2012 Duke Football Preview:
During the 2011 season, the Blue Devils finished with a 3-9 record and a 1-7 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), but their team was young and should benefit from another year of experience. With surprise wins over Boston College and Tulane, Duke showed that it could compete with its more respected ACC opponents and may have the potential to make some noise this year.
The Blue Devils will benefit from continuity at quarterback this season, as Sean Renfree will return to manage the offense. Duke will need to see more improvement out of its ground game, as starters Juwan Thompson and Desmond Scott managed less than 1,000 yards on the ground and will need to provide a viable alternative to the team's powerful passing game. The Blue Devils' talented receiving corps of Conner Vernon, Jamison Crowder and tight end Braxton Deaver will be a tough challenge for opposing ACC defenses during the upcoming season. The offense's big question mark seems to be the offensive line, which features multiple underclassmen and will need consistency on line calls from center Conor Irwin to be successful this season.
On defense, the Blue Devils will return nine starters and will rely heavily on their stacked secondary to contend with high-flying ACC offenses. Lee Butler and Walt Canty should hold down the corner spots, while Brandon Braxton and Jordon Byas will roam the middle of the field at safety. Duke's linebacking corps consists of team leaders Kelby Brown and Austin Gamble, as well as highly-touted freshman Kyler Brown. Finally, the Blue Devils should enjoy steady play from Kenny Anunike and Justin Foxx at the defensive end spots, as well as a strong defensive tackle rotation.
Heading into 2012, Duke will face the usual tough ACC opponents like Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech, they could gain momentum going into these matchups with early wins over Stanford, Memphis and Wake Forest. Ultimately, it will come down to how the Blue Devils start off the season and handle the gauntlet of ranked opponents that will come toward the end. The 2012 team will be a more mature roster that may be able to make the leap to prominence in the ACC.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS INFORMATION:
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Stadium: Wallace Wade Stadium
Conference: ACC Conference
Rivals: North Carolina Tar Heels
Mascot: Blue Devil
Notable Coaches: Wallace Wade, Steve Spurrier, Fred Goldsmith
Notable Bowl Games:
The Blue Devils have a successful football history to look back on, starting when Wallace Wade coached the team in the 1930's. Wade left Alabama after three national championships to coach the Blue Devils to an undefeated season in which Duke's opponents never even managed to score. The Blue Devils would also share an ACC title in the late '80s under legendary coach Steve Spurrier, and put up some good records in the 1990's with coach Fred Goldsmith at the helm. Duke consistently tops the list of NCAA Div I FBS schools for the percentage of football players who graduate. It is a school characterized by athletic and academic pride and the Blue Devils will look to bring their football team back to prominence this season.
The Duke Blue Devils play their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The stadium was opened in 1929 and holds a capacity crowd of just under 34,000. Wallace Wade Stadium is perhaps best known for hosting the 1942 Rose Bowl Game because after the attack on Pearl Harbor, travel restrictions in California and Oregon kept the game from being played anywhere on the West Coast. Attend a Duke game and you can sense the tradition and honor with which these student athletes compete. Buy Duke Blue Devils football tickets today!.
See Also:
Duke Blue Devils Bowl Game tickets
Duke Blue Devils Basketball tickets
Duke Blue Devils Football Season Preview History
Duke Blue Devils Ticket Information:
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