Going into Saturday’s opener against Elon, Duke coach David Cutcliffe threatened to run the ball more than the Blue Devils did in any game last season. He was true to his word, calling 45 runs and using five different backs.
With Desmond Scott leading the way in a 41-27 win over Elon, the Blue Devils ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns, one each for Scott, Jay Hollingsworth and true freshman Josh Snead.
“That’s a pretty decent game, but we can do much better than what we did,” said Scott, a sophomore from Durham.
Scott was the workhorse, running for 77 yards on 15 carries, which on a different day would be a banner night for the Duke running game. But Smithfield-Selma’s Snead added 29 yards on seven carries, true freshman Juwan Thompson had 26 on eight carries, Hollingsworth 16 yards on 10 carries and Patrick Kurunwune one carry for four yards.
A late, 48-yard scramble by backup quarterback Brandon Connette padded the totals as well.
“Desmond had a heck of a game, and then I really felt a spark when Snead and Juwon Thompson came in,” Cutcliffe said. “They’re going to be real threats, with great speed. They’re going to grow into being used more, I promise you.”
Snead’s family made the short drive from the other side of the Triangle to see him make his collegiate debut, but even he didn’t think they’d see him score. He carried the ball five times on a fourth-quarter drive -- for a workmanlike 2, 3, 8, 6 and 2 yards -- to get the ball down to the 3-yard line, and Cutcliffe let him finish the job.
“It was kind of new to me, because during the week I didn’t really do a whole lot of goal line,” Snead said. “When he let me stay in there, I had to show him, ‘Look, I can get the ball in.’ ”
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or 
