At this point, I’m not sure what Manny Diaz and Duke football have to do to get fans interested.
Put together one of the best stretches in program history? Check. Have one of the nation's most dynamic running backs? Check. Come off a season in which the Blue Devils won the ACC title?
Check. Check. Check.
Yet, on Saturday, with Nate Sheppard and Duke 2-0 after an upset win at Illinois, a win that could change the course of the entire season, and opening ACC play against Stanford, Wallace Wade Stadium was half empty, and the fans that were there weren’t exactly causing havoc.
Unlike the thousands dying to get a seat in Cameron Indoor Stadium during basketball season, Duke football has always been a tough draw attendance-wise, and much of that has to do with
a history of losing. It’s hard to gain a faithful home atmosphere when you are putting out a bad product, but that is no longer the case in Durham.
Diaz has shown he can win with the Blue Devils, producing back-to-back nine-win seasons and an ACC title to start his tenure. Those days of being the conference doormat have gone, but for many Duke fans, it’s not enough to bring them out on a Saturday afternoon.
But if you are one of those lingering on the edge and need a push, let me say this: holding a Duke football ticket this season allows you to watch one of, if not the, best running backs in college football, and it might be your last chance.
Sheppard might have been overlooked heading into his sophomore season despite a record-breaking freshman campaign, but that ship has sailed. Leading the nation in all-purpose and rushing yards, the Louisiana native has quickly become one of the game's stars, and while he might not reach the Arch Manning or Jeremiah Smith level, he is still captivating to watch.
And that might become a problem after this season, when much richer and more powerful programs come to Sheppard offering him more money than the Blue Devils could ever offer. According to The Athletic, Duke has the second-lowest NIL roster in the Power Four conferences. Unfortunately for Diaz and his staff, that fact already cost them in losing Darian Mensah to Miami this past offseason.
But the worries about losing Sheppard are in the future. This is the now, and Duke fans still have time to watch the running back (and this entire team) put on a great show this season. Yet they need to show up, something that Diaz, Sheppard and this team deserve.
Great things only last so long. Missing out on watching Diaz and Sheppard lead Duke to heights never thought of would be regrettable.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke fans should support Nate Sheppard, this team before it's too late-Opinion
