Red zone failures haunt Duke in 30-20 loss to Georgia Tech

ATLANTA - It was the tale of two halves for the Blue Devils in Atlanta, as the Yellow Jackets mounted a second half comeback on their senior day for the 30-20 victory. Anthony Allen led the way for Georgia Tech with 165 yards on the ground, followed by Tevin Washington with 94 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). A 3rd quarter red zone interception and two missed 4th quarter field goals ultimately proved to be too much for the Blue Devils to overcome. In the loss, Sean Renfree finished the day with another 300+ yard passing game, as the receiving trio of Vernon, Varner, and Helfet helped to pick apart the Yellow Jackets' secondary.

On a perfect day for football in Atlanta, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 13-6 first half lead behind two Will Snyderwine field goals and a 20-yard touchdown run by Brandon Connette. A fake punt by Alex King helped the Blue Devil offense extend a drive that ultimately resulted in the Connette touchdown run. Duke got off to a sluggish start as Josh Snead fumbled the first two kickoffs staring into the sun, but t/he Duke defense held Georgia Tech to just a field goal while the offense found its momentum.  In all, the defense held the Yellow Jackets to 125 rushing yards and just 1 of 8 on 3rd downs in the first half. With the Yellow Jackets driving into the red zone late in the first quarter, Matt Daniels forced a fumble by WR Kevin Cone, which was recovered by Kelby Brown. Patrick Egboh also helped to keep the Yellow Jackets at bay with 2 first half sacks.

In the second half, Georgia Tech mounted a comeback behind Allen and Washington, taking a 23-13 lead into the 4th quarter. The key 3rd quarter play came on Duke's first possession of the second half, when Duke was threatening to score thanks to two clutch 3rd down completions to Conner Vernon, including a 36 yard reception. In the red zone, Connette was intercepted at the 15 yard line by Mario Butler, who returned it all 85 yards for the touchdown to put Georgia Tech up 16-13 with 7:11 in the 3rd quarter. The Yellow Jackets would add another touchdown late in the 3rd quarter to take their 23-13 lead heading into the final period.

But the Blue Devils fought back, opening the 4th quarter with an efficient drive capped by a 37 yard TD strike to Austin Kelly to make it 23-20 with 14:06 to play. Matt Daniels forced his second fumble of the day on the ensuing Georgia Tech drive and the Blue Devils recovered. The Duke offense drove down the field thanks to a 28 yard strike to Cooper Helfet, but stalled as Connette failed to convert a 3rd and 1. Snyderwine's 34 yard field goal attempt was wide right, leaving Duke down 3 with 9:20 to play. Georgia Tech aired it out on the next possession, as Washington found Stephen Hill for a 79 yard touchdown, stretching the Jackets' lead to 10. On Duke's final possession, Snyderwine tried another field goal, this time from 54 yards, but came up short. Georgia Tech ate up the clock on their final drive, taking the ball 28 yards in 5:50 against a tired Blue Devil defense, sealing the victory and their 14th consecutive bowl-eligible season.

More post-game coverage to come on BDN.

BDN Post Game – Thoughts on Duke’s 110-58 win over Colgate, K Post game comments

Okay, let's face it, we all knew Duke would beat Colgate, but would they play well with a game against Marquette looming next week?  The answer is yes, for Duke used a stellar second half effort where they went on an early 27-6 run and soundly defeated the Raiders 110-58.  That said, let's take a closer look at the win.

I assist, you assist

Kyrie Irving told me in the locker room that he has a little bit of a competition going with Nolan Smith in that they both want to produce double-doubles every night.  Well, they fell just short for they both had a mere 9 dimes each.   Any time you get that kind of production from your backcourt, you'll dominate any one.

Defense was tough again

Duke came up with 13 steals and created turnover opportunities which helped them to a whopping 40 points to their opponent's 5.  Duke held Colgate to 30.9% shooting from the field.  Krzyzewski has praised his defense early and often thus far, but we'll see how they fare against the likes of Marquette and possibly the 3rd ranked team in the country in Kansas Sate in Kansas City.

Ryan Kelly effective in 16 minutes as was Andre in 18

Kelly got his second start of the season and scored 9 points, a career high at Duke  to go with 5 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals.  Dawkins?  He threw down a season high 16 points in 18 minutes.  But it was the two players defensive efforts and spacing which stood out in my eyes.

Slow start, strong finish for the brothers Plumlee

Miles started the game in a bit of a funk but he showed strong after the first half to the tune of 9 points, 8 rebounds, a monster block and a couple of steals.  Mason started the game faster and was effective as well with 9 points and 4 boards.  The two brothers play will be vital in Kansas City where they'll face seasoned competition.  Miles 3 steals was his career high.

Seth was looking for the barn but still put up 11 points

You know a kid [Seth Curry] can score when he goes 1-7 from the field including 1-5 from the three point stripe and still scores 11 points.  That's because he got to the line 9 times and dropped 8 of them.  Duke shot 30 of 39 from the free throw stripe for the contest.

Kyle Singler sits ...

... only because Duke dominated.  He sat like the last 14 minutes of the game and scored 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, both team highs.  All that in just 22 minutes of play yall!  Kyle made his 71st consecutive start for Duke.

