DURHAM – Duke football head coach Mike Elko met with members of the media on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
The Blue Devils travel to Kansas on Saturday for a showdown with the Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium at 12 noon. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 with Eric Collins and Devin Gardner on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the Varsity app or goduke.com
 Mike Elko Duke Football Head Coach (Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thanks to everyone for coming today. Just to recap the game and I said it afterwards and the film kind of held up, I was really happy with how we handled the game, and how we handled the week. I thought we prepared the right way. I thought we had a really good weekend. We were in the right mindset going into the game and I thought we started really fast again. For us to have the big kickoff return to start the game and then hit the touchdown on the first play, that's obviously how we were hoping to start fast and kind of get up on them. We got up 21-to-0. We had the big sack fumble in there, which was really critical. I did think we had a little bit of a lull in the second quarter, which has obviously been a bit of our challenge and so I really challenged them at halftime to come out in the third quarter and get back to playing the way we were capable of. We did score on three-straight possessions or two-straight possessions and really kind of put the game to bed. At that point, we were able to get a lot of guys in and that was awesome. I mean, it was a great opportunity to get a lot of kids opportunities on the field. We were able to get some freshmen out there in one of their four games and get them some playing time. We were able to get a lot of our twos and older guys on the field and some game reps because those guys are important and we're going to need them.
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"I thought it was a great night and great atmosphere overall. I am very thankful for all the Duke employees who came out and supported us, thankful for the students who came out and supported us. So, it was a good win. It was a good opportunity to go to 3-0 and now, onto a very dangerous Kansas team. Coach [Lance] Leipold is doing an amazing job with that group and has really put his fingerprints on that group really quickly. They've been able to run the ball really well up to this point. They've got a tremendous dual-threat quarterback and what they're doing on offense is extremely challenging. I think they're averaging over 50 points a game and so we've got our hands full with that side of the ball defensively. Again, it's another similar four down front. They're able to roll through a lot of bodies on defense, they've got a lot of guys and so they're really able to sustain success. They play extremely hard, and they've been able to really stop people from running the football. That recipe is a recipe for success, as we've talked about, we're going to have our hands full out there in Lawrence, but we'll certainly get our guys ready and excited for the opportunity to go out there and play."
 (Ref.: On the progress that's been seen over the first three weeks)
"We've done okay. There's still some ups and downs and it'll be that way. We're a group that's just going to continue to get better every time we go out there. So, yeah, I thought we made progress. I thought at times, especially in the second quarter, we were a little loose in coverage and we got fortunate with some balls maybe that they could have come down with. I thought they were contested throws, but certainly throws that they could have come down with and didn't. I thought we made strides. We got better. That's something we've got to do every single week and for us to get where we want to go."
 (Ref.: On stopping a high-powered Kansas offense)
"It's obviously a challenge and any time you have a dual-threat quarterback it makes it a lot harder. They can run designed quarterback runs, run-read plays, throw the ball and he throws the ball exceptionally well. He's not only a runner, he can throw the ball exceptionally well, but even when they are throwing it, he's still a run threat. He still has the ability to pull the ball down and kind of make something out of nothing now and then. They've got weapons around him. They've got weapons at wide receiver. They've got weapons in the backfield. They're a talented group. That's why they're scoring as much as they are. It's just an impressive group to watch on film."
 (Ref.: On the Jayhawks' ability to convert on third downs)
"I think one of the biggest things is just they're able to run the ball a little bit longer, which kind of limits your package a little bit. They do some different things with him back there and then when they do get into throw situations again, I think you're always limited when the quarterback can beat you with his feet. It doesn't give you the opportunity to do everything you necessarily want to do on third down because you've got to make sure you're accounting for him at all times."
