2007 Duke Blue Devils College Football Picks & Predictions
Duke has ranked last or next-to-last in total offense and scoring in the ACC for eight consecutive years, but all 11 starters return to try and break that trend in 2007. First-year coordinator Peter Vaas should help. Vaas was Brady Quinn’s QB coach at Notre Dame last season. He will be guiding Thaddeus Lewis at this position for the Blue Devils. Lewis broke the school record for passing yards by a true freshman with 2,134 yards. Zack Asack also has experience at quarterback and will give Duke multiple options if Lewis can’t perform up to par.
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The Blue Devils have to choose between three running backs in Justin Boyle, Re’quan Boyette and Ronnie Drummer. Each had 100-yard games, and Duke’s top three receivers all enjoyed at least one game with more than 80 receiving yards. The potential at these skilled positions is there, now they just have to play up to their expectations. The line, the nation’s youngest last season, returns everybody. Coach Ted Roof called it his best offensive line class that he has been around in two decades of coaching. Once again, praise means nothing if they can’t produce.
Roof will coordinate the defense this season, a duty he held twice over the past eight seasons. Duke managed to rank 65 th or better nationally in total defense both of those seasons. Roof will have his work cut out for him with the departure of cornerback John Talley, who is No. 2 in ACC career interceptions. The Blue Devils will also be without the team’s No. 2 tackler in linebacker Jeramy Edwards. New talent will have to step up in a hurry.
Duke’s defensive line remains fairly deep, led by sophomore Vince Oghobaase. Michael Tauiliili returns at linebacker after leading Duke in tackles as a true freshman and sophomore. The rest of the linebacker crew is inexperienced and the defensive front needs to improve on just 14 sacks from their 2006 campaign. The safety spots are solid with Chris Davis and Adrian Aye-Darko. The cornerbacks are quick but they must also be quick learners, with little experience to their credit.
The Blue Devils will open the season as owners of the nation’s longest losing streak at 20, but they feel like they have the experience to pull out a couple close games that they couldn’t muster up last season. The offense has the experience to outscore their foes, but the defense is a work in progress. Expect Duke to be better, but don’t expect it to show in their win-loss record in the rugged ACC.
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