Duke hits road to Middle Tennessee looking for 4-0 start before start of ACC slate

Sep 19, 2024, 06:11 am

Duke (3-0) at Middle Tennessee (1-2) Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (ESPNU))

: Duke by 13 1/2.

Series record: Duke leads 1-0.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Duke is unbeaten in the brief tenure of Manny Diaz. The Blue Devils are chasing a second straight 4-0 start before opening the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of their schedule. This is the ninth time Middle Tennessee has hosted a Power Four team and seventh different program since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1999. This is Duke’s second visit to Floyd Stadium and first since 2019. The Blue Raiders are trying to get back to .500 under first-year coach Derek Mason before playing four of the next five games on the road.

KEY MATCHUP

Duke's defense against Middle Tennessee's big-play offense. The Blue Devils rank 19th giving up 247.3 yards per game. Middle Tennessee is coming off a 49-21 loss to Western Kentucky, but QB Nicholas Vattiato threw for 456 yards. The Blue Raiders had six plays of 20 yards or more, including a 71-yard pass from Vattiago to Omari Kelly.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Duke: QB Maalik Murphy. The 6-foot-5 transfer from Texas has thrown eight touchdown passes in three starts, though he’s had troubles consistently connecting downfield and is completing just 64% of his throws. Still, he has the arm strength to attack defenses vertically.

Middle Tennessee: WR Omari Kelly. The junior who came into this season with five career catches had nine receptions for 239 yards and tied the program record with three touchdowns in the49-21 loss to Western Kentucky last week. His receiving yards rank second in school history and most since the move to FBS level. Kelly is just the third player in program history to have a 200-yard receiving game.

FACTS & FIGURES

Duke has the ACC's longest active winning streak at five straight. ... Duke reached 4-0 in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2023. Before that stretch, Duke hasn’t done so since going 7-0 in 1994. … The Blue Devils won the lone meeting 41-18 in September 2019. … The Blue Devils are second in the Bowl Subdivision by averaging 11.3 tackles for loss and tied for 22nd in sacks (3.0 per game). … Middle Tennessee is 5-12 against ACC teams. The Blue Raiders won their last game against the ACC, posting their first win over a Top 25 team in 2022 winning at then-No. 25 Miami. ... Vattiato has started 15 straight games for Middle Tennessee. ... MTSU is 85-49 at Floyd Stadium since moving to the FBS level in 1999.

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