Tag: maalik murphy

The consistent Duke football team has scored the same amount of points in every game

In one of the funniest coincidences of the college football season, Duke has scored exactly 26 points in all three games this season.

Duke football fans probably feel like the Blue Devils’ offense has been inconsistent in 2024.

Under first-year offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer, Duke managed just 13 points in regulation against Northwestern before scoring two touchdowns in three plays during overtime. The following week, the Blue Devils jumped ahead to a 17-0 lead in the first half against Connecticut before not scoring another point until the fourth quarter, needing a late go-ahead touchdown to beat the Huskies.

And yet, at the end of the day, the box scores always end up at the same spot. The Blue Devils have scored exactly 26 points in each of the first three games of the [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] era.

Even the total offense numbers have been pretty identical. Duke put together its first 400-yard game against the Huskies, but the team had 350 yards against Elon and 343 yards against Northwestern in the first two games.

An average of 26.0 points per game isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire, especially in the non-conference schedule. In fact, it’s currently tied for 90th in the FBS, and only the Florida State Seminoles (15.3) have a lower total among ACC teams. However, given that Murphy only started two games before this season, it would be promising if 26 points and 350 yards ended up being the floor for this offense

Duke football fans will watch the Blue Devils try to break this 26-point streak (hopefully in a positive direction) against Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

Staff predictions for Week 4 matchup between Duke and Middle Tennessee

Duke football is gearing up to take on Middle Tennessee on Saturday, check out our Duke Wire staff predictions for the game.

For the second time in three weeks, the Duke Blue Devils take their show on the road this weekend.

There are glass-half-full and glass-half-empty approaches to the last eight quarters of Duke football. On one hand, quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] has led five scoring drives from the fourth quarter onward with two go-ahead touchdown passes, and that doesn’t even count the missed chip-shot field goal in Week 2. On the other hand, Duke spent three quarters with little offense against Northwestern and blew a 17-point lead to Connecticut.

There’s one last test before the North Carolina Tar Heels come to town, and it’s another must-win game if the Blue Devils want to reach the postseason. According to ESPN FPI, this is one of two remaining games that Duke is favored in from here on out.

Here’s whether our staff thinks Manny Diaz gets his fourth straight win to start the season on Saturday.

Ryan Haley, Duke Wire site editor

On paper, this is a phenomenal matchup for the Blue Devils.

Duke’s offense, under first-year coordinator Jonathan Brewer, loves to throw the ball. If you don’t count kneel-downs, 58.9% of the team’s offensive plays have been dropbacks. And, coincidentally, Middle Tennessee has been the worst pass defense in the FBS through three weeks. The Blue Raiders have surrendered more than 10 yards per attempt in 2024, and Western Kentucky threw six touchdowns against them last week.

On the other hand, Middle Tennessee lives through the air on offense. MTSU averages 2.5 yards per carry and 68.0 yards per game on the ground, and junior quarterback Nicholas Vattiato threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns against the Hilltoppers in Week 3. However, Duke has yet to allow more than 4.6 yards per attempt as a pass defense and has more interceptions than passing touchdowns allowed. So it’s hard to see the Blue Raiders moving the ball at will.

And yet…something feels a little off with the Blue Devils. Murphy has only started five collegiate games, so perhaps this gets ironed out with time, but the offense has punted on four straight drives in each of the past two games. Duke only scored three points in the first four drives against Elon in Week 1.  Until that gets fixed, I’m kind of going to assume this offense underwhelms for a stretch and keeps this game closer than it should be.

Duke 31, Middle Tennessee 20

Bryant Crews, Staff Writer

Duke is one win away from completing a clean 4-0 sweep of its non-conference slate. It hasn’t been the prettiest brand of football, but they’ve primarily been sound on defense, and offensively, Maalik Murphy and these receivers have made plays.

On Saturday, Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils visit Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee State. MTSU beat the doors off Miami a couple of years ago in Miami, so there’s absolute precedence for them not being scared of Power Four competition. Plus, there’s the added factor that Manny Diaz spent four years as a defensive coordinator for MTSU. This is a homecoming of sorts for him.

And because of that, I believe Duke gets it done. Duke’s best defensive position group is the secondary, and they will have their hands full against Auburn Tigers transfer Omari Kelly and this MTSU passing attack. Like Duke, the air is where this team generates its offense.

Murphy throws for more than 25 yards and three touchdowns, Eli Pancol adds to his ACC-leading TD reception total with another, and running back Star Thomas finally touches paydirt. Defensively, I’m predicting two picks by this secondary. Duke pulls away in the second half to win by three scores.

Duke 34, Middle Tennessee 17

Duke wide receiver Que’Sean Brown makes PFF ACC Team of the Week

After his breakout 11-reception performance, Duke wide receiver Que’Sean Brown made the Pro Football Focus ACC Team of the Week for Week 3.

Pro Football Focus released its ACC Team of the Week on Sunday, and Duke wide receiver Que’Sean Brown made his way into the conference lineup.

