Duke Football: 2020 Report card for Blue Devils

The Duke Blue football struggled most of the season and here is the final report card for the Blue Devils.

This year was another tough season in Durham for the Blue Devils. After a tough 5-7 campaign, expectations were high. Chase Brice was transferring in from Clemson. Young receivers Eli Pancol and Jalon Calhoun got their feet wet as freshmen and were expected to contribute. Ohio State transfer Jack Wolhbaugh and redshirt junior Jacob Rimmer were going to anchor the offensive line.

All of that went out of the window when COVID-19 hit. No spring or summer ball. Few teams needed both spring and summer practice as much as Duke football. Brice had to learn new offensive terminology via zoom chats. Wohlbaugh tore his ACL and missed the season. Rimmer opted out because of the pandemic.

As a result, the offense struggled, and the defense was often overmatched. The primary issue offensively was turnovers. Duke threw 19 interceptions as a team, and only 11 touchdown passes. The Blue Devils also lost 20 fumbles last season. Their 39 turnovers were by the most in the country last season.

Defensively, Duke knew coming into the season their with issues stopping the run. The Blue Devils, though talented in places, was small upfront.

However, the pass defense and pass rush would be good. Because of the turnovers, the defense often found themselves on a short field and gassed because of depth.

The result; a 2-9 record, the worst under David Cutcliffe. Here is Duke football’s 2020 report card.