We started a series taking a look at the teams that made bowl games a year ago and what they have to do to catch reigning ACC champion Clemson. Next up: Duke.
How they make the ACC championship: Duke already has one tough injury to overcome -- starting quarterback Thomas Sirk is out indefinitely after tearing his Achilles’ tendon during an offseason workout. Without him, the plan on offense is not going to be totally scrapped, but Parker Boehme will have to learn on the job. At least he should have a strong running game to help him get acclimated. Jela Duncan and Shaun Wilson return, and Boehme also has the ability to run the ball the way Sirk did (he had five touchdown runs a year ago). Defensively, the Blue Devils need to replace their best player (Jeremy Cash) and leading tackler (Dwayne Norman). But they made one of the best coaching hires of the offseason when they brought in Boston College defensive line coach Ben Albert. The BC defensive front has been one of the better units across the ACC, and this is an area that Duke has been trying to upgrade for years. The Blue Devils had 17 sacks a year ago; BC doubled that number. If Albert is able to help the defensive front control the line more consistently, then the Duke defense will be better -- even with Cash and Norman gone.
What’s holding them back: With Sirk injured, Duke has to replace its leading passer, top two rushers, top receiver, best offensive lineman, top tackler and top overall player. That is a boatload for any team to overcome. As noted above, losing Sirk is a big blow to the offense, especially given the way he played toward the end of the season. His bowl performance against Indiana was particularly impressive. Center Matt Skura and left guard Lucas Patrick also are gone, leaving behind big holes in the middle of the line. And as many strides as the defense has made over the last several seasons, it’s still not a group that ranks in the top half of the ACC. Depth at linebacker is lacking; the defensive line has not consistently put pressure on the quarterback or stopped the run; and the secondary gave up more than its fair share of big plays a season ago. Cash helped cover up some of the defense’s flaws, but now that he’s gone, who is going to step up and replace him?
X factor: Boehme. There is no doubt that coach David Cutcliffe knows what he is doing with his quarterbacks, and he has another talented player to work with in Boehme. But losing Sirk was an unexpected blow to an offense that had started to find its groove at the end of 2015 with Sirk leading the way. Duke will go into 2016 with its third different starting quarterback in three years. How Boehme responds to the challenge could determine how Duke's season goes.