Clemson vs Duke in Labor Day Opener at Wallace Wade Stadium
With the Clemson Football season not too far away we are going to do away too early preview for each of Clemson’s 2023 opponents. Clemson opens up the season on Labor Day night, September 4th at Wallace Wade Stadium, home of the Duke Blue Devils.
Who is coming back?
Duke is coming off of a very impressive 9-4 season where they claimed victories over Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, UCF, and Wake Forest among others. They dropped games against Kansas, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. Duke will be returning 9 starters on the offensive side of the ball and 8 starters on the defensive side of the ball.
Duke is bringing back 82% of their total offensive production, and 60% of their defensive production.
Duke Offense
Duke is led by junior signal caller, Riley Leonard. Leonard had a very good season for the Blue Devils last season completing 63.9% of his passes and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt. The junior QB totaled 20 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions and also added 13 touchdowns on the ground. Riley Leonard was the leading rusher for Duke in 2022.
The Blue Devils also bring back all 6 of their leading receivers from the 2022 season. Led by redshirt senior Jalon Calhoun who hauled in 62 passes for 873 yards and 4 touchdowns, there is plenty of chemistry between the wide receivers, tight ends, and their quarterback.
Duke was much improved last year than they have been in recent years through the air but they were far from a prolific passing offense. As previously mentioned Duke is bringing back each of their top 6 pass catchers, however, the top three receivers had 873, 656, and 400 yards respectively. Nicky Dalmolin, junior tight end, will continue to be a weapon for Leonard as he hauled in 21 catches for only 170 yards but 4 touchdowns.
Duke finished the 2022 campaign 44th in total offense (Clemson #48), 68th in passing offense, and 40th in rushing offense.
Duke Defense
The Blue Devils bring back their 3rd leading tackler in senior defensive back Jaylen Stinson. Stinson had 74 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Duke’s projected defensive lineup is a very veteran led group with 7 seniors, 2 juniors and 2 sophomores.
There will be a new play caller for the Blue Devil defense this year. Tyler Santucci is taking over as the defensive coordinator this season after a one-year stint as the co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Santucci and Duke head coach Mike Elco have previously worked together, most recently in 2020 and 2021 where Santucci served as the Aggies linebacker coach.
Duke, however, did not have a stellar 2022 season on the defensive side of the ball. The Blue Devils finished the season ranked 68th in total defense, 27th in rushing defense, but an abysmal 105th overall ranking in pass defense.
The Blue Devil defense should take a jump forward this season, but by how much? That is yet to be seen.
How the game will play out
The Clemson defense should be improved from last year, especially against the pass and as previously noted, Duke does not have a prolific passing offense. Duke will have to try to run the ball and control the clock if they want a chance to win this game. The Clemson front 7 should be one of the best in the country and should be able to keep the Duke offense at bay and force them into passing situations.
Clemson will be breaking in Garrett Riley as the new offensive coordinator, and Cade Klubnik as the full-time starting quarterback. Even though this game will be played away from the friendly confines of Death Valley, this is a very favorable matchup to open up the season with. Duke does have a lot of experience on the defensive side of the ball, but this defense is nowhere near the most talented that the Tigers will play this season. Cade Klubnik should have plenty of holes through the air, and the Tigers should be able to get the running game going with Will Shipley and Phil Mafah. Duke will also have to worry about a very mobile quarterback to go along with the two-star running backs.
Clemson will have the full attention of the nation on them for this game on Labor Day night, and this could be a great opportunity for a coming-out party for the new Clemson offense.
