Duke Blue Devils Ground Kansas Jayhawks 41-3
Shaun Wilson, where have you been? The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Kansas Jayhawks by the score of 41-3, but that was expected. The real story is how they did it, powered by 245 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns from freshman tailback Shaun Wilson. That broke the Duke record for rushing yards in a game. Wilson, the West Meck product, did it in proper Biakabutuka fashion. He railed off runs of 68, 69, and 45 yards to get into the end zone. Has Duke uncovered the missing offensive weapon it was looking for?
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Play of the Game
Momentum wise, Wilson’s first touchdown was the most significant. That 69 yard gallop put Duke up by three scores in the first quarter and took them out of any immediate danger of a Kansas comeback. The funny thing is, most people probably thought that was a freak occurrence. Then of course he rattled home twice more on long runs.
Were You There When…
Wilson rolled off the second 68 yard touchdown run. In some ways this would have been more memorable than the first, because lightning can strike anywhere once. The second time, you were like…wait, is he going to do this AGAIN? Yes, yes he is. The third touchdown is less surprising, because at that point you expect him to take it to the house each time he touches the ball.
Sep 13, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Max McCaffrey (87) carries the ball against Kansas Jayhawks safety Tevin Shaw (30) and safety Anthony Smithson (9) at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
I Want Him on My Team
Max McCaffrey, WR
I’ll be honest, I am just trying to avoid another paragraph of Shaun Wilson gush fest. McCaffrey very quietly had a solid game with seven catches and two touchdowns. Jamison Crowder was unusually quiet this game, so having a trustworthy target like McCaffrey will get Duke or any team through. It did help that Shaun Wilson was busy running up and down the field though.
Final Thoughts
Unveiling a new toy is always fun, because now we get to speculate on how he might be used in the future. Did Cutcliffe know he was this good or was he just as surprised as the rest of us? Either way, we will be seeing more of Wilson in the coming weeks. The Tulane game next week would be a good time to kick the tires again and see if he has even more.