Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on during the warmups of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

How Duke Should Utilize Their Bye Week

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Logan Lazarczyk | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Bye weeks are always a constructive time to regroup, get healthier, and assess where everything stands.

That is especially true for the Duke Blue Devils, who are coming off a gut-wrenching defeat to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets over the weekend.

While the Blue Devils' last bye week - which occurred before the Georgia Tech game - was an unfortunate time because of the team's rhythm and recent success, this bye week will serve Duke well.

Decompressing from an emotional loss like that can serve well for a team with young players all over the roster.

With that being said, let's take a look at what Duke can work on and address during their bye week.

Red Zone Offense

This was an echoed message during the team's first bye week of the season, and offensive tackle Brian Parker II spoke on that as a main focus during that week off heading into the matchup against the Yellow Jackets.

"For us [offensively], continuing to work on red zone execution. That was something we struggled with early in the season, so continuing to emphasize that and also working on the run game."

The failures in the red zone continued to be a narrative for Duke's offense, as the Blue Devils failed to score points on three red zone drives.

One of those missed opportunities was a costly fumble that turned into a scoop-and-score for Georgia Tech. Another was a botched snap on a field goal attempt, which turned into a scramble that amounted to nothing.

Those mistakes cost Duke at least 13 points, which would have changed the course of the game.

Prepare for Clemson

The Blue Devils have another chance to prepare for an opponent with extra time to do so. However, unlike the last occurrence, Duke's opponent will also have extra time to draw out a plan for the contest.

Nonetheless, head coach Manny Diaz and his staff will give their players more than enough to study on Clemson.

That additional information will also not have to be crammed into a five-day rotation. With nearly two weeks until Duke's road matchup against the Tigers, the Blue Devils will have everything at their disposal in an organized manner.

This game is going to come down to which coaching staff did a better job of preparing their team, while finding ways to expose the other team's tendencies. This bye week also comes at a crucial time for both teams, who are teetering around the .500 mark.

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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