Duke @ Army preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2010 ) Army 35, Duke 21

Looking to build on two straight victories to start ACC play, Duke travels to West Point to take on Army in a non-conference game Saturday. The Blue Devils have rebounded since their only setback this season -- a 19-10 home loss to No. 14 Northwestern -- with consecutive league wins, knocking off then-No. 20 Georgia Tech 34-20 before squeaking by the nation's top-ranked defense in a 9-7 battle over Boston College.

While the win over the Eagles boosts Duke's momentum, it also marked the first time the Blue Devils had won without scoring a touchdown since 1978 and coach David Cutcliffe took it as a reminder that the offense is very much a work in progress. "We will all continue to look and see what we can do better on offense," Cutcliffe told the Raleigh News & Observer. "It's a matter of just grinding it out, working it out and evaluating." The Black Knights snapped a three-game skid to open the season by roaring past Eastern Michigan 58-36 before sputtering last week in a 20-14 loss at Penn State. Army has been competitive all season, with all four of its losses coming by six points or fewer.

TV: Noon ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Duke –12

ABOUT DUKE (4-1): The Blue Devils' defense has been stellar this season, ranking fifth in the nation in scoring against and ninth in total defense, so improving things on the offensive side is paramount to continued success. "We have to execute better," Cutcliffe told reporters. "We've got good coaches, we've got good players. We will work this thing out." Facing Georgia Tech's option only two weeks ago should aid Duke's efforts against Army's option attack and linebacker Tinashe Bere noted, "We've looked at the film from Georgia Tech and I feel like this is one of the easier transitions this week."

ABOUT ARMY (1-4): The key to keeping each game close for the Black Knights has been limiting the opposition's offense. Army has allowed only 146.8 rushing yards per game while compiling four interceptions, 11 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. Linebackers Jeremy Timpf and Andrew King pace the defense, combing for 77 tackles, including a team-high 10 tackles for loss for King.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Duke has won 12 of its last 13 regular-season games against non-conference opponents.

2. Army ranks 10th among FBS teams, averaging 287.8 rushing yards per game.

3. The Blue Devils are 21-4 in their last 25 regular-season games, good for sixth in the nation during that time frame.

PREDICTION: Duke 27, Army 13