– The offense stalled. It was able to move the ball from time to time, but it was crushed by turnovers and massive mistakes. The overhaul starts at quarterback with the door open 6-3 junior Gunnar Holmberg to step up and take over for Chase Brice – who transferred to Appalachian State – with Job One being to not give the ball away. More on that later.
– The passing game needs more explosion after averaging just 11 yards per reception. 6-5 leading receiver Jake Bobo is back in a receiving corps loaded with experience, but top TE Noah Gray will be sorely missed. All-around back Deon Jackson is also done, but leading higher Mataeo Durant returns along with Jordan Waters to add a little more pop.
– The Blue Devils had a hard time operating behind a line that was among the worst in the country in sacks allowed, but three starters return along with most of the depth. This isn’t going to be a blasting line that hammers out a big-time running game, but it has to limit the pressure.
How has Notre Dame fared all-time against each member of the ACC? We’ve updated the numbers.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, if you consider yourself a Notre Dame football fan in even the smallest amount you’ve likely heard that the 2020 football season saw Notre Dame play an ACC schedule.
That got me wondering what kind of success Notre Dame has had against ACC foes. Some have had long histories of playing the Irish while others only really came into the picture since Notre Dame’s “friends with benefits” deal went down just over a half-decade ago.
So how has Notre Dame fared against everyone in the ACC and who won the most recent match-ups?
Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Duke Blue Devils football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios.
Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Duke Blue Devils football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios.
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2021 Duke Football Schedule
Full schedule analysis with best and worst scenarios below
Sept. 4 at Charlotte
Sept. 11 North Carolina A&T
Sept. 18 Northwestern
Sept. 25 Kansas
Oct. 2 at North Carolina
Oct. 9 Georgia Tech
Oct. 16 at Virginia
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Wake Forest
Nov. 6 Pitt
Nov. 13 at Virginia Tech
Nov. 18 Louisville
Nov. 27 Miami
Dec. 4 ACC Championship (in Charlotte)
Games vs. The Atlantic: Louisville, at Wake Forest
Missed Teams From The Atlantic: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, NC State, Syracuse
Duke Blue Devils Football Schedule Analysis: Can the Blue Devils get by Northwestern at home? Do that, and it’s likely a 4-0 start to the season with Georgia Tech a home date coming up after the road trip to North Carolina.
However, there’s a run of three road games in four October dates. That might be a rough month, but the finishing kick gets three home games in Durham. Missing Clemson from the Atlantic is big, but going to Wake Forest and playing Louisville on a Thursday night won’t be easy.
Duke Blue Devils Football Schedule Best Case Scenario: 8-4. The schedule just isn’t all that awful. It’ll take something truly special to get to 8-4, but beat Northwestern, take out Georgia Tech, Pitt and Louisville at home, and it’s possible. There’s no Clemson or Notre Dame to face, and the Miami game is home, but …
Duke Blue Devils Football Schedule Worst Case Scenario: 4-8. It’s hardly a given that the Blue Devils can get past Northwestern, or Georgia Tech, or anyone in ACC play. They’ll come up with victories over Charlotte, North Carolina A&T, and most likely Kansas early on, and they’ll get one other win somewhere, along the way. But it’s highly possible that it could be about it, especially with all of the road games in the middle of the season.
Mel Tucker and Michigan State Football continue to be very active in the transfer portal this year, adding Duke defensive end Drew Jordan.
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Mel Tucker and Michigan State Football continue to be very active in the transfer portal this year. Now they have picked up their first defensive player through the portal in Duke defensive end Drew Jordan.
Jordan, who is 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, will come to MSU as a graduate student. He has started to past three years for the Blue Devils and finished this season with 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Jordan should be fighting for one of the starting spots next year as he has recorded over 100 tackles and 10 sacks over his four years at Duke. Jordan becomes the fourth different player to transfer to Michigan State joining Anthony Russo, Harold Joiner III and Jarrett Horst.
God has shown me favor and I will always trust in Him.I am blessed with the opportunity that lies ahead. With much gratitude, excitement, and humbleness I am proud to say I have Committed to MICHIGAN STATE to be a SPARTANDAWG! Go Green! 🟢 #MSU#SpartanDawg#GoGreen#Relentlesspic.twitter.com/J0eMiPFLYr
Notre Dame starts the year 1-0. Now see who the FIW staff chose are their game ball recipients for the socially distanced week one victory!
Notre Dame defeated Duke 27-13 to start the 2020 season as a member of the ACC for the first time in program history. It was far from perfect but it was a win. Here at Fighting Irish Wire we’ll give out game balls for the best players on both the offense and defense each and every week, here is what we came up with from Saturday’s victory.
The Irish have a lot of faith in this kid, and he showed why against Duke. Scoring twice and gaining 205 all-purpose yards, including 112 on the ground, was enough to sway at least some people who might have had any doubts about him. He was the only offensive player to look consistent from start to finish on a day when most of the unit took time to wake up. While he can’t be the Irish’s only weapon if they’re going to succeed, there’s no question he’ll be a big one.
