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Duke Football Notebook: An Unfamiliar Foe
9/12/2019 3:53:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke is back on the road Saturday when it travels to Middle Tennessee State for a non-conference matchup. This contest will be the Blue Devils second road test to begin the year.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. That contest will be broadcast live on Stadium on Facebook with Chris Hassel, AJ Hawk and Kristen Balboni on the call.
This weekend's game will mark the first meeting between Duke and Middle Tennessee State.
The Blue Devils got back to their winning ways last Saturday by defeating North Carolina A&T, 45-13, in their home opener. Duke used three-straight scores over a little more than a three-minute span late in the second quarter to break the game open at 28-10 heading into the break. Duke then limited the Aggies to just three points over the next 30 minutes to secure its first victory of the year.
The Blue Raiders head into the contest with a 1-1 record after defeating Tennessee State last Saturday, 45-26. It was a five-point game heading into the fourth quarter as the Blue Raiders held a slim 24-19 edge over their guests. MTSU outscored Tennessee State, 21-7, in the final frame to secure the win.
Calhoun Shines in Home Opener
Freshman wide receiver Jalon Calhoun shined in his first game at Wallace Wade Stadium, scoring twice on eight catches for 105 yards. Redshirt senior quarterback Quentin Harris found Calhoun for a 38-yard strike in the first quarter to give Calhoun his first career score. Calhoun scored again in the third quarter as a 24-yard pass from Harris led him into the end zone.
"He plays with a chip on his shoulder," junior tight end Noah Gray said. "I'm not sure that there's been guys that I've seen that have worked that hard, especially at a really young age. He came in and he didn't look inexperienced like you'd think a freshman would. He came in, he worked hard and he really showed us the maturity that he brought to this program."
The Greenville, S.C., native also etched his name into the Duke freshman single-game records in the following categories: fifth with 12 points scored in a game, the most since Ross Martin did so against N.C. Central in 2012; fifth with eight catches, the most since Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon each had 10 in 2008 and 2009, respectively; and sixth with 105 yards, the most since Vernon achieved 128 against Virginia Tech in 2009.
Coming to Duke has been a transition for Calhoun, as he was the star quarterback at Southside High School during his formative years. While being recruited, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe saw potential, even if it was not in his natural position.
"He was just such a football player," Cutcliffe said. "I didn't think he threw it well enough to be a quarterback at this level but he throws the ball well and we'll see that at some point along the way. What I thought – and this is what helped us with him – he needed to get the ball. He's dynamic with the football and deep in his mind I think he wanted to play offense and that's why he ended up at Duke."
While the transition from quarterback to wide receiver may seem like a stretch, the change has been beneficial for the Duke offense.
"It always helps when you have the mindset of a quarterback to understand how the quarterback is thinking about plays and coverages," Harris said of Calhoun. "He's just been aware and able to kind of dissect coverages and then adjust his route accordingly. He's a very smart player and now I that you're starting to see him get more comfortable in the scheme. And then now you're letting your true kind of talent show through.
Offense Finds It's Rhythm
The Duke offense found its stride against North Carolina A&T, compiling 574 total yards of offense. Harris led the Duke Blue and White offense to a successful outing. The Wilton, Conn., native converted on 30 of his 42 attempts in the game for 345 yards. In the first half alone, Harris went 21-of-29 for 254 yards. His previous career high in yards was 202, which he achieved against N.C. Central back on Sept. 22, 2018. Harris' passing yards from Saturday put him 47th on Duke's single-game chart.
"We've got a good group of guys out there," Gray said. "Good personalities and a lot of guys that want to work hard. The offensive linemen are doing a tremendous job right now. They looked great today. Quentin, all the quarterbacks, the receivers, I feel like we look like we love each other and that's really important when creating a group of guys to put 11 people on the field and play at our best."
Harris didn't do it alone, however, and gives a lot of credit to his offensive line. The Blue Devil offensive line has given up only one sack through two games against teams that averaged 3.00 (Alabama) and 2.00 (North Carolina A&T).
"I'm totally comfortable," Harris commented. "I have full faith in the line. One thing that we have had through the two weeks so far is we've had great communication with the line and everything. I think we've only had one sack. That's obviously encouraging and if I can stay on the same page as them, I will be all right."
Singleton Leads Blue Devil Defense, Again
For the second consecutive contest, senior safety Dylan Singleton led Duke with total tackles with 13 against Alabama and nine versus N.C. A&T. The Duke captain 22 tackles land him third currently in the ACC.
