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Tag: Riley Leonard

  • Duke rose quickly under Mike Elko. Now Manny Diaz is aiming to keep that upward trajectory

    Duke rose quickly under Mike Elko. Now Manny Diaz is aiming to keep that upward trajectory

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    DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke made a quick climb under Mike Elko. Now it’s up to Manny Diaz to build something more.

    The former Miami head coach and Penn State defensive coordinator has taken over in Durham, leading a program that crashed in the final seasons of David Cutcliffe’s long and successful tenure before winning 16 games in two seasons under Elko.

    Elko left for Texas A&M as the Blue Devils prepared for their bowl game. The 50-year-old Diaz took over in December for his second stint as a head coach, the first ending when he was fired in 2021 after three seasons with the Hurricanes.

    “We all learn,” Diaz said. “I’ve never been the same defensive coordinator twice in my career. You’re always taking the lessons from the last year, the last season, the career, and applying it and trying to be a better person. No different as a coach than what you would expect and demand from your players.”

    Diaz went 21-15 at Miami, including a 16-9 record in Atlantic Coast Conference games that stood second only to Clemson (22) in league wins.

    He inherits a roster that lost seven offensive starters and eight on defense from last season. That list includes four Associated Press all-ACC performers, as well as quarterback Riley Leonard (transferred to Notre Dame) and running back Jordan Waters (transferred to North Carolina State).

    Duke leaned into the transfer portal to add 17 graduates, including eight on the offensive line alone. This year’s team is picked to finish 11th in the expanded 17-team ACC.

    “We’ve got an outstanding group of graduate transfers and instantly transformed our team from being very young, which in way-back-when days not very long ago, might set you back for a few years,” Diaz said. “And we feel like now we’re poised to go again, and I think our players believe that as well.”

    Welcome back

    Diaz knows Duke’s home in the “Triangle” region of North Carolina well. He coached at nearby North Carolina State from 2000-05 under Chuck Amato and had two sons born in Raleigh, about 30 minutes east of Duke’s campus.

    QB battle

    The highest-profile position battle entering the season was between Texas transfer Maalik Murphy and returning sophomore Grayson Loftis.

    But Diaz announced Monday night that Murphy had won the job.

    “Maalik has earned the opportunity to be our starting quarterback with his preparation, work ethic and productivity,” Diaz said.

    Murphy appeared in seven games with two starts for the playoff-bound Longhorns last year, which had followed him creating a buzz in the spring game.

    “Nobody wants to be in a quarterback room that kind of just sits back and no one gets better,” Murphy said. “Everybody’s getting pushed.”

    Loftis started the last five games with Leonard injured last year, winning three and leading Duke past Troy in the Birmingham Bowl as a true freshman.

    Defensive carryover?

    Duke safety Jaylen Stinson is one of the returning defensive starters, who are largely concentrated in the secondary. He said Diaz’s success with the Nittany Lions — who finished second nationally in total defense (247.6 yards) and third in scoring defense (13.5) — was an appealing aspect of his arrival and had him envisioning what he could do in the scheme.

    “Those guys were on fire last year,” Stinson said, adding: “So a lot of guys were excited to have him come here because we know what he can do.”

    He said it

    “Credit to Elko and everything he did here. I’m just excited to see what Coach Diaz has to bring. He seems like a coach that likes to listen, very player-oriented coach. I’m excited to see how the season goes.” — Duke receiver Jordan Moore

    The schedule

    Diaz’s debut comes Aug. 30 against Elon at home, followed by a trip to Big Ten country to face Northwestern in the Blue Devils’ top nonconference game.

    The ACC schedule opens at home against rival North Carolina (Sept. 28). There’s also a visit from No. 10 Florida State (Oct. 18) as reigning league champion and preseason favorite. Duke’s only game against the three newly added ACC schools comes at home against SMU (Oct. 26). Duke closes the year with a Nov. 30 trip to Wake Forest.

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  • No. 7 Notre Dame leaning heavily on new QB Riley Leonard to make expanded playoff field

    No. 7 Notre Dame leaning heavily on new QB Riley Leonard to make expanded playoff field

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    SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Coach Marcus Freeman begins his third season at Notre Dame in a familiar spot. He has another new starting quarterback and another new offensive coordinator.

    Changes in the college football landscape — the expanded 12-team playoff field and a veteran quarterback at the helm — could put the seventh-ranked Fighting Irish back in national championship contention. And they will find out quickly exactly where they stand.

    Riley Leonard, a transfer from Duke, is expected to make his Notre Dame debut Aug. 31 at No. 20 Texas A&M.

    “The best thing is he’s taking care of the football,” Freeman said of his third different opening-day starter. “We know he can do some things with his legs, but we’ve kind of forced him (to focus on the passing game). We’ve said, ’Hey, we know you can run the ball. Let’s continue to watch you progress in the passing game, making checks, being able to put the offense in great situations.’”

