Duke Used Defense, Offense To Improve To 4-0 On 2024 Season With 45-17 Win On The Road At Middle Tennessee Saturday

Duke used defense, offense to improve to 4-0 on 2024 season with 45-17 win on the road at Middle Tennessee Saturday.

Duke’s defense forced Middle Tennessee to fumble three times in the first half while overall Middle Tennessee turned the football over four times.

Offensively Duke scored 6 touchdowns. In the 1st quarter Nicky Dalmolin caught 71 yard pass from quarterback Maalik Murphy , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point tying 7-7 before Peyton Jones ran for 1 yard touchdown , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point putting Duke ahead of Middle Tennessee 14-7 before Middle Tennessee got within 14-10 as Zeke Rankin kicked, made 26 yard field goal before Star Thomas ran for 1 yard touchdown , Todd Pelino kicked, made extra point putting Duke up 21-10 before they would extend their over Middle Tennessee 28-10 when Nicky Dalmolin would 7 yard pass from Maalik Murphy, Todd would kick make extra point extending Duke’s lead yet again this time to 28-10. In 2nd quarter Jordan Moore would catch 34 yard pass from Maalik Murphy , Todd Pelino would kick, make extra point. In the third quarter Todd Pelino would kick, make 23 yard field goal putting Duke up 38-10 though the 3rd would come with a rain , lightning delay. When the delay was over Middle Tennessee would respond with a touchdown as Holden Willis would catch 15 yard pass from Nicholas Vattiato Zeke Rankin would kick, make extra point making 38-17 Duke before Duke would score yet another touchdown as Star Thomas would rush 1 yard touchdown giving Duke a 45-17 win on the road at Middle Tennessee.

Following Duke’s 45-17 win at Middle Tennessee Saturday Duke Head Coach Manny Diaz had this to say Nicky Dalmolin catching 71 yard pass from Maalik Murphy had this to say about his team about how his team performed defensively about linebacker Alex Howard!

That’s kind of a gut punch to give up a run like that,”

It was just a cheap one. We just felt like that’s going to bug everybody because you want to get off to a great start. But for the offense to come back and answer right away was huge.”

For him to go over 100 yardswe had a feeling that would happen during the course of the week and it was great to see him come up with the first really big play of the game.”

“Those guys up front, that would already be a little bit of adversity,”And then to play against a completely different style of defense that what you had anticipated in practice and all the plays that you had set up, the find success to get Star Thomas back over 100 yards again on 17 carries was very encouraging.”

Diaz said having a player like Howard playing the “Will” (or weak-side) linebacker in his defensive scheme makes the system work best. “We are at best when we have a dynamic Will that can finish a play and make plays behind a lot of scrimmage,”

It’s a great coming together of a scheme that’s really made for Alex and Alex really being made for the scheme.”

According to Stephen Wiseman’s News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article292580214.html

Kick off is set for 4:00pm from Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium!

The game is going to be televised on ESPN2 though, who is commentating the game is to be determined!