Brown caught all 11 of his targets for 87 yards, leading the Blue Devils in both categories. He and quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] connected for a 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, a go-ahead score that provided the winning margin, and Brown converted a key third down on Duke’s final possession.

“If you ask anybody on our roster, they would tell you they saw that all August in training camp,” head coach Manny Diaz said after the game.

Brown, who also serves as the team’s punt returner, showcased his speed with plenty of catches at or around the line of scrimmage. The offense clearly views him as a threat with the ball in his hands, but those last two catches in the fourth quarter showed how he can be utilized past the sticks.

Brown becomes the fourth Blue Devil in two weeks to earn this honor from PFF. Safety Terry Moore, defensive tackle Aaron Hall, and left guard Caleb Krings all appeared on the team in Week 2.

Duke remains within the top 50 in USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank

USA TODAY Sports released its re-rank of all 134 FBS football programs on Monday, and the Blue Devils held firm within the top 50.

USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg updated his ranking of all 134 FBS college football teams on Monday, and the Duke Blue Devils dropped one spot to 44th.

Duke remained in the top 50 despite a concerning showing against Connecticut in Week 3. The Huskies, who lost to Maryland 50-7 in their season opener, scored 21 unanswered points midway through the game to take the lead entering the fourth quarter.

Blue Devils quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] threw a go-ahead touchdown, his eighth of the season, to seal the comeback effort, but Duke still dropped more than a half-dozen spots on ESPN’s FPI rankings.

Miami beat Ball State by 62 points, the Hurricanes’ third straight blowout win, and Myerberg kept them at No. 11 to remain the highest-ranked team in the conference. Louisville, last year’s conference runner-up, remained in the top 20 at 18th after a bye week.

Pittsburgh and California both jumped over the Blue Devils after impressive wins, knocking Duke down to the 10th-ranked team in the conference.

Popular ESPN television personality celebrates the third straight Duke football win

Tony Reali, the popular ESPN personality and longtime host of “Around the Horn,” posted about the Duke football victory over UConn.

The Duke Blue Devils are 3-0 again, and one popular ESPN personality is enjoying the results in Durham thus far.

Tony Reali, who has hosted the “Around the Horn” television show since 2004, shared a Sunday social media post wearing a Duke polo in support of the Blue Devils.

Head coach Manny Diaz and his team made Duke fans sweat on Saturday night, initially leading 17-0 before three unanswered Connecticut touchdowns gave the Huskies the lead in the third quarter. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] responded with a 20-yard scoring throw to Que’Sean Brown, the redshirt freshman’s 10th catch of the night, for the 26-21 victory.

The touchdown, Murphy’s eighth of the young season, has the former Texas Longhorn on pace to comfortably break the school record for passing touchdowns in a single season. Diaz also became the seventh Duke coach to win his first three games with the program despite two trailing after three quarters against Northwestern and UConn.

https://twitter.com/TonyReali/status/1835321224869585029

Duke hopes for another Reali celebration post in Week 4 after a road trip to Middle Tennessee.

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy is on pace to shatter this Blue Devils record

Through his first three games, Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy is on pace to absolutely destroy this school record.

If any Duke football fans think that first-year starting quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] has already thrown a lot of touchdown passes in 2024, the school record books absolutely prove them right.

Murphy threw three touchdowns against the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday night, his second consecutive game with three scoring throws. He found the end zone twice against Elon in Week 1, giving him eight passing touchdowns through three games.

The Duke single-season passing touchdown record is 24, set by Anthony Dilweg in 1988. Murphy’s current pace would give him 32 touchdown passes by the end of the regular season. In fact, if he only throws two touchdown passes per game for the rest of the season, he would still break Dilweg’s mark with 26 for the year.

Two of his first three starts came against Elon and UConn, but he also took down a Power Four program on the road in Week 2. Northwestern finished 15th in the country in passing yards allowed last season, and the former Texas Longhorn ended up with 243 yards against the Wildcats.

Dilweg also owns the school’s single-season passing yards record with 3,824, but that one looks pretty safe. Murphy has thrown for 801 yards through three games, giving him a 12-game pace of 3,204 yards. Even with a bowl game, he’d only get to 3,471 yards, although that would leave him second on the all-time list.

Assuming the touchdown passes keep rolling, however, Murphy will carve his place in the school record books.

Duke wide receiver Eli Pancol sets personal single-season touchdown record in three games

Duke wide receiver Eli Pancol caught his fourth touchdown pass of the year on Saturday, a single-season personal record in just three games.

It’s hard to find a better feel-good comeback story in college football than Duke wide receiver [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag].

After back-to-back injury-ridden seasons, Pancol took the field for the first time since December 2022 when the Blue Devils played Elon in Week 1. He even caught a touchdown pass in his first game back, a heartwarming moment for an athlete who waited more than a year for his chance to play.

Then he caught two more touchdowns against Northwestern, including the eventual game-winner in overtime. And on Saturday against Connecticut, Pancol found a seam in the Huskies’ defense for a 36-yard scoring play, his fourth touchdown catch of the year.

