Welcome to a brand-new post game segment called Helmet Stickers. After each game, our guys will tell you who earned their helmet sticker for excellent play on the field. The Northwestern game this past Saturday will be our first. Our Blue Devils hung on for a 31-23 win after jumping out to a 21-0 first-half lead.
Here are our helmet sticker winners:
BRIAN’S PICK: THE RB ROOM
My helmet sticker has to go to the running back duo of Jordan Waters and Jaylen Coleman who scored 21 of the 31 points for Duke. They also accounted for 174 of the 221 rushing yards. Waters was somewhat quiet in the season opener against Temple, but came back in a big way, and led the rushing attack for the Blue Devils against Northwestern with 10 carries for 92 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. THIS is the Jordan Waters we are wanting to see each and every week. Jaylen Coleman was just as impressive, having 83 yards on 11 carries, with 1 touchdown. So far this season, Coleman is averaging close to 6.5 yards per carry and has scored in both games for Duke this season. I expect both to continue their performances next week against the Aggies of North Carolina A&T.
JAMIE’S PICK: THE WR ROOM
My helmet sticker goes to wide receivers Jalon Calhoun and Eli Pancol. I decided to go with both guys here, because both made equally huge plays. Calhoun was a consistent go-to guy for QB Riley Leonard against Northwestern. He had 6 catches for 108 yards, for an average per catch of 18 yards. Pancol had 2 big time catches for 106 yards, for an average of 53 yards per catch. Eli’s biggest catch of the day came when Duke was facing 3rd and 6 from their own 14. Leonard hit Pancol for an 81 yard completion, the longest completion in Duke history that did not end in a TD! Both Pancol and Calhoun were big reasons why Duke was able to leave Evanston with a huge road win.
JOSH’S PICK: DARIUS JOINER
My helmet sticker goes to safety Darius Joiner. We had all heard of Joiner’s gaudy numbers while playing at Western Illinois last season (142 tackles in just 11 games), but many Duke fans were wondering how that would translate into Power 5, ACC football. All Joiner did Saturday in Evanston is record 14 tackles (13 of them solo), 1 tackle for loss, and put his teammates in position to make plays on the football. Joiner has a knack for getting to the football that reminds Duke fans of former standout safety Jeremy Cash. As Joiner seems to be working his way into the leadership role in the Duke secondary, his teammates back there are playing with more aggressiveness and confidence as a result.
SCOTT’S PICK: JOSHUA PICKETT
My helmet sticker has to go to sophomore defensive back Joshua Pickett. Pickett had 9 tackles with 5 solo and 3 pass defections. Even after leaving game shortly in second half, Pickett came back in game and was all over the field. Duke finished game with 14 pass deflections as a team thanks in large part to the aggressiveness DB’s like Pickett displayed throughout the game. He was on of the big reasons that Duke was able to defeat Northwestern on the road.
**Photo creds: @DukeFOOTBALL on Twitter