Duke’s 3-0 start has turned into one of the more surprising early runs of the season, and Saturday’s matchup with William & Mary gives the Blue Devils another chance to keep rolling while cleaning up a few things on offense.
The Blue Devils have already checked off some big boxes. They beat two teams they lost to last season, knocking off Tulane and Illinois, and then picked up their first ACC win of the year last week against Stanford. Even without Darian Mensah, Duke has looked far better than expected.
A big reason is the ground game. Nate Sheppard leads the NCAA in rushing, and Duke has leaned on him heavily while the defense has taken a clear step forward from a year ago.
The passing game, though, still needs work. That part of the offense remains unfinished, and this is the kind of game where Duke can try to keep pushing it along.
William & Mary comes in as an FCS opponent, and Duke will host the game with a chance to move to 4-0 before its bye week. That break comes at a good time, but Manny Diaz can still use this matchup to get more work for his starters if the game gets away early.
Sheppard should get his touches right away as Duke continues its push to build his Heisman Trophy case. But the bigger focus may be Walker Eget getting more comfortable with his receivers. As strong as Sheppard has been, Duke still needs more production through the air if it wants to stay in the mix for Charlotte and the ACC Championship.
The betting line reflects the gap here. FanDuel listed the over/under at 62.5, with Duke off the board on the moneyline and William & Mary at +8000.
This looks like a week where Duke can pretty much set its own terms. The mismatch should be obvious at the line of scrimmage, and the Blue Devils have the kind of edge on both sides of the ball that can turn this into a runaway fast.
Diaz should be able to get Sheppard to 100-plus yards early, then protect him the rest of the way. There’s no need to take chances with the team’s biggest weapon.
This also feels like a good opportunity for Duke to keep stretching the passing game. Eget should get more chances to throw downfield and build timing with the receivers, and Dan Mahan could see extended second-half work running the offense rather than just in change-of-pace looks.
Duke should win comfortably.
In Other News...
Duke's ACC Push Just Got A Lift From An Unexpected Place
Duke heads into its bye week at 4-0 after a 62-7 win over William & Mary, a result that gave the Blue Devils a little extra breathing room as the ACC race starts to take shape. The passing game was a focal point again, with Walker Eget and Dan Mahan both working efficiently, and the day also offered a look at how much young talent is beginning to filter into the rotation on both sides of the ball.
For a team trying to stay in the mix for the league title, the encouraging part is obvious: Duke keeps finding ways to stack wins while spreading the load beyond the usual core. The lingering issue is less about the scoreboard than the style points, because the defense still gave up a few explosive moments that will matter more against better opponents, and that remains the kind of wrinkle the Blue Devils have to clean up before the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Heads Into The Bye Looking Like A Real ACC Threat
Duke rolled past William & Mary 62-7 to move to 4-0, and the performance gave the Blue Devils another reminder of how complete they have looked through the first month. Walker Eget and Dan Mahan helped keep the offense moving, Nate Sheppard added a steady presence on the ground, and a deep group of receivers found room to work as Duke kept layering big plays onto a fast start to the season.
The defense was just as impressive, suffocating William & Mary for most of the afternoon and never allowing the game to get comfortable. A brief spark from the visitors was the lone real threat, but otherwise Duke controlled the line of scrimmage and heads into its bye week with the kind of balance and momentum that makes ACC opponents take notice. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Has A Chance To Keep Its Early Momentum Rolling Saturday
Duke gets another chance to build on its early-season momentum Saturday when it hosts William & Mary at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils are coming off a win over Stanford and will try to keep a strong start rolling as the calendar turns deeper into September, with kickoff set for the afternoon on the Durham campus.
Manny Diazs team is aiming for a 4-0 start for the second time in his tenure, a benchmark that would further firm up the programs early footing. William & Mary arrives at 2-2, which gives Duke a nonconference matchup with a little more intrigue than the average tune-up, even before the Blue Devils turn back to the grind of their ACC slate. [Read more 🡒]