 (Ref.: On balancing the fast starts with the swings of lulls in the offense)
"I don't want to trade starting fast. I know that. So, if what you're telling me is all I have to do is get up 21 and then let the team come back a little bit, I'd rather have that than the other way for sure. But no, I just think it's consistency. We talk to them about the game of football and how you put your head down and you execute and that's really what you have to do, play in and play out for over three hours. Then at the end of it, lift your head up and when you lift your head up, if you approach it that way you're supposed to, the result will be what you want it to be. I think sometimes maybe we relax a little bit at times more than I would like us to. Having said that, we still scored a touchdown all but one drive when Riley [Leonard] was out there at quarterback. I think some of it is expectations, too, as like I said after the game, we're not going to score a touchdown every single time we have the ball no matter what it looks like on the first three drives."
 (Ref.: On the secondary pressure off the edge against North Carolina A&T)
"It's a new system, it's a new scheme and so each week, we feel a little bit more comfortable opening more parts of the playbook. I think being able to blitz those guys Brandon Johnson and Jaylen Stinson to show that they are extremely dynamic blitzers. Darius [Joiner] certainly can bring a little something when he blitzes too. We've wanted to be able to get in a position where we felt more comfortable allowing those guys to do that and this was just a game for us to do it."
 (Ref.: On the hype around Saturday and if it is adding anything to the locker room)
"I told them this today, and I truly mean this, there are no big games, there's just the next game. You trust in your preparation, you trust in what you do, you trust in the work that you put in. You prepare the right way and you go out and you execute. That's football. I think that mindset is the mindset that we want our program to have and that's certainly not to disrespect our opponent in any way, shape or form. I've got a tremendous amount of respect for what we're going against and the success they've had. They've had two high, high-quality wins on the road and are certainly playing at a really high level. We're going to focus on us. We're going to focus on our game, what we can do to be successful, how good we can be, how we can go about being successful and get into the right mental state to do that ourselves. If we can do that and play our game and our standard, that's what we can control."
 (Ref.: On if playing on the road earlier this year helps prepare for another quality opponent)
"I think it helps in a way. We've been through getting up and playing an 11:00 a.m. kick. We know what that routine looks like. For the kids, there's a little less anxiousness when they've been through it all and they know exactly what it all looks like. I don't know how much it truly helps, but it's certainly better having been through it than not having been through it."
 (Ref.: On if the offense needs to produce more long sustained drives rather than scoring quickly)
"I want to score, so however we have to go about scoring we're going to do it. I've said this before, we're going to play offense in a way that allows us to score. I don't think we're playing excessively up tempo. I think we control the clock, when necessary, but we can play tempo when it benefits us and that's what we want to be. We were able to play tempo and use it to our advantage in certain games. We also feel like our play rate is extremely low. We're not playing a lot of plays over the course of a game. We only had 10 possessions in the last game. So even though we are at times playing fast, we're not playing in excessive speed, that's putting our defense at risk. That's the balance and that's what we're trying to do."
 (Ref.: On Cam Dillon filling in for Dorian Mausi on Saturday)
"Yeah, he did good. It was obviously a great opportunity for him to step in. Dorian wasn't able to go with a lower body injury. It was awesome for Cam to be ready to step in. That's what we want. You know, we have to have guys that are ready to step in when their number is called. He did a good job. It was great to get Nick Morris Jr. and Tre Freeman out there. Both of those guys were ready to go, and Tre got his number called a lot more than he has the first two weeks, too. He probably got thrust into a situation also because, Cam had been the primary backup and now all of a sudden Cam's the starter, so now Tre becomes the primary backup. He had to play even before the second half and did a really nice job too. So I'm happy for all those guys."
 (Ref.: On what he saw from Henry Belin IV during his first live game action)
"He throws the ball really hard. We're obviously really happy with Henry. He does a really good job and he prepares the right way. For the guys that are out there watching practice, you see him every day. He's out there working extremely hard, and it was awesome to get him out there and get rewarded for it. It was really important for us. We wanted to be able to get him a series with the ones and we were able to do that because we were able to get the lead like we did. That allowed us to put him out there as the quarterback with the ones which was something going into the game I really wanted to do. He was able to get a lot of quality snaps that'll help him this year if the opportunity presents itself and will certainly help him down the road. But I think Henry's going to be a really good football player."
