Week 1 for Duke revealed the answer to a major offseason question. The Blue Devils look seriously improved on the defensive side of the ball, which is exactly what Manny Diaz was hoping for.
Unfortunately, it also brought a reality that fans hoped to ignore for as long as possible: Duke took a major downgrade at QB. While Darian Mensah has gotten off to a start that has Heisman Trophy attention, Walker Eget struggled mightily in his first start with the Blue Devils, so much so that there was a legitimate question in the aftermath of the Tulane win of whether or not Diaz needed to make an immediate change.
This week at Illinois, don’t be surprised to see Dan Mahan get a little more burn as a change of pace for Duke with his running ability. Illinois will try to key in on superstar RB Nate Sheppard, and Diaz and OC Jonathan Brewer will need to find a changeup to keep the Illini’s defense honest…