Mike Elko is off to the best 18-game start for a head coach in Duke history, quickly upgrading Duke’s quality on both sides of the ball to an extent you might not figure would be possible there. But good coaching makes a world of difference.
So does finding an excellent quarterback, and Elko inherited Riley Leonard, who was one of the ACC’s biggest breakout talents in 2022. Leonard plays behind an offensive line loaded with veteran experience—those guys have a combined 162 college starts between them and spearhead what has been a robust rushing attack.
Duke has also won the turnover battle in 12 of 18 games under Elko; the recipe for success is pretty straightforward sometimes.