Duke football kicks off season against Elon with new head coach, new QB :: WRALSportsFan.com
 Elon Phoenix |
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 Duke Blue Devils |
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| ACC Network | Friday, August 30th 7:30 PM EDT | |
Durham, N.C. — The Duke Blue Devils kick off their football season Friday night in Durham against the Elon Phoenix.
The first game of the year for Duke will aim to capture the magic they had under its previous regime, while building on a new culture.
A recap of the Blue Devils’ 2023 season.
The Blue Devils crashed the doors of the college football party on Labor Day of the 2023 season, with a 28-7 thumping of then-9th-ranked Clemson Tigers. Duke then proceeded to roll its next three opponents by a combined score of 121-28.
Going into a prime-time game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Blue Devils had a chance to cement themselves in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the defense broke at the worst possible time, quarterback Riley Leonard got hurt and the Blue Devils fell 21-14.
Leonard wasn’t the same player that season after his injury and the Blue Devils felt his absence, going 3-4 in their final seven games, and 0-2 in the games Leonard started after his injury.
The Blue Devils went on to win the Birmingham Bowl against Troy University, 17-10. Duke finished with an 8-5 record.
The Blue Devils then became the focus of a national coaching search, as then head coach Mike Elko became the top pick to replace Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M.
Texas A&M eventually offered Elko a contract, which he accepted, and Leonard transferred to run the Fighting Irish’s offense in 2024.
The Blue Devils looked to the Big Ten for their coaching replacement, hiring Penn State University defensive coordinator and former University of Miami head coach Manny Diaz. Duke also brought in Maalik Murphy from the University of Texas as its new starting quarterback.
What to watch with the Blue Devils on Friday
Murphy isn’t unfamiliar with the big stage, as he filled in for Quinn Ewers with the Longhorns while Ewers was injured, appearing in seven games and starting two of those games.
Murphy moved out of Texas as Ewers would return for his senior season and had Arch Manning to compete with once Ewers leaves.
While Murphy showed competency at Texas, it will be interesting to see how he will fare with having the starting job right out of the gate. Should he struggle, it could be a short leash and Diaz could put in Grayson Loftis, who was competing with Murphy for the starting job during training camp.
Another player to watch is wide receiver Jordan Moore. The former quarterback has blossomed as wide receiver, recording 122 receptions in two seasons, along with 1,491 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Moore will be an integral part of Duke’s plans on offense this season, and Murphy will benefit if he and Moore can get on the same page to start the season.
How to watch the Blue Devils vs. Elon
- When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
- Where: Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
- How to watch on TV: ACC Network
Source: wralsportsfan.com