Pancol has been with the Blue Devils since 2019, and before this final season, he’d never caught more than three touchdowns in a single year. In fact, across his collegiate career, he’d only caught five touchdown passes before 2024.

The veteran wide receiver is the only Blue Devil with more than two touchdown catches this season, and his 161 yards are the second-most on the roster through three games.

https://twitter.com/DukeFOOTBALL/status/1835091467737743828

Duke football makes school history with third straight 3-0 start

For the first time in 90 years, the Duke football team has started 3-0 for a third straight season.

Duke football did more than just stay undefeated during its comeback win over Connecticut on Saturday night. The Blue Devils also worked their way into the school history books.

The Blue Devils’ 26-21 victory over the Huskies improved the team to 3-0 for the third consecutive season, the first time in nine decades that the program managed that feat for three years in a row.

The last time that Duke football managed this feat, the Blue Devils got off to a 3-0 start in four straight seasons back from 1933-36. Even the legendary Steve Spurrier, who spent three seasons with the program, didn’t replicate the feat.

Diaz also became the seventh coach in school history and the second this century to start his career with three straight wins.

The most notable September win from the past three seasons came in Week 1 last year when Duke upset the Clemson Tigers at Wallace Wade Stadium to start the season.

The best photos from Duke football’s Week 3 win over Connecticut

Check out the best photos from Duke’s 26-21 victory over Connecticut on Saturday night.

It took longer than most fans at Wallace Wade Stadium wanted, but the Duke football team put away Connecticut in the fourth quarter on Saturday for a 26-21 victory.

The Blue Devils scored the game’s first 17 points thanks to an impressive start from quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag], but Huskies defensive lineman Langston Hardy ran a lucky interception all the way back for a touchdown in the second quarter to kickstart a 21-0 run.

Duke, led by first-year head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], held firm. The Blue Devils didn’t give up any points in the fourth quarter, and Murphy threw his third and final touchdown pass of the game to give his team the lead again.

For any Duke fans who want to know whether the optimism of a fourth-quarter comeback should beat out the pessimism of that 21-0 run, check out our instant reactions. In the meantime, here are the best photos from Duke’s third straight win.

Duke survives second-half upset alert in Week 3 victory over Connecticut

The Blue Devils surrendered a 17-point lead against Connecticut on Saturday night, but Duke clawed back for a third straight win.

Duke football fans likely wanted a more comfortable fourth quarter and margin of victory, but head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team took care of business for a third consecutive week in a 26-21 victory over the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday.

The Blue Devils offense took advantage of a vulnerable Connecticut secondary from the opening play. The Huskies entered Week 3 allowing 8.6 yards per attempt through the air, and Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] found star wideout Jordan Moore for a 45-yard gain on his first attempt to show that the Blue Devils had every intention of attacking downfield.

Duke marched 92 yards in nine plays on that opening possession, and Murphy found Moore again in the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.

The former Texas Longhorn found Eli Pancol for another score midway through the second quarter, a 36-yard teardrop that put the Blue Devils ahead 17-0. After Murphy completed 17 of his final 23 passes against Northwestern to end Week 2, he completed 14 of his 20 first-half attempts against the Huskies for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Connecticut did eventually get on the board with a fluky pick-six against Murphy, a deflection that landed perfectly in the hands of defensive lineman Langston Hardy, but it seemed like an unfortunate break in the midst of a blowout at the time.

However, the Duke offense stalled to start the second half. Murphy whiffed on a deep ball to Moore, and the Blue Devils punted on the first two drives after the break.

Connecticut quarterback Nick Evers capitalized on the opportunity, leading two touchdown drives to pull his team ahead 21-17. Evers, who started his career with the Oklahoma Sooners and Wisconsin Badgers completed his first five second-half passes for 76 yards and ran for 29 more between the two scoring possessions.

In 10 minutes and 29 seconds of game time, Duke’s 17-point lead completely evaporated.

The defense did its job again the rest of the way, however. UConn’s offense only gained 20 yards on the three drives after they took the lead, only converting a single first down.

The biggest play came after Duke kicked a field goal to move within a point. The pass rush forced a weak deep ball from Evers on third down, and safety Terry Moore perfectly undercut the pass for his second interception of the season.

On the ensuing drive after Moore’s turnover, Murphy summoned his best throw of the season when he perfectly placed a back-shoulder ball to Que’Sean Brown for the go-ahead touchdown.

The 20-yard dart gave Murphy his third touchdown pass of the night, and the Blue Devils passer ended the night with 267 passing yards, but Brown was the real story of the night. The redshirt freshman caught a team-leading 11 passes for 87 yards, most critically on a third-down conversion in the final minutes to help ice the game.

The Huskies didn’t score in the final quarter, missing a 48-yard field goal attempt to pull within two in the final six minutes and never getting the ball back.

The Blue Devils move to 3-0 under Diaz, the second time in school history that a Duke coach won his first three games with the program. Murphy and the team will travel to Middle Tennessee for its final game before conference play next Saturday.