Aug 294 min read

Duke Blue Devils, Elon Phoenix: A Fiery Matchup

Duke Football — ©Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Duke Blue Devils and the Elon Phoenix come into this game having had winning records in the previous season. The Blue Devils finished 7-5 and beat the Troy Trojans in the Birmingham Bowl. The Phoenix finished 6-5 and did not make a bowl game. They will face off at 7:30 p.m. EST on Aug. 30 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.

What's at Stake?

The Phoenix enter this game in head coach Tony Trisciani's sixth year at the helm. They are returning 14 starters from a year ago (seven on offense, seven on defense), which is the most in the Coastal Athletic Association. They are hoping to prove doubters wrong as they were picked to finish sixth in the CAA by the coaches in their preseason poll.

The Blue Devils enter this game in head coach Manny Diaz's first year at the helm. Diaz had previously served as the Penn State Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator. They enter Diaz's first year also with a new quarterback.

Duke's starting quarterback for this season is Maalik Murphy, who was a starter for the Texas Longhorns but transferred.

Murphy beat out the other quarterbacks on the roster, Grayson Loftis and Henry Belin. Loftis and Belin each recorded wins previously as starters for the Blue Devils. Loftis started the last few games last season and actually started and won the Birmingham Bowl against Troy.

Key Players: Duke

Offensive: Key Players include wide receiver Jordan Moore, Murphy and running back Jaquez Moore.

Jordan Moore is a senior coming into this season and he has put up some great numbers in the past few seasons. In 2022, he collected 60 catches for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2023, Moore had 62 catches for 835 yards and 8 touchdowns. He's a key player who looks to improve on his 2023 numbers. Moore also hopes to break some records for an offense ready to explode under Diaz.

Murphy is a sophomore entering this season. In limited game action with the Longhorns in his freshman year, he put up decent numbers. Murphy completed 40 of his 71 passes for 477 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Under a new coach and offense, Murphy is one to keep an eye on in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Jaquez Moore is a senior coming into this season and he, like Jordan Moore, also put up pretty good numbers his past few seasons. In 2022, he had 79 carries for 508 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2023, he had 116 carries for 674 yards and 6 touchdowns. Moore is key for the Blue Devils' offense. With an offense ready to take off, he can take the pressure off of Murphy.

Defensive: Key Players include linebacker Tre Freeman and cornerback Chandler Rivers.

Freeman is a junior coming into this season and had his best year yet in 2023. In 2023, he had 106 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble to go along with an interception. He's key for this Blue Devils' defense that lost four defensive starters to the NFL Draft this past year.

Jordan Moore — ©Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Rivers is a junior coming into this season. He had similar numbers in his past two seasons for the Blue Devils. In 2022, Rivers had 52 tackles with 0.5 sacks and 1 interception. In 2023, he had 58 tackles to go along with an interception. He's also key to the Blue Devils' defense that looks to build on leading the ACC in scoring defense last year.

Key Players: Elon

Offensive: Key Players include quarterback Matthew Downing and wide receiver Chandler Brayboy.

Downing started nine games for the Phoenix last year. He ranked No. 4 nationally in yards per completion with 15.3 and No. 9 in passing efficiency with 157.7. He's key for a Phoenix offense that doesn't turn the ball over often with only 15 interceptions thrown since 2021.

Brayboy was named the fourth most-explosive player in the FCS this past season. He averaged 19.6 yards per reception, 8.4 yards per rush and 26.9 yards per kick return in 2023. He's key for a Phoenix offense that looks to continue to get him the ball and get into the end zone.

Defensive: Key Players include safety Caleb Curtain and linebacker Marco Patierno.

Curtain is a redshirt junior and had an incredible year in 2023. He had 80 tackles (6.5 of them being for loss), 4.5 sacks and led the CAA with 4 interceptions. He's key for a Phoenix defense that looks to continue getting after the quarterback and forcing turnovers.

Patierno was named a Freshman All-American and recognized as a candidate for the Jerry Rice Award, the FCS Freshman of the Year. In 2023, he had 68 tackles. Against Hampton, he had a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Patierno is key for a Phoenix defense that leans on its linebackers to have success. They look to get into the backfield at a consistent rate.

Trends to Watch

The Blue Devils enter this game looking to kickstart Diaz's first season, especially at home, with a bang and get the win.

The Phoenix are looking to kickstart Trisciani's sixth year with a win, especially one that would be their first win over an FBS program in their history.

Also, if the Phoenix were to win, then it would be the team's first win over Duke in 10 all-time meetings.