Upcoming Event: Football versus Tulane on September 5, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.
Football
vs Tulane
Game Notes: Charlotte
8/30/2021 6:35:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke opens its season on the road at Charlotte on Friday night at Jerry Richardson Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
Â
The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 1-0 after a 53-19 Halloween night victory in Durham a season ago ... the running back duo of Deon Jackson and Mataeo Durant led the way by combining for 205 yards and four touchdowns ... each registered two scores and both surpassed 100-yards rushing ... quarterback Chase Brice quietly finished his night 8-of-14 for 106 yards and one touchdown ... on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Shaka Heyward led the Blue Devil defense with 12 tackles, including seven in the opening half.
Friday's CBS broadcast will feature Chris Lewis, Corey Chavous and Justin Walters on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELDÂ through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
Â
HOW TO FOLLOW
Duke (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Charlotte (0-0, 0-0 C-USA)
Friday, September 3, 2021 • 7:00 PM
Charlotte, N.C. • Jerry Richardson Stadium
TELEVISION • CBSSN
RADIO • Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD
GAME NOTES • Duke Notes (PDF)  •  Charlotte Notes
LIVE STATS • Charlotte49ers.com
TWITTER • @DukeFOOTBALL
GAME NOTES
Senior running back Mataeo Durant only had 504 rushing yards to his name heading into 2020 but the Plum Branch, S.C., native exploded for a team-best 817 yards and now sits 30th among Duke's all-time leading rushers ... he currently is 235 yards away from breaking into the top-20.Â
Redshirt junior linebacker Shaka Heyward stepped into the starting lineup at the beginning of the 2020 season and led the team, while also finishing 12th in the ACC, in tackles with 80 ... the Dacula, Ga., native has five career double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against North Carolina in 2019 ... in addition he has 17 games with 5+ tackles.
Nine Blue Devils have been named to watch lists heading into the 2020 season ... Mataeo Durant leads the way with four honors, while Jack Wohlabaugh, Josh Blackwell and Leonard Johnson has been tabbed to two ... Shaka Heyward, Porter Wilson, Charlie Ham, Jake Bobo and John Taylor round out the other Duke players selected ... the complete list may be found on page seven.Â
This season marks the 75th anniversary of head coach Wallace Wade's second stint at the helm of the Blue Devil program ... after an 11-year tenure as head coach from 1931-41, Wade returned to Durham for the 1946 season and went 4-5, including a 13-0 victory over No. 13 Wake Forest ... he would go on to coach four additional seasons after that, compiling a record of 21-12-4 for an overall coaching mark at Duke of 110-36-7 (.742).Â
CAPTAIN STATUS
Elected by their teammates, three returning lettermen serve as team captains for the 2021 campaign: WR Jake Bobo, DT DeWayne Carter, and QB Gunnar Holmberg.
CUTCLIFFE, DUKE IN SEPTEMBER
Duke is 32-20 in the month of September under Cutcliffe ... on the road, the Blue Devils are 12-7.
SEASON OPENERS
Duke is 9-4 in season openers under head coach David Cutcliffe ... this will be the Blue Devils' third road season opener during his tenure.
In the last nine season openers, Duke has outscored its opponents, 339-142:
Year   Opponent   Score
2012Â Â Â FIUÂ Â Â W, 46-26
2013   N.C. Central   W, 45-0
2014   Elon   W, 52-13
2015   at Tulane   W, 37-7
2016   N.C. Central   W, 49-6
2017   N.C. Central   W, 60-7
2018   Army West Point   W, 34-14
2019Â Â Â vs. [2] Alabama^Â Â Â L, 3-42
2020   at [10] Notre Dame   L, 13-27
^Atlanta, Ga., Chic-fil-A Kickoff Game
OFFENSIVE LINE STABILITY
Duke welcomes back to the depth chart redshirt senior Jack Wohlabaugh, who missed the entire 2020 season due to a right knee injury ... the 2019 All-ACC selection brings a wealth of experience to the Blue Devil offensive line, having registered 1,477 snaps in 22 career games.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Graduate student quarterback Gunnar Holmberg is expected to make his first collegiate start on Friday ... the last time Holmberg was listed in the starting lineup was 1,379 days ago with Heritage High School when the Huskies dropped a 20-8 playoff decision to Hoggard High School on Nov. 24, 2017.
BOBO BIG UNDER PRESSURE
Senior wide receiver Jake Bobo has become Duke's top target for extending drives … the North Andover, Mass., native had 32 catches in 2020, with 22 of those going for a first down … of the other 10, one went for a touchdown leaving just nine receptions that didn't result in a first down or a score … ironically, six of those were receptions for nine yards.
HEAVY LOAD FOR HEYWARD
In his first season as a starter, Shaka Heyward finished the 2020 campaign with a team-best 80 tackles ... he returns as one of the top six tacklers in the ACC heading into this season ... he also brings five double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against North Carolina in 2019 ... the Dacula, Ga., native has 17 games with 5+ tackles.
