Duke
Last year: 8-5 (3-5 ACC), beat Temple, 56-27, Independence Bowl Best win: at Northwestern, 21-7 Worst loss: vs. Wake Forest, 59-7
Coach: David Cutcliffe (12th year, 67-72, 111-101 career)
Starters returning: 14 (4 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB Quentin Harris. The redshirt senior is taking over for the departed Daniel Jones and is in line to possibly have a pretty good year. He's got experience and is a better runner than Jones. As a passer, he needs to be more accurate but has been careful with the ball. Harris played in 13 games in 2018, completing 50 percent of his 68 passes for 437 yards, seven TDs, and one INT. He rushed for 195 yards (4.2 ypc) and five scores. As a starter, he went 2-0 with Jones out and also finished the victory over Northwestern.
Defensive player to watch: DE Victor Dimukeje. In 2018, Dimukeje, a junior, collected 42 tackles, 8.5 for losses, 3.5 sacks (plus nine more QB hits), and two forced fumbles.
Special teams player to watch: P Austin Parker. Two seasons ago, Parker kicked field goals also, making 17 of 21. He's expected to take over those duties again after just punting last season. In 2018, he sent his punts an average of 41.4 yards and put 23 inside the 20.
Schedule: vs. Alabama in Atlanta, vs. North Carolina A&T, at Middle Tennessee, at Virginia Tech, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Georgia Tech, at Virginia, at North Carolina, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Syracuse, at Wake Forest, vs. Miami.
Win-loss prediction: 5-7 or 6-6. Harris might have to use his feet plenty, because the line wasn't great last season, giving up 30 sacks, and has two returners. He does have a good backfield to turn to
with both Deon Jackson (847 yards, 5.3 ypc, seven touchdowns) and Brittain Brown (369 yards, 4.6 ypc, three scores) back. The receiving corps is more bereft of proven commodities with wideouts T.J. Rahming, Johnathan Lloyd, Chris Taylor and tight end Daniel Helm gone. The leading returning receiver is Jake Bobo, with just 10 receptions in 2018. Duke finished 77th in scoring defense last season and has a lot of returners, but almost no starters back at linebacker. In addition to Dimukeje, the line has DT Chris Rumph II (eight tackles for losses, three sacks) and DE Drew Jordan (four tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks). The secondary is loaded with at least seven players who have started at least two games each. Duke hopes it can also get cornerback Mark Gilbert back. The senior had seven INTs in 2017 then missed all but two games last year with a hip injury. But in early August, he underwent a second surgery and is now out for an indefinite period of time. Dylan Singleton (73 tackles, 2.5 for losses, one breakup), Marquis Waters (68 tackles, three for losses, one INT, four breakups), and Leonard Johnson (59 tackles, six for losses, two sacks, one pick, three breakups) headline the group of safeties. After the Alabama opener, Duke has a couple of easier nonconference games before having to go to Blacksburg. But then the Blue Devils get Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina in three out of four games, and those are all teams that aren't expected to be in the division's top three. That's an important stretch for the Blue Devils as they fight to get to bowl eligibility. If the defense can stay healthy and get solid play out of its new linebackers, and Harris can be better than expected at QB, Duke could get even more than six wins. But the back end of the schedule is pretty tough and could hamper the Devils if they are sitting at four or five wins again in the final weeks.
Last year: 8-5 (3-5 ACC), beat Temple, 56-27, Independence Bowl Best win: at Northwestern, 21-7 Worst loss: vs. Wake Forest, 59-7
Coach: David Cutcliffe (12th year, 67-72, 111-101 career)
Starters returning: 14 (4 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB Quentin Harris. The redshirt senior is taking over for the departed Daniel Jones and is in line to possibly have a pretty good year. He's got experience and is a better runner than Jones. As a passer, he needs to be more accurate but has been careful with the ball. Harris played in 13 games in 2018, completing 50 percent of his 68 passes for 437 yards, seven TDs, and one INT. He rushed for 195 yards (4.2 ypc) and five scores. As a starter, he went 2-0 with Jones out and also finished the victory over Northwestern.