 (Ref.: On forcing six fumbles already through three games)
"We certainly have caused a lot of them. Sometimes you get lucky, like there's lucky turnovers, right. They botch a snap or, I think Temple like fumbled an exchange, right. Those things over the course of time are going to weigh themselves out, right? You're not going to continue to have people hand you turnovers. There are interceptions that you make and then there's lucky deflections that float up in the air, right? Those are different types of turnovers. I feel like the majority of the turnovers this year we've caused, we've forced them, so that in your mind at least makes you feel comfortable that you can continue to go out and do that. I think the other thing that is important with the turnover margin, and our kids are starting to understand this too, is that it is the other benefit of starting fast. Like we haven't had to chase games and the teams that we've played have had to chase the game a little bit, right? A lot of our turnovers have been in the second half. So, when you're protecting a lead and controlling the game, it's a lot easier to be smart with the football than when you're getting behind having to force things and you have to put the ball at risk a little bit more. I think that plays a role in it also."
 (Ref.: On the level of concern he has that his team hasn't trailed yet this season)
"You're concerned about everything that hasn't happened. Our kids are extremely competitive. I think they are very well trained for what's in front of them this season. It hasn't happened yet, but I certainly anticipate they will show tremendous fight and will represent Duke very well."
 (Ref.: On the concern of starting fast and then not sustaining that momentum)
"I don't want to make too much about this. When you score on three-straight possessions and you stop the other team on three-straight possessions, it naturally feels like there's this, slack off. I don't want it to come off like there's this big drop off. The other teams are going to score, and the other teams are going to stop us. We've just been really fortunate with how games have started, and we've started really crisp and really sharp, so it feels a little bit more like there's this big drop off. We've set high bars and high standards. When drives fail, we want to figure out why. That's a part of it internally. I also don't want to make it into this big thing that we start fast and then we put the brakes on because I don't feel like that's what's happening. I feel like there's been a handful of things maybe that have kind of bogged up execution at times, but I don't feel like our kids are putting the brakes on when we get up."
 (Ref.: On how much weight he puts on how his team performs against different levels of competition)
"I think when you evaluate the film, there are certain things that you're looking for that hold up regardless of opponent. There's a physicality that exists. There's a level of execution and communication that exists. There's an energy with which we play the game, right? Those things kind of supersede every game. If you can bring those things, regardless of opponent, you're going to be in a great situation. Then there's things that you look at, we got behind the chains a couple of times in the first quarter of that game. We were able to convert the one fourth down and we were able to convert a couple of third downs. You do talk to them about like, 'hey listen, our recipe for success is not going to be second and 11. Our recipe for success is not going to be third and 9.' We have to make sure we don't fall into a trap thinking that those things will always work out in our favor. We still have to make sure we understand. Then there's some things that maybe you get away with based on level of opponent that you want to make sure that you understand moving forward has got to be a little bit crisper and a little bit cleaner."
 (Ref.: On if Jaylen [Coleman] and Jordan [Waters] have solidified the one-two punch in the backfield)
"I think Jaylen and Jordan coming out of the Northwestern game clearly had elevated their game. We talked as coaches last week about it. I love Jaquez [Moore]. I think Quez runs the ball really well. He hasn't done anything wrong. We just feel like Jaylen and Jordan have kind of stepped forward and Quez went out and had a great week of practice and when it was his time to get his number called, he was ready and he ripped off a big run. So, Quez is still a piece of that equation for sure. It just continues to speak about the character of the kids that we have in our locker room, because he didn't get all the touches that he necessarily would have wanted to, but when it was time to get touches, he went out there and he was really effective, and he put himself in position to get right back into the rotation. So just really happy with how he handled that and responded to it."
 (Ref.: On what happened on the Riley Leonard interception against North Carolina A&T)
"Riley was hoping Sahmir [Hagans] was going to cut in front of the safety. We ran a switch route and they kind of passed it off. I think Sahmir saw it one way and was trying to run over to the top of the safety and Riley saw it another way and kind of threw it underneath the safety. That's what made it look a little bit worse to the natural eye. I think Riley let it go in really good timing, trusting Sahmir and I think Sahmir just saw it a different way. I think it was just a miscommunication between the two, something we've got to do a better job of coaching them up on."