By BRYAN STRICKLAND

bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671

DURHAM -- If Duke hopes to improve its running game when Maryland visits Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday, the Blue Devils will have to get it done without Re'quan Boyette.

Boyette, who was Duke's leading rusher in 2006 and 2007 and was tabbed as the starter at the beginning of this season, was listed as out on the team's weekly injury report Thursday with a knee injury. Boyette missed all of the 2008 season following knee surgery and has been slowed much of this season by a hamstring injury.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe already had announced earlier in the week that true freshman Desmond Scott out of Hillside High School likely would start against the Terrapins. In just three games of action, Scott leads the team with 147 rushing yards on 31 carries; Boyette has 103 yards on 53 carries.

Jay Hollingsworth, who has been slowed by an ankle injury most of the season, has just 17 carries for 69 yards but isn't listed on the injury report for the first time in five games.

Duke ranks last in the ACC with 83 rushing yards per game, but the Blue Devils are first with 314.5 passing yards a game, an imbalance that adds up to the third-best total offense in the league.

"My background has been a lot of two-back, a lot of power football and a lot of balance between run and pass, but we're kind of branching in a different direction, and football has changed a lot anyway," Cutcliffe said. "I think this staff has done a better job of finding what our guys do well schematically, putting them in positions to be successful."

Still, the Blue Devils used their open date following a huge 49-28 victory at N.C. State on Oct. 10 to work on improving the running game.

They also wanted to improve their overall health, an effort that wasn't entirely successful.

Cutcliffe said before the open date that he hoped to get starting linebacker Abraham Kromah (leg) and reserve wide receiver Tyree Watkins (leg) back in time for the Maryland game, but both are listed as out, along with Boyette.

No other new names, however, appeared on the injury report.

Cutcliffe also announced the team's game captains Thursday: quarterback Thad Lewis and left guard Kyle Hill for the offense and defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk and linebacker Vincent Rey for the defense.

All are repeat selections -- Lewis for the fifth time this season, Okpokowuruk and Rey for the third time, and Hill for the second time.