It was a season of close losses for the Duke Blue Devils in 2010. Duke went 3-9 overall and just 1-7 inside the ACC, but seven of their nine losses came by 15 points or less. Head coach David Cutcliffe has really done a nice job making the Blue Devils competitive—especially on the offensive side of the ball. Duke averaged 25.3 PPG and 381 yards of total offense, but most of it was negated by a terrible defense. Defensively, the Blue Devils allowed 35.4 PPG and 450 yards of total offense.

Cutcliff will have 14 starters back for the upcoming season, but only six return on the defensive side.  Here is a closer look at what both sides of the ball will look like.

Offense:

Duke’s offense will rely heavily on the arm of junior quarterback Sean Renfree, who threw for 3,131 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2010. While Renfree completed 61 percent of his passes, he did have 17 interceptions. For Duke to really show some big improvements, they need Renfree to take better care of the football.

A big positive for Renfree in 2011 is that the Blue Devils welcome back wideouts Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner, who each had a big season in 2010. Vernon led the team with 73 catches for 973 yards and four touchdowns, while Varner caught 60 passes for 736 yards and one score. They also bring back senior tight end Cooper Helfet and sophomore wide out Brandon Braxton, who each had 34 receptions last year.

The Blue Devils also had a pretty respectable running game by their standards. After averaging just 64 yards a game in 2009, Duke averaged 110 yards behind running back Desmond Scott and backup quarterback Brandon Connette. Scott led the team with 530 yards, while Connette finished with 321 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns. Connette usually came in to replace Renfree in goal line situations.

Defense:

Opposing offenses did just about whatever they wanted against the Blue Devils defense, but the biggest problem Duke had was stopping the run. Duke allowed 208 yards a game on the ground, and it is going to be another long season if they don’t improve in that area.

A big positive for the defense is the fact that it will have the starting defensive tackle duo of Charlie Hatcher and Sydney Sarmiento back. Hatcher brings the experience of a senior, while Sarmiento has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Blue Devils on this side of the ball. Sophomore Justin Foxx and junior Kenny Anunike are the two leading candidates to come in and start at defensive end.

At linebacker, Duke will also bring back sophomore middle linebacker Kelby Brown, who is another young player that should see some big improvements in his game this season. Unfortunately, he is the only starter back at linebacker, as they plan on adding in junior Austin Gamble and sophomore August Campbell on the outside.

Three more starters return in the secondary, as the Blue Devils bring back sophomore corner Ross Cockrell along with safeties Matt Daniels and Lee Butler. Cockrell had a team-best three interceptions as a freshman and should only get better with more experience.

ACC Prediction: 6th A CC Coastal—Even though I have the Blue Devils predicted to finish last in the Coastal, I think this team has a decent chance of surprising and finishing a little higher in the standings. A lot of that will depend on the development of the young players on the defensive side of the ball, as the offense figures to be just as good, if not better, than it was a year ago. Duke is just 5-11 in the three years under Cutcliffe.

Check out my 2011 ACC Predictions to see how I have the rest of the league shaping up.