Stanford’s trip to Durham arrives with Duke already carrying plenty of momentum, but the Blue Devils may have gotten a little extra fuel from the other sideline.
Duke is 2-0 after two non-conference wins and is starting to pick up votes in both the Coaches and AP polls. A third straight victory would give the Blue Devils an even stronger early-season push, and it would also set the tone for their first ACC game of the year.
That game comes Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, where Duke opens conference play against Stanford. The Cardinal are 1-1, with a Week 0 win over Hawai'i at home followed by a lopsided loss to Miami in Week 1.
On paper, it’s a matchup Duke should handle, and the Blue Devils will be leaning on an offense led by Nate Sheppard to keep the start rolling. Sheppard has been a force through two games, piling up 374 yards on 59 carries.
He’s scored three rushing touchdowns and added two more through the air. He was the difference-maker in Duke’s Week 1 win over Tulane and followed that with another strong performance against Illinois in Week 2.
The quarterback spot is another place where Duke needs steady play. After a rough opener, Walker Eget responded against Illinois and delivered the kind of outing Manny Diaz had in mind when he chose him as the starter.
Stanford defensive back Brandon Nicholson helped sharpen the focus a bit with his comments about what he expects from Duke’s offense.
"Obviously, watching those past two games, their running attack has been heavy, a lot of handoffs, and their running back, I believe, is one of the top rushers in the country over these past two games,” Nicholson said. “So knowing that's going to be a focus for them as a defense.”
He added a direct challenge to Stanford’s defense, backing the group up front.
“Nobody's going to run against our defense,” Nicholson said.
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