HEYWARD NOTABLES
Redshirt junior linebacker Shaka Heyward has registered 1+ tackle in 16 straight contests ... he has also recorded fumble recoveries against Pittsburgh (2019), North Carolina (2019), and Georgia Tech (2020), while earning a safety and special teams TD against Georgia Tech in 2020 ... in 27 career games (17 starts), Heyward has compiled 148 tackles, 15.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, one INT, three fumble recoveries, and six QB pressures.
PASSES DEFENDED
Redshirt junior cornerback Jeremiah Lewis finished 2020 with 46 tackles, 3.5 TFL, two INTs and a team-high 10 PBUs ... in the ACC, he ranked tied for first with 12 total passes defended.
FRYE RETURNS
While Duke has to rebuild much of its defensive line, one factor that remains the same is veteran Ben Frye ... a year ago, Frye was the Blue Devils' starting defensive tackle but shifted to defensive end during the offseason ... the Dublin, Ohio, native is a dual-sport athlete at Duke, also competing as a member of the wrestling program.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
Redshirt senior cornerback Leonard Johnson leads the team with 2,333 career snaps ... the Hayden, Ala., product has 131 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, four INTs, three caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 13 PBUs to his name ... he owns 10 games with 6+ tackles, including a career-high nine stops at Pittsburgh in 2018.
PUNTING PERFECTION
In his first year as Duke's starting punter, redshirt sophomore Porter Wilson garnered a Freshman All-America nod from The Athletic and was tabbed a semifinalist for the 2020 Ray Guy Award ... the Fairlawn, Ohio, native started all 11 games for Duke last season, totaling 53 punts for 2,276 yards (42.94) ... he ranked eighth in the league in punting average and had 21 kicks downed inside the opponent 20-yard line to just two touchbacks ... Wilson finished the season second all-time on Duke's freshman single-season chart in punting average.
Â
KICKING WITH HAM
Redshirt sophomore kicker Charlie Ham concluded 2020 by being named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award ... the Atlanta, Ga., product wrapped up his first season as the primary place-kicker converting 13-of-15 field goal attempts (29-, 30-, 25-, 47-, 39-, 36-, 45-, 21-, 46-, 29-, 32-, 29- and 35-yards). The 47-yarder was a career long ... he ranked tied for second in the ACC and 13th in the country with a .867 field goal percentage ... his 13 made field goals finished tied for eighth in the league, along with his 1.18 field goals per game.
#GoDuke
Â
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
Â
The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 1-0 after a 53-19 Halloween night victory in Durham a season ago ... the running back duo of Deon Jackson and Mataeo Durant led the way by combining for 205 yards and four touchdowns ... each registered two scores and both surpassed 100-yards rushing ... quarterback Chase Brice quietly finished his night 8-of-14 for 106 yards and one touchdown ... on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Shaka Heyward led the Blue Devil defense with 12 tackles, including seven in the opening half.
Friday's CBS broadcast will feature Chris Lewis, Corey Chavous and Justin Walters on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELDÂ through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
Â
HOW TO FOLLOW
Duke (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Charlotte (0-0, 0-0 C-USA)
Friday, September 3, 2021 • 7:00 PM
Charlotte, N.C. • Jerry Richardson Stadium
TELEVISION • CBSSN
RADIO • Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD
GAME NOTES • Duke Notes (PDF)  •  Charlotte Notes
LIVE STATS • Charlotte49ers.com
TWITTER • @DukeFOOTBALL
GAME NOTES
Senior running back Mataeo Durant only had 504 rushing yards to his name heading into 2020 but the Plum Branch, S.C., native exploded for a team-best 817 yards and now sits 30th among Duke's all-time leading rushers ... he currently is 235 yards away from breaking into the top-20.Â
Redshirt junior linebacker Shaka Heyward stepped into the starting lineup at the beginning of the 2020 season and led the team, while also finishing 12th in the ACC, in tackles with 80 ... the Dacula, Ga., native has five career double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against North Carolina in 2019 ... in addition he has 17 games with 5+ tackles.
Nine Blue Devils have been named to watch lists heading into the 2020 season ... Mataeo Durant leads the way with four honors, while Jack Wohlabaugh, Josh Blackwell and Leonard Johnson has been tabbed to two ... Shaka Heyward, Porter Wilson, Charlie Ham, Jake Bobo and John Taylor round out the other Duke players selected ... the complete list may be found on page seven.Â
This season marks the 75th anniversary of head coach Wallace Wade's second stint at the helm of the Blue Devil program ... after an 11-year tenure as head coach from 1931-41, Wade returned to Durham for the 1946 season and went 4-5, including a 13-0 victory over No. 13 Wake Forest ... he would go on to coach four additional seasons after that, compiling a record of 21-12-4 for an overall coaching mark at Duke of 110-36-7 (.742).Â
CAPTAIN STATUS
Elected by their teammates, three returning lettermen serve as team captains for the 2021 campaign: WR Jake Bobo, DT DeWayne Carter, and QB Gunnar Holmberg.
