senior defensive end, is a first-team preseason All-American and racked up 10.5 sacks along with 22 tackles for loss as a junior. The Wolfpack will need to be ready in Week 1 when they take on South Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., but they should benefit from hosting both No. 5 Clemson and No. 16 Louisville despite having to go on the road to play No. 3 Florida State and Notre Dame. —Mitchell Gladstone Syracuse Ever since the departure of former head coach Doug Marrone in January 2013, it has been all downhill football-wise in upstate New York. Although the Orange won seven games and knocked off Minnesota in the 2013 Texas Bowl, they have posted just an 1831 mark in the last four seasons and finished 2016 tied with Duke for the second-worst overall record of any team in the ACC. Fortunately, Syracuse and head coach
Virginia Tech October 28, 2017, Lane Stadium Every fall in Blacksburg, the Sandman returns to Lane Stadium. And after Justin Fuente’s first season with the Hokies went about as well as anyone could have asked, Virginia Tech fans will be looking for even more. But the first major issue for the Hokies is the task of replacing last year’s starting quarterback, Jerod Evans. Redshirt freshman Josh Jackson was named the starter in mid-August and certainly has the credentials to take over—he was a four-star recruit out of Ann Arbor, Mich., and ESPN ranked him as the 185th-best overall player in the Class of 2016. Plus, his multidimensional ability as both a runner and passer should help him acclimate quickly in a deep ACC Coastal Division.
Although Virginia Tech will not face particularly tough competition in nonconference play, it does open the season against No. 22 West Virginia at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., and later on, the Hokies will host fifthranked Clemson. Virginia Tech does have continuity, however, with senior wideout Cam Phillips and redshirt junior running back Travon McMillian. Phillips was preseason first-team All-ACC alongside junior linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. If the Hokies can build on last year’s success under Fuente, they have a legitimate shot at once again winning the Coastal and potentially playing for a spot in one of this year’s New Year’s Six bowl games. —Mitchell Gladstone
Wake Forest November 25, 2017, BB&T Field The most impactful departure from last year’s Wake Forest team may come from the broadcast booth, not the football field. Radio color commentator Tommy Elrod was unceremoniously dismissed last December following the uncovering of the “WakeyLeaks” scandal, one of the more bizarre stories of the 2016 college football season. Elrod, bitter that Dave Clawson did not retain him on the coaching staff when he took over as head coach, provided game plans and information to multiple opponents before they played the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest still had a solid season with a spy in its midst, however, reaching the Military Bowl and upsetting Temple in its first postseason appearance since 2011. The Demon Deacons also snapped
Dino Babers will be able to lean on returning starting quarterback Eric Dungey, who averaged the second-most passing yards per game in the conference behind only Clemson’s Deshaun Watson last season. But Dungey dealt with some concussion issues during preseason camp, and whether he can still be efficient under center—he ranked eighth in passing efficiency last year among ACC quarterbacks—remains to be seen. Offense was not too much of a problem for the Orange last year, though. Where their major issues lie are on the defensive side of things. Syracuse ranked dead last in the conference in total and scoring defense, second-to-last in both rush and pass defense and third-to-last in turnovers forced. And in last year’s season finale, the Orange fell to Pittsburgh by a recordsetting score of 76-61. So does the defense improve this time around? More than likely, yes, but Syracuse is still inexperienced in the back with a pair of sophomores and a redshirt sophomore filling three of the four spots in the secondary. —Mitchell Gladstone Boston College Boston College bounced back from a
a four-game losing streak against Duke, and the two teams’ matchup in the last game of the regular season this fall could have postseason implications for both squads. Clawson named senior John Wolford the starting quarterback in fall camp, but redshirt sophomore dual threat Kendall Hinton had a lot of success against the Blue Devils last season before missing the last 10 games of the year with a knee injury and is likely to see action as well. Running back Cade Carney and preseason All-ACC tight end Cam Serigne are also back, and veteran defensive end Duke Ejiofor will again anchor a defense that only gave up 22.2 points per game in 2016. —Hank Tucker
horrific 2015 season to earn a spot in the Quick Lane Bowl and even grabbed a victory in a wild game over Maryland. But the Eagles had trouble against top teams, including back to back blowout losses to Louisville and Florida State towards the end of the season. Boston College regressed slightly on the defensive side of the ball in 2016 after losing heralded coordinator Don Brown to Michigan during the offseason. The Eagles were still a formidable unit though, allowing only an average of eight points per game during their six regular season wins. They were especially stout against the run, allowing a measly average of 3.4 yards per carry. Head coach Steve Addazio’s team will likely once again have one of the nation’s top defenses. Boston College brings back senior defensive end Harold Laundry, who led the nation in sacks last year with 16.5. Most of the secondary returns as well, leaving the Eagles well stocked on that side of the ball. Their season will depend on whether Addazio can conjure some offense out of a unit that was anemic last year. Boston College ranked 124th in total offense last season, only averaging 293 yards per game. —Andrew Donohue
16 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
The Chronicle
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