Duke’s offense has leaned hard on Nate Sheppard through the first three weeks, and for good reason. The sophomore back has been impossible to ignore, piling up 528 rushing yards in three games and clearing 140 yards on the ground in each outing. He’s the leading rusher in the country, and his workload has helped carry the Blue Devils to a 3-0 start.
Still, Manny Diaz knows that formula alone won’t be enough if Duke wants to keep pushing into the ACC Championship race. The Blue Devils need more out of the passing game, and Diaz expects that to come with time.
“I still suspect we'll throw it way better in November than we do in October,” Diaz said during his Monday press conference.”And I hope we throw it in October better than we did in September.”
Walker Eget is a big part of that growth curve. The San Jose State transfer is still settling into Duke’s system and building chemistry with his new teammates, a process made tougher by the fact that he missed the entire spring because of injury and had only a few weeks with the receivers and tight ends before the season began. Diaz clearly sees that as a major factor in why the offense should keep improving.
The signs have already started to show. Eget’s debut against Tulane raised real questions about whether Diaz might need to turn to sophomore Dan Mahan.
But over the last two weeks, Eget has steadied himself. He passed for 206 yards and three touchdowns in Duke’s four-point road win over Illinois in Week 2, then followed that up with 202 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 35-7 home win over Stanford.
Saturday’s game against William & Mary should give Duke a chance to keep building. It’s an FCS opponent at home, and the Blue Devils should have little trouble handling it. That makes this the kind of week where Diaz and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer can afford to tinker.
The best move would be to get Duke throwing early and often, giving Eget and the receivers as many live reps as possible. Sheppard can still get his touches and keep adding to his already impressive numbers, but the bigger goal is cleaning up the passing game. It’s the last tune-up before Duke heads into nothing but ACC play the rest of the way.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Sees One Duke Change That Could Mean Everything
Dukes 3-0 start has given Manny Diaz exactly the kind of early momentum he wanted after last years ACC title, but what stands out most to him is not just the record. It is the way this group has carried itself with expectations on its shoulders, looking more settled and less likely to play tight as the spotlight grows brighter. After the win over Stanford, the Blue Devils also showed the kind of offensive balance that can travel, with Nate Sheppard leading the ground game and helping set the tone from the start.
Diaz has been consistent about what he believes this team can be, and it starts up front. Duke wants to win the old-fashioned way, by leaning on physicality and controlling the trenches, which gives the offense a clear identity no matter the opponent or the setting. If the Blue Devils keep handling the pressure of being the favorite the way they have so far, the rest of the ACC is going to keep paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Golf Has Early Momentum After A Home Showing Fans Should Notice
Dukes mens golf team got an encouraging home showing at the 16th annual Rod Myers Invitational, finishing fourth in a field trimmed to 36 holes by weather. The Blue Devils put together a 9-under-par 567 over the two rounds, a result that should matter as this group keeps trying to build early-season momentum on a familiar course.
Sophomore Charles Nelson set the pace by tying for sixth at 5-under 139, while freshman Clark Mason also made his presence felt with a tie for 14th at 3-under 141. For a team looking for reliable scoring options, those kinds of outings are the sort of signs that can start to shape a lineup, even if there is still room for the rest of the roster to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Duke's Depth Battle Is About To Force Tough Calls For Scheyer
Duke heads into the upcoming season with a veteran-leaning roster, and Jon Scheyer already sounds like a coach preparing for an early sorting-out process. He has made it clear the Blue Devils are not planning to run a sprawling rotation, instead looking to spread minutes across a manageable group while figuring out which players separate themselves once the games start counting.
That evaluation begins right away, with a schedule that should give Duke a few chances to learn before the pressure ramps up. Early matchups against Army, Coastal Carolina and SIU Edwardsville offer some room to test combinations and roles, but the bigger issue is what happens once the competition stiffens and Scheyer has to make the kind of minute-allocation decisions that can define a season. [Read more 🡒]