Saturday was another tough loss for the Duke Blue Devils as they fell to the North Carolina Tar Heels, 24-20. Once more, the first half was the kiss of death for head coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils as they fell behind 17-0 and didn't get momentum until midway through the third quarter.
After the game, Pro Football Focus released the snap counts for the Blue Devils on both sides of the ball. I spent some time analyzing the numbers and wanted to share a few takeaways from what I saw on paper after the game and what it could mean going forward.
Javen Nicholas Finally Makes a Dent
One of the transfers I was high on this offseason was Charlotte's Javen Nicholas, their best playmaker last season after transferring from LSU. Instead of translating that success right away, Nicholas rarely saw the field this season, but he received a season-high 11 snaps and caught two passes for 14 yards.
The Blue Devils need something to explode on offense, excluding Nate Sheppard, especially in the first half. Nicholas has the same skill set as starting slot receiver Jonah Burton, but his depth and explosive playmaking ability make him dependable in space, and it could earn him more snaps as the season goes on.
Kimari Robinson, Others Split Slot Cornerback Role
With Evan Smith out on Saturday, veteran Kimari Robinson started at nickel cornerback, with Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers manning outside cornerback. Robinson was solid in the slot in his first start of the season and just his second game of the campaign, even though he went viral for the wrong reasons.
Robinson rotated in and out of the game with defensive backs Patrick Smith-Young and safety Andrew Pellicciotta as the Blue Devils needed as many defensive backs on the field as they could against North Carolina's spread offense.
Nate Sheppard Plays Majority of Snaps Despite Ankle Injury
While he was considered a "game-time decision" pre-game, it was fairly obvious Sheppard was never going to miss the Battle for the Victory Bell. Backup CJ Campbell played only 15 snaps to Sheppard's 60, and both running backs made explosive plays on the ground and in the air, respectively.
Campbell showed that despite limited reps, he can be a very productive No. 2 running back behind Sheppard, while the star rusher continues to put up big numbers each week. I wouldn't expect this approach to change as Sheppard continues to nurse this lower-body ailment. With Duke still in the race for the ACC, theoretically, the country's best running back will be needed as much as possible.
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