Army @ Duke preview
Wallace Wade Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2009 ) Duke 35, Army 19
Duke's defense is in tatters after yielding a stunning 116 points in its past two games.
Following losses of 62-13 to Alabama last week and 54-48 to Wake Forest on Sept. 11, Duke (1-2) ranks 117th in the nation in total defense, allowing 511 yards a game.
Fortunately for Duke, this week’s opponent, Army (2-1), is no Alabama.
Unfortunately, lessons learned the hard way against the more conventional offenses of Wake and 'Bama could be moot against the Black Knights' triple-option offense.
Under second-year coach Rich Ellerson, Army is sticking almost exclusively to the ground, averaging 284 rushing yards (seventh in the nation) and just 56 through the air. Senior slotback Patrick Mealy (171 yards, 6.0 a carry) is one of seven Black Knights with more than 10 rushing attempts in their widely distributed attack. But he is questionable this week with a knee injury.
Duke's game against the Crimson Tide was about what might be expected when a team on an 0-for-40 streak against ranked opponents plays the No. 1 team in the country.
Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram made his season debut for the reigning national champions with a quick 151 yards, and Duke's defense was helpless against an attack that rolled up 626 yards from scrimmage.
One encouraging sign for Duke is that its running game seems less anemic than a year ago. The Blue Devils rushed for 146 yards against Alabama and are averaging 156 a game on the ground, up from just 64 last year.
Running back Josh Snead gained 83 yards on 14 carries last week. Desmond Scott leads the team with 238 yards on 35 carries.
Quarterback Sean Renfree seemed skittish in the pocket and was held to 144 yards, completing just 17 of 37 after averaging about 350 yards in his first two games as a starter. He did throw 11 yards to Austin Kelly for the first touchdown of the season against Alabama.
Renfree ranks 19th in the nation in total offense, averaging 282 yards a game. Conner Vernon has 20 catches for 320 yards.
Renfree came off the bench last year to lead Duke to a 35-19 victory at West Point. The redshirt sophomore will go against a pass defense that has yielded just 160 yards a game.
Army, which beat North Texas State 24-0 last week, went 5-7 in 2009 and hasn't had a winning season since 1996.
History is entirely against Army at Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke has beaten Army five straight times in Durham. And Army has lost 17 in a row to ACC teams on the road.