The Duke Blue Devils suffered a tough Week 2 loss at the hands of the Illinois Fighting Illini.
There was a different vibe at Wallace Wade Stadium before Duke kicked off against the 12th-ranked Illinois.
A lot of hope, a lot of excitement, a lot of anticipation to see what the Blue Devils can do against a top-15 program.
At first, it seemed like they were worth the hype. After starting slow against Elon in Week 1, then coming back with a vengeance to win in convincing fashion, 45-17, perhaps this team was different.
But ultimately, the only thing that got in the way of Duke being successful was… themselves.
Illinois walked away with this game 45-19 and made Duke look like the program that it’s been for years – middling.
Here are four observations from Duke’s loss to Illinois.
I’ll Take Turnovers With a Side of Turnovers, Please
Duke did everything in its power to lose this game. Not just lose it, but get blown out.
From fumbles, to turnovers, to horrific penalties, to everything else in between, the Blue Devils continued to ruin any potential momentum they built.
The offense looked real solid to start off the game, and if you only watched the first half, you’d think there was a legitimate shot for them to stay alive in the game.
But the turnovers were too much.
Duke had four fumbles, two were sack-fumbles by Darian Mensah, another one was a muffed punt return from Que’Sean Brown, and the other was from receiver Sahmir Hagans.
Beyond the fumbles, there was a critical and very avoidable blunder that caused Illinois to pull away. Despite the scorer, Duke’s defense looked real solid and it put a stop to Illinois in three downs, all while down 14-13.
Once the Illini went to punt, Duke was flagged for having two players on the field with the same number on their jersey.
It gave Illinois the ball back, and the next play, Luke Altmyer converted on a 35-yard pass. Later in that drive, Illinois pulled away with a Justin Bowick touchdown to extend the lead 21-13.
Not only that, Mensah threw an interception later in the game that put the nail in the coffin.
Mensah Needs Better Composure
Mensah is still young and wasn’t a top recruit coming out of high school, so mistakes are bound to happen.
But dating back to his freshman year in Tulane, Mensah has had a hard time during games with big stakes. And if Duke is going to pay him $3 million per year, performances like Week 2 is completely unacceptable.
There were times where he was trying to do too much, and make something out of nothing.
In the final minute of the first half, he attempted two consecutive long balls to get close to the redzone, both which were completely off the mark.
Later in that drive, he attempted another long ball which converted to Andrel Anthony. To his credit, he led the Blue Devils to a touchdown on that drive, but the constant attempts for explosive plays screams immaturity.
He’s so incredibly skilled. He has a solid arm, who sees the field well, and can escape pressure with exceptional athleticism. But if you let your impulses take over like he did, that talent is going to mean nothing in the end.
Run the Ball
It may not seem like it, but the best part of Duke’s offense.
Jaquez Moore looked like a seasoned veteran with how patient, elusive, and shifty that he was. But at the end of the day, offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer only opted to run with Moore six times – five of those runs were in the first quarter.
To be fair, Moore missed eight games last season with a leg injury, but it was clear he was the more consistent force of the offense.
In those six carries, he ran for 30 yards, with a long of 11 yards. Beyond that, Nate Sheppard ran five times, and Anderson Castle ran four times.
Castle is a total thumper who knocked out Illinois linebacker and defensive captain Dylan Rosiek, but he’s more of a goal line threat.
But once Duke abandoned the run, the momentum stopped. Mensah attempted to take over the game, and make big plays.
When the run was established, that’s when Duke’s offense looked the best.
A Defensive Stud
Defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. is a problem.
In the first quarter, Anthony recorded two and a half sacks, constantly causing pressure to Altmyer.
As the game went on, Illinois did seem to hone in on him, but it opened the door for other defenders like Kendall Johnson and Tre Freeman to get to the quarterback.
Last season, he was second on the team with five sacks, and two games in, he’s already more than half way there.
As the elder statesman of the defensive line, he could be primed for a double-digit sack season.