The Duke football program is in a very different spot than it was just a few weeks ago.
After falling at home 24-20 to North Carolina in a battle for the Victory Bell, the Blue Devils are now 4-2 overall and 1-2 in ACC action after dropping their second straight contest. Duke looked like it took a step back offensively, and Manny Diaz and his staff will need to regroup if Duke is going to maintain a successful season.
Next up, Duke will face Virginia in Charlottesville amid a two-game skid. Following the disappointing loss to the Tar Heels, let's grade each Duke position group.
Quarterback: C-
Walker Eget wasn't good enough against the Tar Heels, and his struggles mirrored Week 1 against Tulane, when the offense was virtually nonexistent outside of Nate Sheppard. Eget was inconsistent, missed several throws that would've become big plays, and had a few balls that should've been picked off.
The San Jose State transfer finished 24-of-38 passing for 249 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Eget has to step up if Duke's passing attack is going to be a consistent threat.
Running Back: A
Sheppard tallied 77 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 20 carries and led the Blue Devils in receiving with 11 catches for 98 yards and a TD. This was his lowest rushing total all season and the first game he hasn't notched a rushing touchdown, but he was undoubtedly the most impactful player on the field for Diaz and Co.
CJ Campbell was serviceable as well, going for nine carries for 61 yards. Duke's run game remains the focal point, but it needs more from the rest of the offense.
Wide Receiver: B-
Duke's receivers did a good job getting open, but Eget missed several big throws. Jared Richardson led the receiving corps with three catches for 55 yards, but Jonah Burton got separation for a few big plays had the ball been delivered.
The wide receivers are doing what they need to, but the execution on chunk plays has to get better.
Tight End: B-
Jeremiah Hasley only caught two passes for 16 yards, and Nate Kurisky didn't do much in the loss.
It's a similar conversation to the receivers. Hasley is probably Duke's biggest receiving threat outside of Sheppard, and plays have to be executed better to get him involved consistently.
Offensive Line: B+
Eget was sacked once against North Carolina, which was the second sack he's taken all year. With Matt Craycraft out of the game, the offensive line adjusted well to protect Eget.
Defensive Line: B
North Carolina entered this weekend's rivalry bout having allowed quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to be sacked 11 times, making it a good opportunity for Duke's talented defensive line to have its breakout game. The unit was effective, but it probably could've done more.
The Blue Devils logged two sacks and five tackles for loss. Preston Watson was the star of the show, leading the team in total tackles with eight, along with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Bryce Davis was fairly disappointing, failing to notch a single tackle.
Linebacker: B
Duke's linebacker unit remains one of the most consistent on the team, and it was productive against North Carolina. Nick Morris Jr. tallied seven tackles; Luke Mergott had five of his own; and Kendall Johnson had three.
There were times when Edwards Jr. had way too much open space to run outside the pocket, but the linebackers were effective overall.
Secondary: B
The Blue Devils' secondary had its highs and lows against the Tar Heels. Early on, UNC got whatever it wanted in the passing game. Tar Heel receiver Jordan Shipp had his best game of the year, tallying seven catches for 75 yards and a score. For a UNC passing game that has struggled this season, Duke left a lot to be desired.
However, the unit came up with big plays. Kyon Loud forced a Shipp fumble in the first half that was recovered by Andrew Pellicciotta and returned for a touchdown to get Duke on the board, and Patrick Smith-Young later recovered another fumble.
Kicker: A
Couldn't have asked for much more from freshman kicker Gavin Strange, who stepped in for Cosme Salas, who was ruled out for the season. Strange went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points.
Punter: D
Duke made a couple of early punting blunders, and they were costly. But after a few mishaps, the Blue Devils cleaned it up. Kade Reynoldson averaged 40.7 yards on his three punts.
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