Cameron still great

The students and or Cameron Crazies again earned Krzyzewski's praise and for good reason.  They have been great all year long and again, I have seen 35 years of them in person.  If they keep it up they'll be really hard to beat in the old girl otherwise know as Cameron Indoor Stadium.

In closing

It was a walk in the park but Coach K praised his team for coming out strong in the second half and not looking ahead.  We'll see what Duke is made out of this coming week where you can bet the bench will shorten significantly.  Duke is now 105-2 when they score 100 points or more under Krzyzewski.

And finally, here is Coach Krzyzewski's press conference in it's entirety -

 Just press play -

BDN previews Duke at Georgia Tech

Pic courtesy of my pal Lance King of Lance Images

The Blue Devils (3-7, 1-5 ACC) travel to Atlanta to take on the defending ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-5, 3-4 ACC) on Saturday in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Duke is looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Boston College, while the Jackets look to snap a 3 game losing streak and secure bowl eligibility.

DUKE IN WEEK 11
The Blue Devils fell to Boston College, 21-16 last Saturday in Wallace Wake Stadium, as Duke’s late 4th quarter drive came up 4 yards short in the final minute. The Duke defense yielded 103 yards and a touchdown to the ACC’s leading rusher, Montel Harris, but it was the 230 yards and 2 touchdowns for freshman Chase Rettig that made the difference. The Blue Devils’ offense failed to find the end zone all day, and the Duke running game was completely shut down by the Eagles’ defense. Duke’s lone touchdown came early in the 4th quarter, as Walt Canty forced a fumble by Montel Harris at the 5 yard line, which was recovered by August Campbell and returned 95 yards for the score. It proved to be too little, too late, as Luke Kuechly and the Boston College came away with the victory.

GEORGIA TECH IN WEEK 11
The Ramblin’ Wreck dropped a 35-10 decision to the Miami Hurricanes last Saturday in Atlanta. Tevin Washington made his first start for the Yellow Jackets in place of the injured Josh Nesbitt and threw for 101 yards and led the team in rushing with 122 yards. The Jackets’ only touchdown came on a 22 yard pass to WR Kevin Cone in the 3rd quarter. The Hurricanes’ offense, led by freshman Stephen Morris, put up 5 touchdowns and over 500 total yards on the Georgia Tech defense, including 4 rushing touchdowns and a 79 yard catch by Leonard Hankerson.

ANALYSIS
Inspired by Coach Cutcliffe’s “Seven Key Factors to Football Success,” we’ve taken a different approach to breaking down this week’s matchup.

Turnovers
The statistics here are pretty simple. The Blue Devils have forced 6 turnovers in their 3 wins, while giving away just 1; in their 7 losses, Duke has forced just 10 turnovers, and given the ball away 23 times. When Duke wins the turnover battle, they usually win this year (the Alabama game being the lone exception). For the Yellow Jackets, the turnover story has not been as dramatic, and the Jackets enter the game having forced 17 turnovers and committed 17 turnovers of their own.

Sacks
The Blue Devils have struggled to get penetration into the backfield all season, and rank last in the conference with just 9 sacks; however, 5 of those sacks came in Duke’s 3 wins. Georgia Tech has 15 sacks this season, but has not recorded a sack during their current 3 game losing streak. If Georgia Tech continues this streak, the Blue Devils should have success moving the ball through the air and on the ground. If the Yellow Jackets are able to penetrate the Blue Devils’ offensive line, Alex King may have a long day.

3rd Down Production
Offensively, this is another telling statistic for the Blue Devils in 2010; in their 3 wins, they converted on 61.4% of 3rd downs, while in their 7 losses, they converted just 37.2%. On the season, Georgia Tech has allowed opponents to convert about 40% of third down opportunities, and the Blue Devils will have to convert at least that to sustain drives on Saturday. Conversely, Duke has allowed opponents to convert 39.8% of 3rd downs, which is right about what the Jackets average.

Explosive Plays
Unfortunately, this is a difficult statistic to calculate, as Coach Cutcliffe defines an explosive play as a pass of 16 yards or more, and runs of 11 yards or more. For those that have watched the Blue Devils, though, it’s clear that this has been a statistic that has doomed the Duke defense. Last week against Boston College, Duke gave up 3 explosive runs and 6 explosive passes, and these plays accounted for 2 of the Eagles’ 3 touchdowns. Facing a big, physical back like Anthony Allen is not a favorable matchup for the Blue Devils, and they will have to minimize his explosive play ability.

Rushing TDs
Duke has face two option offenses already this season, and gave up 5 total rushing touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets are extremely adept at scoring on the ground, as their #1 ranked rushing attack has accounted for 24 of the offense’s 32 touchdowns this season. The Blue Devils are fortunate in that they will not have to face QB Josh Nesbitt, who leads the Jackets with 10 rushing touchdowns, but will still have their hands full with Allen, Orwin Smith, and Roddy Jones, a trio which has accounted for 12 rushing TDs this season. Offensively, Duke has significantly improve their rushing attack from a season ago, but still rank last in the ACC in rushing. In their 3 wins, the Blue Devils have scored 12 rushing touchdowns; if Duke is able to run the ball into the end zone, the statistics say it will help their chance of winning.

