Duke’s 4-0 start has plenty to like, and the biggest reason for optimism right now is pretty straightforward: the Blue Devils are cleaning up the one area that had been threatening to get in their way.
After Saturday’s 62-7 win over FCS William & Mary, Manny Diaz’s team heads into the bye week with momentum and a growing sense that things are coming together. Duke has now started 4-0 for the second time in Diaz’s three-year tenure, and with conference play approaching, the timing couldn’t be better.
The issue that had stood out most through the first three games was penalties. Duke entered Week 4 ranked 128th nationally in penalty yards per game at 81.67 and had already piled up 28 total flags. It hadn’t fully hurt the Blue Devils yet, but it was the kind of problem that can turn into a real headache once league games get tighter.
Against William & Mary, Duke was much cleaner. The Blue Devils were flagged six times for 60 yards, and four of those were holding penalties. That’s still not spotless, but it’s a noticeable step in the right direction after the 11 penalties for 112 yards against Illinois on the road and nine penalties for 80 yards against Stanford.
Diaz said after the game that the improvement was real, even if there’s still work to do.
"Yeah, it's better. The holds are still you know, costly more than they should.
But we're showing signs of improvement... But we are getting better," Diaz said.
That’s the basic formula now: keep reducing the mistakes by simply not making them. It’s not complicated, but it matters even more as ACC play begins.
There’s also plenty else working in Duke’s favor. The Blue Devils have been dominant after halftime, outscoring opponents 62-6 in the second half through four games. And with Miami, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech also sitting at 4-0, Duke is one of four ACC teams off to that kind of start.
With two straight winnable games on deck after the bye, the Blue Devils are in a strong position. The challenge now is making sure the penalty problem doesn’t grow into something bigger once the conference schedule starts to tighten.
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