    Notre Dame followed a similar plan last season when former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman led the Irish to a 10-3 mark with a final ranking of No. 14 while averaging 39.1 points per game. Hartman signed with the NFL’s Washington Commanders when his eligibility ran out and last year’s offensive coordinator, Gerad Parker, is now the head coach at Troy.

    Still, Freeman isn’t exactly starting over. He brought in Leonard, who hopes to make an impact similar to Hartman, and hired Mike Denbrock from LSU, where he oversaw the top offense in the Bowl Subdivision and played a critical role in Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy-winning season.

    Leonard’s strong start pushed the Blue Devils into the top 20 before an injured right ankle, suffered in a loss to Notre Dame and that required two offseason surgeries, hindered the rest of his season.

    The result: Leonard threw for just 1,102 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 352 yards and four scores in 2023 compared with 2,967 yards passing, 699 yards rushing and 33 total TDs in 2022.

    Now, though, Leonard appears to be healthy. Plus, he’ll have a stronger supporting cast.

    Clemson transfer Beaux Collins and FIU transfer Kris Mitchell will team up with talented returnees Jayden Thomas, Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison to form a deep, dangerous receiving corps. The Irish are also banking on Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to replace running back Audric Estime.

    Defensively, the Irish will be led by All-American safety Xavier Watts, defensive tackle Howard Cross II and cornerback Benjamin Morrison. Watts intercepted seven passes last season while Morrison has nine over the last two years.

    Familiar foe

    Leonard will see a familiar face on the sideline at Texas A&M in coach Mike Elko, who also left Duke to take the Aggies job. Though Leonard would rather the focus be on the game rather than the head-to-head matchup, he knows what to expect.

    “Obviously, it’s going to be that way,” Leonard said. “To be able to play against him, it’s awesome. It’s not just him, it’s a lot of the coaching staff from Duke, and it’s a lot of people I’m really close with, and we’re all extremely competitive, so this game means a lot to me.”

    Big concerns

    One area of concern will be the offensive line.

    All-American left tackle Joe Alt and starting right tackle Blake Fisher were both early-round picks in the NFL draft, and starting center Zeke Correll transferred to North Carolina State after starting the past 2 1/2 season with the Irish.

    The Fighting Irish also suffered a setback when Charles Jagusah who was expected to replace Alt, suffered a shoulder injury that will keep him out this season.

    The schedule

    Notre Dame might not face its traditionally strong gauntlet of opponents, with a home game Nov. 9 against No. 10 Florida State appearing to be its biggest game. The Irish play both Army and Navy at neutral sites and visit Purdue on Sept. 14. Louisville, Stanford and Virginia all visit Notre Dame and the regular-season closing rivalry game is at new Big Ten member Southern California.

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  • Duke visits Ga Tech out to build on best start since 2018

    Duke visits Ga Tech out to build on best start since 2018

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    Duke (4-1, 1-0 ACC) at Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (ACC Regional Sports Network)

    Line: Duke by 3½ points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

    Series record: Georgia Tech leads 53-35-1, including wins in two straight.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    Duke snapped a 13-game ACC losing streak in last week’s 38-17 home win over Virginia. The Blue Devils have started 4-1 for the first time since 2018 and are 1-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2019. A win gives Duke its best ACC start since 2015. Georgia Tech’s 26-21 win last week at then-No. 24 Pittsburgh snapped a nine-game losing streak against FBS opponents. The Yellow Jackets seek consecutive wins for the first time since they beat Miami and Virginia in 2018.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Blue Devils WR Jalon Calhoun vs. Georgia Tech secondary. Calhoun leads the Blue Devils with 356 yards on 23 receptions and ranks fifth in the ACC in yards receiving. Of his 23 receptions, 15 have gone for a first down and seven have covered at least 20 yards. The Jackets are without top safety Jaylon King, who underwent right leg surgery and is likely done for the season. King had 32 tackles in five games, most among the secondary, one interception and a forced fumble. Freshman Clayton Powell-Lee will replace King.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Duke: In his first year as a starter, QB Riley Leonard leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally with a 72% completion rate. He ranks fourth in the conference in total offense after compiling 1,176 yards passing and 260 rushing and has completed 18 passes of at least 20 yards.

    Georgia Tech: LB Charlie Thomas had seven tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in the second half at Pitt. The only thing holding Thomas back is targeting penalties. He’s had to sit out the first half of two games. One more, and he’ll have to sit out a full game.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    Duke is first in the ACC with 14 rushing TDs and third in rushing offense (200.4) and in yards rushing (1,002). … RBs Jaylen Coleman and Jordan Waters and Leonard each have at least 240 yards rushing. … After finishing 2021 ranked last in the ACC in turnover margin, the Blue Devils are first in the league and tied for fourth nationally at plus-1.6 per game. … Georgia Tech RB Hassan Hall rushed for 157 yards on 20 carries last week to become the first player to rush at least 20 times and average at least 7.8 yards per rush against the Panthers since West Virginia’s Steve Slaton in 2006.

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