CUTCLIFFE, DUKE IN SEPTEMBER
Duke is 32-20 in the month of September under Cutcliffe ... on the road, the Blue Devils are 12-7.
SEASON OPENERS
Duke is 9-4 in season openers under head coach David Cutcliffe ... this will be the Blue Devils' third road season opener during his tenure.
In the last nine season openers, Duke has outscored its opponents, 339-142:
Year   Opponent   Score
2012Â Â Â FIUÂ Â Â W, 46-26
2013   N.C. Central   W, 45-0
2014   Elon   W, 52-13
2015   at Tulane   W, 37-7
2016   N.C. Central   W, 49-6
2017   N.C. Central   W, 60-7
2018   Army West Point   W, 34-14
2019Â Â Â vs. [2] Alabama^Â Â Â L, 3-42
2020   at [10] Notre Dame   L, 13-27
^Atlanta, Ga., Chic-fil-A Kickoff Game
OFFENSIVE LINE STABILITY
Duke welcomes back to the depth chart redshirt senior Jack Wohlabaugh, who missed the entire 2020 season due to a right knee injury ... the 2019 All-ACC selection brings a wealth of experience to the Blue Devil offensive line, having registered 1,477 snaps in 22 career games.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Graduate student quarterback Gunnar Holmberg is expected to make his first collegiate start on Friday ... the last time Holmberg was listed in the starting lineup was 1,379 days ago with Heritage High School when the Huskies dropped a 20-8 playoff decision to Hoggard High School on Nov. 24, 2017.
BOBO BIG UNDER PRESSURE
Senior wide receiver Jake Bobo has become Duke's top target for extending drives … the North Andover, Mass., native had 32 catches in 2020, with 22 of those going for a first down … of the other 10, one went for a touchdown leaving just nine receptions that didn't result in a first down or a score … ironically, six of those were receptions for nine yards.
HEAVY LOAD FOR HEYWARD
In his first season as a starter, Shaka Heyward finished the 2020 campaign with a team-best 80 tackles ... he returns as one of the top six tacklers in the ACC heading into this season ... he also brings five double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against North Carolina in 2019 ... the Dacula, Ga., native has 17 games with 5+ tackles.
HEYWARD NOTABLES
Redshirt junior linebacker Shaka Heyward has registered 1+ tackle in 16 straight contests ... he has also recorded fumble recoveries against Pittsburgh (2019), North Carolina (2019), and Georgia Tech (2020), while earning a safety and special teams TD against Georgia Tech in 2020 ... in 27 career games (17 starts), Heyward has compiled 148 tackles, 15.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, one INT, three fumble recoveries, and six QB pressures.
PASSES DEFENDED
Redshirt junior cornerback Jeremiah Lewis finished 2020 with 46 tackles, 3.5 TFL, two INTs and a team-high 10 PBUs ... in the ACC, he ranked tied for first with 12 total passes defended.
FRYE RETURNS
While Duke has to rebuild much of its defensive line, one factor that remains the same is veteran Ben Frye ... a year ago, Frye was the Blue Devils' starting defensive tackle but shifted to defensive end during the offseason ... the Dublin, Ohio, native is a dual-sport athlete at Duke, also competing as a member of the wrestling program.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
Redshirt senior cornerback Leonard Johnson leads the team with 2,333 career snaps ... the Hayden, Ala., product has 131 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, four INTs, three caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 13 PBUs to his name ... he owns 10 games with 6+ tackles, including a career-high nine stops at Pittsburgh in 2018.
PUNTING PERFECTION
In his first year as Duke's starting punter, redshirt sophomore Porter Wilson garnered a Freshman All-America nod from The Athletic and was tabbed a semifinalist for the 2020 Ray Guy Award ... the Fairlawn, Ohio, native started all 11 games for Duke last season, totaling 53 punts for 2,276 yards (42.94) ... he ranked eighth in the league in punting average and had 21 kicks downed inside the opponent 20-yard line to just two touchbacks ... Wilson finished the season second all-time on Duke's freshman single-season chart in punting average.
Â
KICKING WITH HAM
Redshirt sophomore kicker Charlie Ham concluded 2020 by being named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award ... the Atlanta, Ga., product wrapped up his first season as the primary place-kicker converting 13-of-15 field goal attempts (29-, 30-, 25-, 47-, 39-, 36-, 45-, 21-, 46-, 29-, 32-, 29- and 35-yards). The 47-yarder was a career long ... he ranked tied for second in the ACC and 13th in the country with a .867 field goal percentage ... his 13 made field goals finished tied for eighth in the league, along with his 1.18 field goals per game.
#GoDuke
Â
Players Mentioned
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
K
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
LS
/ Football
P
/ Football
C
/ FootballWednesday, August 05
Wednesday, August 05
Wednesday, August 05
Wednesday, August 05