Defensive: Isaiah Foskey
Duke threatened to take control of the game when it got to Notre Dame’s 2-yard line in the second quarter. Instead, Foskey blitzed and was ruled to have sacked Chase Brice for a 10-yard loss after a replay review. The Irish’s lead never felt seriously threatened after that because the offense started to get it going. Foskey also recorded two quarterback hits and 1.5 tackles for loss, which cost the Blue Devils 11 yards.
Will Saturday end up stormy in South Bend? Get the latest forecast ahead of Notre Dame and Duke right here!
When Notre Dame opens their football season on Saturday might there be thunderstorms across the Michiana area?
That might just be the case.
Or it might not be depending on how you look at things.
According to The Weather Channel there is a 50% chance of rain for Saturday’s opener against Duke as the forecast calls for a high of 78 and low of 61.
Off the top of my head I can’t think of a Notre Dame opener that has included rain since the 2011 disaster against South Florida, one of the most miserable sporting events I have ever attended.
We’ll keep an eye on the skies and on the forecast and if it does end up raining, let’s at least not hope for an embarrassing upset to go along with it.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Duke edge defender prospect Chris Rumph II
In today’s NFL, every team is looking for versatile, athletic edge defenders who can handle many different responsibilities and make big plays no matter where they line up.
If your favorite team is looking for that player in the 2021 NFL Draft class, Duke’s Chris Rumph II should be on their radar.
A promising, explosive defender with a sky-high ceiling, Rumph recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about how he’s working to improve this offseason, which NFL star he likes to learn from on film, and what fans can expect from him this season.
JM: How have you managed to stay in shape and keep up with your weight training throughout the pandemic?
CRII: When we were at home, the coaching staff did a terrific job helping us adapt to the new normal. We made the best of the resources we had available to us. It definitely helped me stay in shape. When we arrived back on campus, it allowed us to really hit the ground running. Everybody here at Duke did a great job making sure the whole team had an opportunity to stay in shape.
JM: You took a big step forward last season. Did you expect to improve in the manner that you did?
CRII: I sure hoped for it (laughs). I didn’t do much during my red-shirt freshmen year. It didn’t take much for me to improve. The coaching staff was more comfortable with me being on the field. I certainly won over their trust last season. They gave me the opportunities. I took advantage of the amount of snaps they allowed me to play. They put me in great positions to make plays. I give them all the credit for the plan they developed for me. They put me in a position to utilize my skill-set to the best of my ability.
Syndication: Murfreesboro
JM: Expectations are going to be higher for you now. People know about Chris Rumph II now. What have you done to ensure that you meet those expectations in 2020?
CRII: I don’t pay attention to the hype. I just come to work every day with the mindset that I have to get better. I can’t stay complacent, especially at this level in the ACC. Complacency will get you beat. I just make sure that I keep my nose to the ground. I don’t pay attention to the individual accolades. I block out the noise.
I appreciate the support, but at the end of the day, what I care most about is helping my team win games. We’re trying to reach the championship. We’re making sure that everybody is on the same page. We have a lot of fun out there.
The expectations for this season, that stuff doesn’t phase me. I’m excited to get back on the field. I have a terrific opportunity in front of me to continue playing football alongside my teammates.
JM: How can this defense be better this year than it was last year?
CRII: We didn’t do a good enough job getting off the field on third down last season. We allowed way too many big plays. I think the most important thing for us to get better is that we need to stay locked in mentally. Nobody has to be a superhero, myself included. We just need to do our jobs. If everybody handles their business, we’ll be fine. We need to tackle better. We need to communicate better.
The group of guys we have in the room, the 2017 class that I came in with had a bunch of guys on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve all played a lot of football. We’re very experienced and comfortable with one another. The communication is gonna be there, the comfort level is gonna be there. This 2017 class has had a lot of fun playing with one another. All of this will boost the defensive production.
JM: Who are some players that you enjoy watching on film? Do you model your game after anybody in particular?
CRII: I love watching Von Miller. I love the way he plays the game. I love the speed and athleticism that he’s able to put on display. I try to carry a lot of those traits with me. I try to model my game after somebody like him.
At the same time, Von Miller is Von Miller. I’m Chris Rumph. Whatever my specialties are, I’m going to take advantage of them. I’m trying to make a name for myself.
JM: What do you enjoy most about the way this Duke defense has utilized you within their scheme?
CRII: They line me up both inside and outside. I love that. During my red-shirt freshmen year, I played a little linebacker against Wake Forest and Temple. I love the versatility. I appreciate the light they see me in. They put so much trust in me by lining me up at so many different positions. The coaches do a great job utilizing my traits.
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What’s it like playing for coach David Cutcliffe?
CRII: I love Coach Cutcliffe so much. I’ve been around a lot of head coaches due to my dad’s job and Coach Cutcliffe is one of the most genuine, loving and caring men I’ve ever been around and played for. He genuinely cares about you as a person. That’s very important to me because football is just a game at the end of the day.
