A Look At Duke: Q&A With Brian McLawhorn

In previewing Duke, Blue & Gold Illustrated spoke with Brian McLawhorn, who covers the Blue Devils for Devils Illustrated.

BGI: Has anything about Duke’s start to the season been a surprise?

McLawhorn: Most that follow this program did not really have high expectations for this team. The consensus leading up to the start of the season was that Duke would be lucky to reach the six-win threshold to become bowl eligible. The most common scenario had the Blue Devils winning five with the Wake Forest game expected to be one of those victories. When the Demon Deacons left Wallace Wade Stadium with the victory, the tone quickly changed. Generally speaking, I think the real surprise early on is how big of a step backwards this Duke team might have made this season. It's obviously early, so making that judgment would be unfair, but the possibility has presented itself. This Duke team still has a lot of talent, and for it to lose the way it did to Wake Forest, a team that has a long way to go to be consistently competitive in the league, is a bit alarming.

BGI: With stadium renovations and recent success, where is the Duke football program heading? How much positive momentum do the Blue Devils have?

McLawhorn: I think there are three components to this: 1) the Duke administration's commitment to football; 2) recruits buying in to the program; and 3) The fans commitment.

The University's administration has completely bought in and supports this program now. That's where it all needed to start, which has resulted in the renovations, the practice facility, etc. They completely committed themselves to making Duke football relevant. The result of that has been an increased ability to recruit higher level talent to Duke. There is definitely momentum in that regard, as the talent pool coming to Durham improves each year, and as a result David Cutcliffe has been able to target more prominent recruits without being laughed out of the door. All of that has resulted in more success on the field.

Unfortunately, it has not translated to the stands. Even with the stadium renovations, which are beautiful, Duke is struggling to put fans in the seats. The Blue Devils' home game versus Wake Forest was a prime example. The official attendance was recorded at 21,007. That real number was probably closer to 10,000 - if that. Ultimately, Duke has to find a way to get fans in the stadium - and it's not that they haven't been trying. If they don't, all the hard work put in by the administration, coaches, current and past classes will go to waste, as it will become more and more difficult to lure top talent to Durham. I'm sure it's disheartening for those Blue Devils to run out of the tunnel on game day to see more empty seats than not.

BGI: How big a loss was Thomas Sirk and how is Duke coping without him at quarterback?

McLawhorn: Not as big as everyone outside of the program wants to believe or think. Sirk's statistics from last season did not tell the full story. His experience will be missed, and he certainly won games for Duke last year, but he was also a liability at times. Sirk was a below average passer, who didn't always make good decisions with the football and limited Duke's ability to stretch the field. Though he threw just eight interceptions last year, that number could have very easily been doubled. Luck was on his side quite often in that department.

That said, leading into the season when Parker Boehme was expected to be his replacement, Sirk's loss seemed to be a much bigger loss. With Daniel Jones now under center, there's no real "coping" at the position. Jones is leaps and bounds better than Sirk. His ceiling is much higher and he gives Duke the ability to stretch the field. He has great touch with the football, and does a much better job going through his reads and progressions when looking to unload the football. Those are two things Sirk practically never did. He still has a lot of growing to do, and will undoubtedly make freshman mistakes - he did against Wake Forest - but Jones gives Duke a better chance of winning that Sirk. Even if Sirk were healthy, Jones would be the better option.

BGI: It seemed like Daniel Jones was under a lot of pressure against Wake Forest. Is the offensive line an area of concern through a couple games?

McLawhorn: It is a concern for sure, especially considering they have a young quarterback. Duke lost some important pieces to its offensive line, so guys have to step up and play well if Duke will have a chance to win football games. Wake Forest's defense is better than one might think, and it exposed the Blue Devils upfront, not only in its ability to protect Jones and give him time to throw the ball, but also in run protection. Duke has two very talented running backs in Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson and if they cannot provide open lanes for them to run, it's going to be a really long season in Durham.

BGI: How has the defense performed this year and who are some of the top playmakers?

McLawhorn: It's been a mixed bag, to be honest. There is definitely some talent on this defense, but it has struggled upfront, which has made stopping the run a challenge. That's something that has to improve going forward, so it's truly on the shoulders of the guys in the trenches. As far as playmakers go, redshirt freshman linebacker Joe Giles-Harris has been outstanding so far. He leads the team in tackles, and has been a force against both the pass and the run. He simply makes plays. Fellow linebacker, sophomore Ben Humphreys, has also been very good early on. That duo is an upgrade from what the Blue Devils brought to the table last season.

Then there's senior defensive back DeVon Edwards. Although he's not the biggest guy on the field, he is very good against the run, and is a threat to rush the quarterback in blitz packages. He is also a proven defender against the pass. Cornerbacks Breon Borders and Bryon Fields are also experienced defenders that have the ability to come up with big plays.

BGI: Is there an x-factor for Duke in the Notre Dame game?

McLawhorn: I don't think there's one player that is the x-factor. I would label the offensive line the x-factor. If it doesn't play well, Duke has no shot to even consider pulling off the upset. If it does play well and provides Daniel Jones time to throw the football, and holes for Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson to run through, Duke could be competitive. From a skill position standpoint, Duke is very talented. These guys just have to be given a chance to use their abilities.

BGI: What are your expectations for the Duke-Notre Dame game? Do the Blue Devils have enough firepower to hang with the Irish?

McLawhorn: Offensively, yes. If the offensive line can hold it's own, Duke has the firepower to score points. Defensively, it comes down to whether or not the Blue Devils can stop the run. If they can't, Duke will be faced with a myriad problems in trying to defend Notre Dame. With all of that said, I don't think the Duke offensive line will produce enough to allow its playmakers room to work. On the other side of the ball, I don't foresee Duke being able to make Notre Dame one-dimensional, and contain DeShone Kizer.