"Oh man, I love Dylan," junior safety Michael Carter II said. "He's very hardworking, and good at being a leader. He's great at his role, plays hard, and motivates us as a group to play at his level because I think he's one of the hardest players we have on the defense."
The Dacula, Ga., native also compiled his second career fumble recovery in Duke's win over North Carolina A&T.
"When you see him flying around everywhere on the field you know you don't want to get caught on the film not being the guy who's flying around like him," Carter II continued. "He is rightfully deserving of that captain role because he sets the example. He sets the tone every single day. Having a guy like that just elevates the defense and our performance even more."
Next Up … Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee State holds the respect of the Duke team. The Blue Devils are not going into Saturday's contest unaware of the history the Blue Raiders program has.
"I've known Rick Stockstill a long time and know many people on his staff," Cutcliffe said. "He's got a veteran staff. He is a veteran coach. They have a great program. This is a championship program. Hats off to him, Middle Tennessee is a great football school. I've been there many times, all the way back to Boots Donnelly. Coach Donnelly was a great coach there for years. This is a big, tough challenge for our football team. They know it. They are very aware of that."
Harris echoed Cutcliffe's thoughts on this being a big game and traveling on the road to face a gritty Conference USA opponent.
"We're going to be treating each game like it's the most important game on our schedule, because it is," Harris commented. "The next one is always the most important one. We recognize that they've had some good opponents they've played. And they've played opponents well. We're looking forward to playing them in a night game there, which is always fun. Good atmosphere. We just have to focus."
Middle Tennessee held its own against Michigan, despite the final score, and then rebounded to defeat a good Tennessee State program last week. This contest is shaping up to be a physical battle between two unfamiliar foes.
"They have a lot of gritty players, a lot of really good players," Gray said. "They work hard. They know what they're doing. We expect them to come out and play really hard. They have a lot of good guys in the secondary and their backers are strong. Upfront they have a lot of fast and bigger guys. So, I think they're going to come out and they're going to give us their all."
Carter II added his thoughts about the Blue Raiders being a versatile opponent.
"They're a very fast group. They are different week to week. You know they come out in a lot of different formations. That is not conventional to what we usually see. They're very different, very fast and very talented. We're just working on repetition. Just getting to know how they function. We have to be able to operate fast because they can go really fast. We have to be able to adjust really quickly and get set up."
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. That contest will be broadcast live on Stadium on Facebook with Chris Hassel, AJ Hawk and Kristen Balboni on the call.
This weekend's game will mark the first meeting between Duke and Middle Tennessee State.
The Blue Devils got back to their winning ways last Saturday by defeating North Carolina A&T, 45-13, in their home opener. Duke used three-straight scores over a little more than a three-minute span late in the second quarter to break the game open at 28-10 heading into the break. Duke then limited the Aggies to just three points over the next 30 minutes to secure its first victory of the year.
The Blue Raiders head into the contest with a 1-1 record after defeating Tennessee State last Saturday, 45-26. It was a five-point game heading into the fourth quarter as the Blue Raiders held a slim 24-19 edge over their guests. MTSU outscored Tennessee State, 21-7, in the final frame to secure the win.
Calhoun Shines in Home Opener
Freshman wide receiver Jalon Calhoun shined in his first game at Wallace Wade Stadium, scoring twice on eight catches for 105 yards. Redshirt senior quarterback Quentin Harris found Calhoun for a 38-yard strike in the first quarter to give Calhoun his first career score. Calhoun scored again in the third quarter as a 24-yard pass from Harris led him into the end zone.
"He plays with a chip on his shoulder," junior tight end Noah Gray said. "I'm not sure that there's been guys that I've seen that have worked that hard, especially at a really young age. He came in and he didn't look inexperienced like you'd think a freshman would. He came in, he worked hard and he really showed us the maturity that he brought to this program."
The Greenville, S.C., native also etched his name into the Duke freshman single-game records in the following categories: fifth with 12 points scored in a game, the most since Ross Martin did so against N.C. Central in 2012; fifth with eight catches, the most since Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon each had 10 in 2008 and 2009, respectively; and sixth with 105 yards, the most since Vernon achieved 128 against Virginia Tech in 2009.
Coming to Duke has been a transition for Calhoun, as he was the star quarterback at Southside High School during his formative years. While being recruited, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe saw potential, even if it was not in his natural position.
