It looks like Duke will get a nice boost to its offense on Saturday.
According to the Associated Press, Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe said Thursday that running back Jela Duncan will make his return to the field “somewhere in the first quarter” of the team’s ACC opener against No. 20 Georgia Tech.
Duncan missed all of 2014 due to an academic suspension, but was expected to see significant action for the Blue Devils this season. However, he suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle during preseason practice and hasn’t been able to play.
[Check out Dr. Saturday on Tumblr for things you won’t see on the blog]
Duke has primarily gone with Shaun Wilson (42 carries, 179 yards, TD) and Shaquille Powell (32 carries, 166 yards) at running back this season. Cutcliffe said Thursday that it “remains to be seen” how much of a role Duncan will have in the offense.
Duncan combined for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012 and 2013. He also had 32 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown.
Duke started the season 2-0, but lost to Northwestern 19-10 at home over the weekend.
For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.com.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!