Field Goals
In the event of a close game, missed field goals can come back to cost a team. Luckily for both Duke and Georgia Tech, their kickers have been nearly flawless in 2010. Scott Blair is 12/14 for the Jackets, and Will Snyderwine is 18/19.

Penalties
The Blue Devils have done a nice job of not beating themselves most of the year, entering the game averaging fewer than 5 penalties per game. The Yellow Jackets have averaged over 6 penalties per game, including 16 total penalties in their last two games. If Duke can stay disciplined, Georgia Tech may help to sustain some Blue Devil drives.

PREDICTION
In general, Duke has struggled against the run this season, yielding almost 200 yards per game on the ground, but they have had some success against the option. Anthony Allen is the type of big, physical back that has given the Blue Devils trouble all season, and the trend is likely to continue Saturday. Georgia Tech has struggled at times defensively this year, and the Blue Devils should be able to move the ball with a balanced attack. If Duke is to come away with a victory, they will need to have big days from their Scott, Snead, and Connette, and may need some help from Georgia Tech QB Tevin Washington, who will be making just his second career start.

GT 34
Duke 24

Duke vs. Georgia Tech Q&A Exchange

Lance Images

In anticipation of Saturday’s matchup with Georgia Tech in Atlanta, BDN caught up with Winfield and Bird of FromTheRumbleSeat.com. The 2009 ACC Champions have had a disappointing 2010 season and need a win against the Blue Devils to become bowl eligible. BDN’s responses to their questions can be found at their site. Check back later this week for BDN’s full preview of the matchup with the Yellow Jackets, and live coverage from Atlanta.

BDN: Coming off an ACC Championship, the Yellow Jackets lost some serious talent to the NFL in Jonathan Dwyer, Demaryius Thomas, Derrick Morgan, and Morgan Burnett. The media picked Georgia Tech to finish 3rd in the Coastal Divison behind Virginia Tech and Miami, which is about where they are right now (half a game behind UNC). What were your expectations for the 2010 Yellow Jackets and how would you evaluate the season to date?

FTRS: Before we delve into our preseason predictions you must keep in mind that that typical Georgia Tech fan is forever the optimist going into the football season. In the beginning of the season, we discussed the September, October, and November schedules. Winfield boasted a potential 10-2 season while Bird said 9-3. Many thoughts surrounded our picks, mainly “returning starters” and “our defense can only go up from last year”.  Man, we were wrong.

The season has been a disappointment, but if the Tech fan gives himself a reality check, the season makes sense. An example of taking a realistic point of view is Bird’s article from Monday where he evaluates the rushing attack from 2008-2010. The final paragraph summarizes it nicely:  “What this tells me is that we're comfortable with our offense now as wins and losses are almost identical statistically. We're just not catching the breaks we got in 2009 (e.g. increased turnovers, poor field position, and bad special teams). We've lost as many fumbles as we did in 2009 in 29% less games. We've thrown one less interception than we did in 2009 and we still have 2 games plus a bowl game to go (hopefully). We're also punting at a higher frequency with a lower average than 2009. This all adds up to a down year compared to CPJ standards set in 2009. “

BDN: Paul Johnson inherited some pretty good talent at Georgia Tech and seemed to flawlessly install his flexbone offense, leading the Jackets to two Coastal Division Championships in his first two seasons. With a new coach, there's always the question of whether he can recruit and win with his own players. I know Johnson recently stole a good one out of Durham in Vad Lee, a player all 4 North Carolina ACC teams were recruiting. With the scholarship limits now behind them, what does the future look like for the Yellow Jackets?

FTRS: Two* Coastal Division championships (We technically tied in 2008. Won it outright in 2009). Depends on the positions. Paul Johnson will normally redshirt most freshmen so we as fans get to see our future come out as redshirt freshmen. It’s very rich for the A-backs with the likes of Orwin Smith and BJ Bostic.

BDN: Al Groh joined Paul Johnson's staff this season, and his defense seems to have had mixed results. What have been the significant changes to the defense this year? What has worked? What hasn't? Who has stepped up to fill the voids left by Morgan and Burnett?

FTRS: The significant change is the move from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense and we are trying to fit square players into circular holes. It just hasn’t consistently flowed all season.....

BDN: We know Duke will have its hands full with Anthony Allen, but Tevin Washington is filling in for the injured Josh Nesbitt at quarterback. Can you give us a brief scouting report on Washington? What should Duke expect with him under center?

FTRS: He’s tougher than we first expected. Still is slow at making reads but is a better passer than Nesbitt.

BDN: Georgia Tech has had the Blue Devils' number the past two meetings, with convincing wins in Atlanta in 2008 and in Durham in 2009. What do you expect from this year's matchup?

FTRS: The Jackets are stuck in a corner they haven’t been in for years and they need a morale boost before heading into Georgia. We expect (hope?) Georgia Tech to take a lot of frustration out on Duke.

BDN: Thanks, guys! Good luck on Saturday.