Duke’s 35-7 win over Stanford did more than move the Blue Devils to 3-0 and 1-0 in ACC play. It also gave a pretty clear look at how Manny Diaz’s team is sorting out its rotations on both sides of the ball.
The most obvious pattern on offense was at receiver. Jonah Burton has been Duke’s top wideout, but Saturday came with a steady mix of bodies in the passing game.
Jared Richardson led the group with 42 snaps, followed by Jaivon Solomon and Jayden Moore at 26 apiece, while Burton was on the field for 19, per PFF. The production wasn’t eye-popping, but Jonathan Brewer’s usage made the plan easy to see: this is a group that’s going to keep rotating.
That same kind of rotation showed up on the edge. Sophomore Bryce Davis logged 33 snaps and junior Tyshon Reed added 28 as the apparent starters, but Duke also got real disruption from its next wave.
Kevin O’Connor played 24 snaps and turned two pressures into two sacks, while Kobe Smith added a pressure of his own in 21 snaps. The four-man mix is starting to look set.
Duke’s run-heavy approach also keeps putting a spotlight on its tight ends and heavier personnel. In 12 and 13 personnel packages, Nate Kurisky and Jake Taylor were the most-used names after Jeremiah Hasley.
Hasley played 59 snaps, Kurisky 36, and Taylor 25, matching what the Blue Devils have leaned on all season. Nate Sheppard’s big runs came on Hasley’s side, while Taylor worked as a motion piece on split-zone and dive looks.
The area that still looks unsettled is defensive tackle. Julius Columbus and Preston Watson started there and played 20 snaps each, but both were pushed around in the run game at times. Duke answered by spreading work to Owen Wafle, David Anderson, and Dakota Quiñonez, who logged 17, 16, and 13 snaps, respectively.
That middle spot on the defensive line may end up being the key issue for this group. Aaron Hall’s departure is part of the problem, and Duke still needs someone there who can become the reliable anchor in both phases as the season moves on.
In Other News...
Dukes 3-0 Start Comes With One Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Dukes 3-0 start has put the Blue Devils in the thick of the early-season conversation, with two nonconference wins and an ACC victory giving the program a clean opening stretch. But the unbeaten record has not come with universal confidence, and the biggest question around this team is whether the offense can keep doing enough when so much of it has flowed through running back Nate Sheppard.
ESPNs Bill Connelly reflected some of that skepticism in his latest ranking, placing Duke 26th among the 35 unbeaten teams. The broader projection picture is similarly measured, with ESPNs analysts seeing the Blue Devils more in line for a bowl path such as the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl or the Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl, which leaves the idea of a perfect regular season feeling a lot more like a long shot than a destination. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Is Mourning A Sudden Loss Tied Closely To Coach K
Chris Spatolas death has brought a sudden wave of grief around Duke and the wider college basketball world, where he was known not only as an ESPN analyst but also as a former member of the Blue Devils staff. Duke University and ESPN both confirmed his passing on Sept. 21, and each offered public tributes that reflected the range of roles he filled over the years, from broadcaster to coach to Army veteran.
For Duke fans, Spatolas connection to the program carried an added layer of meaning because of how closely he was tied to Coach Ks orbit. His work on television kept him visible to college basketball viewers long after his days on campus, but his passing leaves a more personal loss around the program, with the full circumstances still not publicly explained. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Diaz Sent Duke Fans A Message With His Opening Gamble
Dukes fast start under Manny Diaz has done more than pad the record. After a 35-7 win over Stanford in Week 3, the Blue Devils moved to 3-0 and kept building the case that they can be more than just a spoiler in the ACC. The defense has been especially sharp, allowing only six points in the second half across its first three games, and the overall tone around the program has shifted from hopeful to assertive.
What stood out against Stanford was the message Duke sent before the game really settled in. Diaz framed the opening sequence as part of a broader approach, a deliberate effort to show his team wanted to attack the moment instead of easing into it. For a program trying to establish itself as a legitimate conference threat, that kind of early gamble says a lot about where the Blue Devils think they are headed. [Read more 🡒]