Duke football quarterback Chase Brice was benched this past weekend after throwing four interceptions against Virginia in a 38-20 loss.
Brice couldn’t take care of the ball, and he needs to fix this immediately. Head coach David Cutcliffe has to tell him to not try and make it up all in one play. Brice played well in the first half despite the Blue Devils trailing 17-10 at halftime. Duke even took the lead with just over five minutes left in the third quarter, but the turnovers in the second half resulted in them losing the game.
Ball security
How did Duke’s ball security manage to get worse this week? Brice looked lost out there along with the rest of the team. Duke once again was in a position to win, but there is no way you’re going to win a football game when you have more turnovers than touchdowns.
The other turnovers were a fumble from Jake Bobo and backup quarterback Gunnar Holmberg, along with an interception from wide receiver Jalon Calhoun. Cutcliffe is going to have to find a way for his team to fix this issue immediately. It has been a while since I’ve seen this many turnovers from one team in a football game.
Offensive Line
There is no excusing Brice’s turnovers, but the offensive line has to give him time to figure things out. Brice is still new when it comes to being a starting quarterback, and this situation is like being a rookie in the NFL. While it isn’t the same situation, the point remains the same. He needs time to build some chemistry with his receivers.
The running game had its struggles as well. Mataeo Durant and Deon Jackson couldn’t find any holes to run through. Jackson still out-carried Durant, but Durant got more carries than he did the previous two games. I sound like a broken record, but the running game is so crucial to team success. The running game will take pressure off Brice and can lead to scores. In the times Duke has run the ball well, the whole team plays better.
Looking Forward
Duke has a total of 12 turnovers in the past two games. It has to work on ball security but move on past these three losses as well. The Blue Devils can’t linger on these performances they’ve had. If it isn’t there throw it away, don’t try to force it into double or even triple coverage.
We’ll have to see who the starting quarterback will be this week after Brice was benched for his turnovers. Maybe Cutcliffe did it to motivate him to play better. Brice was clearly frustrated at the end of that game, but he needs to play better if he wants to keep his job. Duke is playing Virginia Tech this week and we’ll have to see if they can correct these past mistakes.