"He was just such a football player," Cutcliffe said. "I didn't think he threw it well enough to be a quarterback at this level but he throws the ball well and we'll see that at some point along the way. What I thought – and this is what helped us with him – he needed to get the ball. He's dynamic with the football and deep in his mind I think he wanted to play offense and that's why he ended up at Duke."
While the transition from quarterback to wide receiver may seem like a stretch, the change has been beneficial for the Duke offense.
"It always helps when you have the mindset of a quarterback to understand how the quarterback is thinking about plays and coverages," Harris said of Calhoun. "He's just been aware and able to kind of dissect coverages and then adjust his route accordingly. He's a very smart player and now I that you're starting to see him get more comfortable in the scheme. And then now you're letting your true kind of talent show through.
Offense Finds It's Rhythm
The Duke offense found its stride against North Carolina A&T, compiling 574 total yards of offense. Harris led the Duke Blue and White offense to a successful outing. The Wilton, Conn., native converted on 30 of his 42 attempts in the game for 345 yards. In the first half alone, Harris went 21-of-29 for 254 yards. His previous career high in yards was 202, which he achieved against N.C. Central back on Sept. 22, 2018. Harris' passing yards from Saturday put him 47th on Duke's single-game chart.
"We've got a good group of guys out there," Gray said. "Good personalities and a lot of guys that want to work hard. The offensive linemen are doing a tremendous job right now. They looked great today. Quentin, all the quarterbacks, the receivers, I feel like we look like we love each other and that's really important when creating a group of guys to put 11 people on the field and play at our best."
Harris didn't do it alone, however, and gives a lot of credit to his offensive line. The Blue Devil offensive line has given up only one sack through two games against teams that averaged 3.00 (Alabama) and 2.00 (North Carolina A&T).
"I'm totally comfortable," Harris commented. "I have full faith in the line. One thing that we have had through the two weeks so far is we've had great communication with the line and everything. I think we've only had one sack. That's obviously encouraging and if I can stay on the same page as them, I will be all right."
Singleton Leads Blue Devil Defense, Again
For the second consecutive contest, senior safety Dylan Singleton led Duke with total tackles with 13 against Alabama and nine versus N.C. A&T. The Duke captain 22 tackles land him third currently in the ACC.
"Oh man, I love Dylan," junior safety Michael Carter II said. "He's very hardworking, and good at being a leader. He's great at his role, plays hard, and motivates us as a group to play at his level because I think he's one of the hardest players we have on the defense."
The Dacula, Ga., native also compiled his second career fumble recovery in Duke's win over North Carolina A&T.
"When you see him flying around everywhere on the field you know you don't want to get caught on the film not being the guy who's flying around like him," Carter II continued. "He is rightfully deserving of that captain role because he sets the example. He sets the tone every single day. Having a guy like that just elevates the defense and our performance even more."
Next Up … Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee State holds the respect of the Duke team. The Blue Devils are not going into Saturday's contest unaware of the history the Blue Raiders program has.
"I've known Rick Stockstill a long time and know many people on his staff," Cutcliffe said. "He's got a veteran staff. He is a veteran coach. They have a great program. This is a championship program. Hats off to him, Middle Tennessee is a great football school. I've been there many times, all the way back to Boots Donnelly. Coach Donnelly was a great coach there for years. This is a big, tough challenge for our football team. They know it. They are very aware of that."
Harris echoed Cutcliffe's thoughts on this being a big game and traveling on the road to face a gritty Conference USA opponent.
"We're going to be treating each game like it's the most important game on our schedule, because it is," Harris commented. "The next one is always the most important one. We recognize that they've had some good opponents they've played. And they've played opponents well. We're looking forward to playing them in a night game there, which is always fun. Good atmosphere. We just have to focus."
Middle Tennessee held its own against Michigan, despite the final score, and then rebounded to defeat a good Tennessee State program last week. This contest is shaping up to be a physical battle between two unfamiliar foes.
"They have a lot of gritty players, a lot of really good players," Gray said. "They work hard. They know what they're doing. We expect them to come out and play really hard. They have a lot of good guys in the secondary and their backers are strong. Upfront they have a lot of fast and bigger guys. So, I think they're going to come out and they're going to give us their all."
Carter II added his thoughts about the Blue Raiders being a versatile opponent.
"They're a very fast group. They are different week to week. You know they come out in a lot of different formations. That is not conventional to what we usually see. They're very different, very fast and very talented. We're just working on repetition. Just getting to know how they function. We have to be able to operate fast because they can go really fast. We have to be able to adjust really quickly and get set up."
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