By the time you leave Duke, you’ve learned a lot more than just how to be a football player. I’ve learned how to become a man here. If you didn’t do that, you wasted your time here. Coach Cutcliffe does a great job making sure he not only coaches us as football players, but as young men as well.
JM: What are three traits that an edge rusher must possess in order to be successful?
CRII: You need to have a great get-off, first and foremost. It all starts with the get-off. You need to have speed. Speed is a must. You also need to be an athletic guy. You have to be able to bend the corner and dip that shoulder. You have to keep the O-linemen’s hands off you and you need to finish plays.
To summarize, speed allows you to close the distance between yourself and the quarterback. Being athletic allows you to make a move to win your one-on-one match-up. You need to finish plays. You can’t waste a great rep by not finishing. Those are the most important traits for a defensive linemen.
JM: What can you tell me about your pass rush arsenal? Do you have a go-to move?
CRII: I don’t have a huge arsenal. My father and I have been working on that. We spent some time together in the lab during quarantine. We added a few more rushes to my toolbox. I’m not ready to reveal them yet (laughs). I used my length and speed to my advantage last season. I have very long arms. I really leaned on that. I have the ability to beat an offensive linemen inside as well. I played to my athleticism last season. I’m looking to add a little more technique this year. It’s all about continuing to improve my game.
JM: Speaking of your dad, Chris Rumph is a terrific coach. What’s the biggest lesson he’s ever taught you?
CRII: He’s always taught me to have a positive attitude no matter what’s going on. A lot of people don’t realize how much weight your words carry. If you speak negativity, negativity will come into your life. That’s why I always remain positive. That’s one lesson he taught me at a young age. I carry that with me today. It was a terrific lesson for me to learn. It’s proven to be true time and time again. I love how it applies to my life.
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Who would you say is the best offensive linemen you’ve gone up against so far?
CRII: That’s a great question. I went up against Jedrick Wills Jr. at Alabama last season.
I’ll tell you what though, an unsung hero that a lot of people are going to be surprised by is Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw. I’m not going to be shocked at all. He needs to be on your radar. He’s a great offensive tackle. I have a lot of respect for him. We were talking throughout the game last season. He has incredibly strong hands.
I look forward to playing against him once again this season. I had to think about that before I said it, with all the changes to the schedule (laughs). He’s definitely one of the best tackles I’ve played against.
JM: Would you say you’re more developed as a pass rusher or run stopper at this point in time?
CRII: Can I be honest with you? Neither (laughs). If we’re being honest, the answer is neither. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been working on my technique as a pass rusher. I have strides to make as a run defender as well. As I look back on my film from last year, I left a lot of plays on the field. I made a lot of impact plays but I also got pushed out of my gap more often than I would like. I made some correctable mistakes. Eliminating those negative plays would improve my game immensely. I’m going to continue to mature as a player. That’s the honest answer to that question.
JM: What can Duke fans expect from Chris Rumph II this year?
CRII: They can expect me to bring a lot of energy to the field. I’m gonna bring the energy all day long. That’s what they can expect from me.
Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Duke Blue Devils Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense fizzled late in the year – bottoming out with a four-game stretch scoring a total of 44 points – to finish 94th in the nation in scoring and 114th in total offense.
That’s not how a David Cutcliffe attack is supposed to work.
Eight starters are expected back, but it’s still going to take a little work to make it all go, starting with finding the right quarterback.
Clemson transfer Chase Brice has the biggest upside – he chose Duke for a reason – with just enough experience to not be starting from scratch. Junior Chris Katrenick had the job for a little bit last year when Quentin Harris went down, but he only completed 3-of-13 passes for 49 yards with a touchdown and a pick, and he ran for a score.
It might be Brice or bust, which isn’t a bad thing for a passing game was 125th in the nation in yards per completion.
CFN in 60 Video: Duke Blue Devils Preview
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– 6-0, 215-pound Deon Jackson is back after leading the team with 641 yards and six touchdowns, but the offense will likely be missing the rushing production of former QB Quentin Harris. Brittain Brown is transferring to UCLA, but junior Mataeo Durant is a more-than-tine No. 2 option.
The line was terrific at not allowing a whole lot of plays behind the line, and it wasn’t awful in pass protection. However, it has to be stronger for the ground attack – Brice isn’t the runner Harris was. Four starters return from a young group that used two freshmen tackles, and former top recruit Devery Henderson is transferring over from Stanford.
– It’s a relatively untested receiving corps that has to rise up. It’ll be interesting to see if the downfield passing game is better with sharper quarterback play. A few more wideouts have to emerge, but top yardage guy Jalon Calhoun returns – he only averaged 9.1 yards per catch, though – and senior TE Noah Gray is back after leading the team with 51 grabs for 392 yards and three scores.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Duke Blue Devils Defense 3 Things To Know
