Quarterbacks: B+
Kyle Wright didn’t disappoint in the first half, in which he made solid decisions and no interceptions. In the third quarter, however, two interceptions ended that story. In all, he went 19 for 23, totaling 230 yards on the day. Luckily, when Kirby Freeman took the field to briefly relieve Wright, he primarily handed off the ball.
Running Backs: B+
The dynamic duo of Javarris James and Graig Cooper netted 57 and 101 yards, respectively. James didn’t see the end zone this week and his longest rush was 16 yards. Cooper scored the lone rushing touchdown. Both showed strength, speed and the ability to block for one another.
RECEIVING CORPS: A-
The receiving corps is finally getting into the swing of things behind Wright’s arm. The group completed 245 yards. Darnell Jenkins led with 72 yards. Kayne Farquharson made his first touchdown and had a standout game.
Offensive Line: B-
The O-Line allowed two sacks on Wright.AGAINST DUKE! They only allowed two sacks against Texas A&M. While this unit is undoubtedly better than last year, they can’t play down to their opponent each week.
Defensive Line: B-
Calais Campbell and his intimidating frame led to eight tackles, 2.5 sacks for 18 yards and 3.5 tackles for 19 yards lost. Vegas Franklin was dominant with two sacks and two TFLs for 16 yards.
Linebackers: B
Tavares Gooden led this unit, and all defense, with 14 tackles. He also recovered a fumble for 19 yards in the fourth quarter that enabled a Cooper touchdown.
Secondary: C+
This group allowed several big Duke plays due to missed tackles. The Blue Devils shouldn’t have gotten away with 302 yards in the Orange Bowl.
Special Teams: C
Francesco Zampogna may have missed a wide right field goal, but at least he didn’t get sunburned! This unit has to improve and become more consistent.
Coaching: B-
Head Coach Randy Shannon didn’t look too happy about the turnovers and big plays that were given up. The coaching staff will need to reiterate finishing games and not giving up in the third quarter. Hopefully in two weeks against GA Tech, we’ll see the team that beat Texas A&M and not the team that struggled against Duke.