Duke went into Saturday’s game without one of its greatest players. Shortly before kickoff, star left tackle Graham Barton was ruled out with an injury; redshirt freshman Brian Parker II started in his place. Barton was named to the First Team All-ACC in 2022. Myles Jones, a graduate cornerback who didn’t play in the Blue Devils’ win over UConn, won’t play either. Duke was able to protect its junior quarterback Riley Leonard for the most part, but the Blue Devils’ offence struggled in the first half without Leonard.
Duke Football
For the first time in what has otherwise been a stellar season for Duke’s quarterback, Leonard threw an interception when the ball went directly into the hands of the opposing squad. On second down from his own 14, senior safety Xavier Watts made a crucial mistake by jumping Nicky Dalmolin’s route up the middle.
While Duke’s defence stood strong (a sack by graduate defensive end Ja’Mion Franklin on third down led to a 35-yard field goal), emerging star quarterback Leonard had a rough first half, highlighted by his first interception of the season (and his first since a November 2022 loss at Pittsburgh). The Fairhope, Alabama native finished the first half 8-for-17 passing for 93 yards and gained 21 yards on the ground on the game’s final play.
For the third time in his career, Wake Forest alum and current Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman will face off against Duke. In November of 2022, he nearly single-handedly willed the Demon Deacons to a victory in Durham, accounting for 372 total yards and three passing touchdowns. However, the game ended in a 34-31 loss due to a late interception.
Six years into his collegiate football career, Hartman has shown no signs of slowing down as he leads the Fighting Irish’s potent offence. He quickly developed chemistry with junior tight end Mitchell Evans (four receptions, 99 yards) and has Notre Dame ahead by a comfortable margin with 30 minutes remaining. So far, his 132 yards passing on 9-for-16 attempts against the Blue Devils have been more than adequate. He may not need to repeat his spectacular figures from previous games against them.
Motionless running: Despite Leonard’s passing prowess, Duke’s 4-0 start can be attributed to the team’s renowned rushing attack, which has averaged 200.5 yards per game. Early on Saturday, the defence was able to stop the Blue Devils’ ground game cold, holding them to just two rushing yards in the first quarter and 38 for the game.
Both teams, especially on the north side of the field, had difficulties kicking the ball past the uprights early on Saturday, which can be attributed to the loudest audience Wallace Wade had heard in a long time. Blue Devils sophomore kicker Todd Pelino missed from 38 yards out in the team’s opening drive, and Fighting Irish kicker Spencer Shrader missed from 37 yards out in the middle of the second quarter. The Blue Devils went into halftime scoreless after Pelino missed a field goal attempt from 25 yards out.
Read More: Miami Dolphins win record-setting game 70-20 over Broncos thanks to franchise scoring record and dominant performance.
Duke’s special teams had a rough first half, with the Fighting Irish capitalising on a fake punt and then recovering a mishit punt by Porter Wilson.
In a nutshell:
Estime’s 20 yards on the ground: The Blue Devils didn’t back down even when they faced junior running back Audric Estimé, who is widely considered to be one of the best in college football so far in 2023. On Saturday, Estimé was averaging 7.7 yards per carry, good for fourth in the NCAA, but the Blue Devils limited him to a more acceptable 2.2 yards per carry on nine carries through the first quarter.
The Blue Devils allowed only seven or more points once in their first four games, a 38-14 victory against Northwestern. Despite the Fighting Irish’s best efforts on offence, they were unable to score until the game’s first drive. This opponent is clearly not of the same mould.
Duke benefited from a half in which Notre Dame was flagged seven times, resulting in a time of possession advantage for the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils are clinging to a slim lead as halftime approaches in Durham thanks to the disparity (40 yards to zero yards).
An Important Play:
After the Blue Devils’ defence appeared to have held up on the opening drive, Notre Dame attempted a fake punt. At Duke’s 47-yard line, on fourth-and-4, freshman running back Jeremiyah Love took the direct snap and raced 34 yards up the right side for a first down and a score two plays later by Estime. After a scoreless first half, the difference was the touchdown and the play that set it up.
