Duke Blue Devils Storm The Ground In Debut Win
What began as a normal opening day for the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium was delayed by severe thunderstorms until 5 pm, but it didn’t stop them from delivering a winning performance against the Tulane Green Wave, winning 17-3. There was definitely lightning on the field as well. Sophomore running back Nate Sheppard broke his career high in rushing yards and carries, in total producing 227 yards, 35 carries, and 2 touchdowns.
The first half was meant to highlight the strength and control of Duke’s offensive line and running style. Sheppard literally carried the team on his back, no pun intended, after he helped get the Blue Devils on the board. Duke’s offense gassed the Green Wave defenders with the humidity and constant running. Coach Manny Diaz mixed up the play calling with heavy runs and quick passes, resulting in multiple first downs that kept the clock running and led to a 10-0 score heading into halftime. Coach Diaz said after the game, “This was an identity game and an identity win.”
In the second half, Tulane made a quarterback adjustment to try to produce an offense; sadly, nothing transpired. The Blue Devils continued to put pressure on the Green Waves this time by switching up a healthy mix of running and passing. It didn’t lead to many points, but it definitely strides towards offensive improvement. Now the Blue Devils’ defense, on the other hand, came to play today, showing great awareness tackling in the open field and, most importantly, allowed no touchdowns. Also, something that resonated with me in the middle of the 4th quarter, with the score 10-3, was when Duke substituted Quarterback Walker Eget for Redshirt Freshman Dan Mahan, which caused loud cheers from the crowd. Will there be any changes on the horizon? By the 6:44 mark in the fourth quarter, a 14-yard run by no other than Sheppard put the nail in the coffin. Coach Diaz also mentioned, “They knew the key was to stop number 20; it wasn’t a secret our identity is not a secret, ” and “For everyone to know that they will go to you and you still can’t stop it, but you can’t credit Nate without crediting the offensive line.”
What’s next up for the Duke Blue Devils? Traveling to Gies Memorial Stadium to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini to try to get revenge and hopefully erase the memory of a crushing defeat from last season.