bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- For Duke to keep pace with a nationally ranked opponent at this point in the program's development, the Blue Devils must excel on plays that decide which team is going to possess the football and on plays that decide where they're going to possess the ball.
Saturday at No. 22 Kansas, when it came to plays that led to change of possession and or a significant change in field position, the Blue Devils had to feel short-changed.
"You've either got to make a ton of big plays or you've got to make first downs, and we're not getting much of either," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said after his Blue Devils fell 44-16 at Memorial Stadium. "When you can't convert on third down -- and we're struggling in that world -- it's difficult."
One play typified both Duke's third-down struggles -- the Blue Devils were 0-for-7 in the first half and 4-of-18 for the game -- as well as Kansas' ability to make game-changing plays.
On Duke's first drive of the second half, facing a third and 6 from its 45-yard line, quarterback Thad Lewis threw his first interception of the season, a pass that defensive end Maxwell Onyegbule picked off and returned 48 yards for a touchdown to give Kansas a 27-7 lead.
"He did a great job of hiding behind the defensive line, and with those big guys up front, I didn't see him at all," said Lewis (16-of-27, 184 yards), who shared time with freshman Sean Renfree (14-of-23, 115 yards) for the second straight game.
"Third-down conversions really hurt us a lot. We just didn't execute. Sometimes we missed a block or we missed a read, but they did a great job of disguising their defenses."
Duke (1-2) didn't mess around with third down on its opening drive. Lewis hooked up with Austin Kelly for a simple screen that went 66 yards down the left sideline on the Devils' first snap, then Lewis scored on a 21-yard draw out of the shotgun on the next play for a 7-0 lead that stunned most of the 50,101 fans.
Kansas (3-0), however, answered with a touchdown -- fittingly on third down --when quarterback Todd Reesing avoided a blitz and hit Dezmon Briscoe (6 catches, 117 yards) across the middle for a 14-yard score.
Duke's offense sputtered the rest of the half, mustering just 58 yards after gaining 87 on the game's first two plays. It didn't help that running back Re'quan Boyette left with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and didn't return.
But Duke's defensive line, even with senior Vince Oghobaase missing his first career game with a knee injury, battled hard to keep the score tied until the latter stages of the half.
Eventually, the Blue Devils' deficiencies on third down caught up with them, and they couldn't keep up with Reesing and his talented receivers.
Kansas took its first lead with 4:59 left in the half on its only scoring drive, aside from a meaningless touchdown late, that didn't include at least one third-down conversion. After Jake Sharp's 7-yard touchdown catch made it 13-7, Lewis overshot Kelly on Duke's ensuing drive on third down.
That gave Kansas the ball with time to score again. Reesing hit Briscoe for 39 yards on a third and 10; Reesing scrambled for 6 yards on a third and four; and finally Kerry Meire scored on a diving catch on a third and 2 from the 6 for a 20-7 lead.
Reesing was at least as good as advertised, hitting 28 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 51 yards.
"He may be the best creator that I've been around," Cutcliffe said. "I don't know how you hem him up. We tried every way we know how and got some pressure and knocked him down some.
"He's a heck of a player."
After the crippling interception to open the second half, walk-on Will Snyderwine connected on the Devils' first field goal of the season, a 37-yarder that made it 27-10.
But the Jayhawks came right back, blowing it wide open after a 16-yard scramble by Reesing on third and 7 set up another score.
"We came out fast, and that gave us a lot of confidence and energy," Duke defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk said. "But they definitely have some good players, and they made some big-time plays.
"They're not in the Top 25 for nothing."
