Duke preparing for the gold standard of the league in Clemson

Duke's Mike Elko calls Clemson a gold standard for the league.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Aug 30 07:00:08 GMT-04:00 2023

Duke head coach Mike Elko says his program is excited for the opportunity to take on the program he considers the gold standard in the ACC.

Clemson will open a season on Labor Day evening for the second straight year when the ninth-ranked Tigers face the Duke Blue Devils on Monday, Sept. 4. Kickoff at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC, is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN. Elko said he thinks his team will be ready.

“I think our team is ready to go out there and perform. We're excited for the opportunity,” Elko said this week. “To go out next Monday night and finally get to put it on the line against somebody else and showcase what this team is.”

Elko said the Tigers are the class of the league.

“Clemson is coming in, and I have unbelievable respect for this program. I've said this all offseason that they're the gold standard of ACC football,” he said. “I think it's seven of the last eight ACC championship games they've played in. They've been in five straight playoffs. They've won two national championships. They've accomplished as much as any ACC program has since the ACC has come together like this in this manner. To get them in the opener, I think is an opportunity for our program, but it's also a huge challenge.”

Monday’s game will feature the debut of new Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who brings his Air Raid offense to the ACC. Elko said the Tigers have the players to make it work.

"They're going to come in here offensively with two extremely talented running backs that are performing at an extremely high level. Will Shipley has been around doing it for years it feels like and can do it in a lot of different ways,” Elko said. “He can hurt you running, he can hurt you catching it and can hurt you in the return game. They've got a really good offensive line. I've known Cade Klubnik for a long time all the way back to my years in Texas and so I feel like he's been winning football games and playing quarterback at a really high level for a really long time even though it hasn't been as much at Clemson yet. This is his first full-time year as a starter, but we certainly have a lot of respect for his talent level and where he's at.”

Wes Goodwin is heading into his second season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, and Elko said Goodwin has a plethora of athletes to work with.

"Defensively, the length and athleticism just jumps off on the tape, but I think it starts through the middle. They're really good through the middle with their two defensive tackles (Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro). Their two linebackers (Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter) are really active and effective football players for them. They're involved in a lot. They create a lot of havoc,” Elko said.

“Their two defensive ends as well (Justin Mascoll and Xavier Thomas). Those are two kids I remember recruiting a long time ago. Those kids have been at Clemson for a long time, which is never a good recipe for a Clemson player to be there for a long time because they're going to develop and grow in that program. They're big, they're strong, they're long. The secondary brings back a lot of guys, and it brings back a lot of guys with a lot of experience. That group is going to be really talented. It is going to be a huge challenge for us, but we'll be up for it, and we'll go out and play our best football next Monday and kind of see where it goes."