As a freshman quarterback leads on Senior Day
Date 11/25 || Time 12:00 || Venue Wallace Wade Stadium || Video ACCN
Duke closes out the regular season Saturday at home against the Pitt Panthers. Injuries, specifically to quarterbacks Riley Leonard and Henry Belin have limited Duke’s options and offensive success. Leonard was first injured at the end of the Notre Dame game and Duke was 4-1 after that game.
Going into the Pitt game, the Blue Devils are 6-5.
Pitt, a team that Duke has struggled with, is 3-8 and the offense has been weak. Duke’s defense has been a strong point but it isn’t as solid as it was early.
Still, that’s likely to be the theme Saturday.
Duke has been forced to go with true freshman Grayson Loftis at QB. He’s done a solid job leading the offense, but he is a freshman and it’s asking a lot. There’s no way he can do what Leonard could do this early in his career.
If Duke does win, the Blue Devils will finish the regular season 7-5 and with a chance to wrap up at 8-5 with a bowl win.
That’s not what anyone wanted, but it also wouldn’t be very far off of what Duke accomplished in Mike Elko’s first season, when the final record was 9-5. And for those of us who remember, say, the Carl Franks era, when Duke went 7-45 and finished two season at 0-11, if you want to know how bad things were, here’s how bad: at one point, Duke pulled out of a contract with pre-ACC Louisville and the Cardinals sued. Duke’s defense?
Any D1 opponent would be better.
That was Duke. Those were Duke’s attorneys.
And the judge bought it.
So we’re thrilled with what Elko, and his predecessor David Cutcliffe, have done for the program. The final record might have been better, but Duke is a very long way from 0-11. We should all be grateful for being taken seriously again.