Defensive player to watch: DE Victor Dimukeje. In 2018, Dimukeje, a junior, collected 42 tackles, 8.5 for losses, 3.5 sacks (plus nine more QB hits), and two forced fumbles.
Special teams player to watch: P Austin Parker. Two seasons ago, Parker kicked field goals also, making 17 of 21. He's expected to take over those duties again after just punting last season. In 2018, he sent his punts an average of 41.4 yards and put 23 inside the 20.
Schedule: vs. Alabama in Atlanta, vs. North Carolina A&T, at Middle Tennessee, at Virginia Tech, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Georgia Tech, at Virginia, at North Carolina, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Syracuse, at Wake Forest, vs. Miami.
Win-loss prediction: 5-7 or 6-6. Harris might have to use his feet plenty, because the line wasn't great last season, giving up 30 sacks, and has two returners. He does have a good backfield to turn to
North Carolina
Last year: 2-9 (1-7 ACC) Best win: vs. Pittsburgh, 38-35 Worst loss: at East Carolina, 41-19
Coach: Mack Brown (first year in second stint at school; the first time, from 1988-97, he went 69-46-1; career record is 244-122-1)
Starters returning: 17 (8 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: RB Michael Carter. As a sophomore in 2018, Carter made the most of his 84 attempts (just 7.6 per game) by rushing for 597 yards (7.1 ypc) and a pair of TDs. He also caught 25 passes and added a receiving score.
Defensive player to watch: DT Jason Strowbridge. As a junior, Strowbridge came up with 36 tackles, 7.5 for losses, and 5.5 sacks.
Special teams player to watch: PR Dazz Newsome. The wideout is dangerous as a punt returner. Last season, he averaged 15.1 yards per return and scored once.
Schedule: vs. South Carolina in Charlotte, vs. Miami, at Wake Forest, vs. Appalachian State, vs. Clemson, at Georgia Tech, at Virginia Tech, vs. Duke, vs. Virginia, at Pittsburgh, vs. Mercer, at N.C.
State.
Win-loss prediction: 4-8 or 5-7. Brown is back in Chapel Hill and looking to turn around a program that reached an 11-3 pinnacle in 2015 under Larry Fedora, then took a step down to 8-5 in 2016,
then finally won just five games combined the past two seasons. It was a quick decent for the Tar Heels. So what can Brown do for UNC a second time around? Brown went 1-10 in his first two years at Chapel Hill before finishing with eight straight winning seasons, including three 10-win campaigns. And then of course at Texas, Brown won a national championship in 2005, appeared in another in 2009, and finished with at least 10 victories in nine consecutive years. But then the Longhorns slipped to an average of 7.5 wins in his final four seasons. Brown has had the magic touch in the past, but he's 68 as of today (Aug. 27 is his birthday), and it's fair to wonder if the game has passed him by. But the Tar Heels have a good number of returners, and Fedora generally recruited well. The talent is there to win in the Coastal, and UNC went 2-8 in games decided by seven or fewer points the past two seasons, meaning a tweak here or there, and the Heels could find themselves winning close games. The quarterback is going to be true freshman Sam Howell, so Brown is going to start fresh. The 6-1 225-pounder is a four-star prospect that committed to Florida State then backed out and pledged to UNC. Everyone will get to see what he can do right off the bat against South Carolina. He will have two returning linemen protecting him, and a solid receiver back in Newsome, who recorded 44 catches, 506 yards, and a pair of TDs. Additionally, bruising RB Antonio Williams complements the speed of Carter, running for 504 yards and five scores a year ago. Defensively, in addition to Strowbridge, Brown will look to cornerback Patrice Rene (two picks in 2018) and safety Myles Dorn (55 tackles and two picks in just eight games) to step up. The schedule is pretty rocky. The Gamecocks will be a tough opener, App. St. is a solid mid-major, and Wake Forest is actually the other nonconference game, so Mercer is the only easy win. Yes, you read that correctly. The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons are rivals, and they don't play much since they are in opposite divisions, so they decided to face each other outside ACC play. In actual conference action, UNC has to face Clemson, so good luck with that one, Mack. It's a bit much to expect Brown to get the Tar Heels back to the heights he helped them reach in the 1990s, but eight wins would be a reasonable expectation. I doubt it happens right away, though.
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