CHAPEL HILL - Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe has transformed a Blue Devil Football team from the bottom of the ACC into Coastal Division Champions. The Blue Devils' coach discussed his team's big win over rival North Carolina on Saturday.
Yearly Archives: 2013
Duke at North Carolina Game Preview
Duke at North Carolina
12:00 PM ET
Saturday, November 30
Kenan Stadium
Chapel Hill, NC
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Blue Devil IMG Sports Network
Duke in 2013: 9-2 (Defeated Wake Forest 28-21 last time out)
North Carolina in 2013: 6-5 (Defeated Old Dominion 80-20 last time out)
DUKE INJURIES
QUESTIONABLE – Jonathan Woodruff (DE)
OUT – Thomas Sirk (QB), Garrett Rider (S), Chris Hoover (LB), Jack Wise (WR)
OUT FOR SEASON – Tanner Stone (OT), Jamal Wallace (DT)
NORTH CAROLINA INJURIES - Not available
Throw out both team's records to date, season statistics, performance against common opponents, along with all the analysis offered up by anyone, this is Duke versus Carolina so all the before mentioned is nothing more than background noise. This game will be a fight to the finish! And it will require a total team effort to secure a win, which is why this game preview prominently features the team photo. Everyone has to do their part!
HOW DUKE CAN WIN
Run the ball! North Carolina yields 183 yards per game on the ground, which is more than six of the seven teams Duke has defeated in their current seven game winning streak. I know, I said throw out the statistics, but a framework for victory has to be drafted. Duke does not need to rush for 358 yards like they did against Miami; however, a 234 yard performance such as the one in the 33-30 win over the Tar Heels in 2012 would be advantageous.
While establishing the run, maximize touches for play maker Jamison Crowder. Crowder can burn opponents deep, but he is equally dangerous as an integral part of the short passing game.
On defense, bring the heat! Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams is fleet of foot and can throw the ball. Duke must prevent him from scrambling and improvising, and the best way to accomplish that task is with the blitz. Kelby Brown and Corbin McCarthy have demonstrated the ability to accomplish that task so defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is going to need to let the dogs out come Saturday afternoon.
Finally, the staff needs to throw in an offensive wrinkle or two to keep Carolina off balance and guessing.
HOW DUKE CAN LOSE
Another slow start could be fatal. Duke must play a full 60 minutes of football to defeat North Carolina. Duke's 4th Quarter statistics are extremely impressive (#1 in the Nation in points differential at +76), but like I said earlier, throw out the statistics. It seems I'm going back and forth with this theme. Duke must not spot Carolina a double digit lead in the 1st Quarter as they did to Wake Forest and Miami the past two weeks.
Special teams play is another concern. Switzer is a dangerous punt return specialist and Duke has suffered recent punt coverage woes. The spotlight will be on punter Will Monday once or twice during this game so he needs to rise to the occasion and pin Carolina deep with accurate sideline punts.
WHY DUKE WILL WIN
The team is on a roll and has consistently risen to the occasion and made plays when plays had to be made. This will continue to happen in Kenan Stadium. The team is focused upon the task at hand and seems driven to achieve the ultimate goal of competing for an ACC Championship in 2013. A victory over Carolina will send Duke to Charlotte to take on Florida State in the ACC Championship Game and I see Duke as team unwilling to be denied! The Stars and the Moon are aligned...
BOTTOM LINE
The Victory Bell stays in Durham! Wow, there are a lot of exclamation marks used in this preview. That has to be a function of the whole Duke, Carolina rivalry thing.
Duke 34, North Carolina 31
Duke LB Kelby Brown talks opportunity
One of the keys to the Duke Blue Devils gridiron success this season has been the play of All ACC linebacker candidate Kelby Brown. The junior linebacker and the Blue Devils have positioned themselves to play for the division title against arch rival North Carolina this weekend in Chapel Hill. Brown took time to address Blue Devil Nation about the opportunity this week and here is what he had to say -
Duke releases All ACC Candidate Hopeful list
The following is a press release from GoDuke.com and Duke Sports Information. The release is for the Blue Devils they feel are worthy of All ACC consideration to voters.
Kenny Anunike, Duke
Defensive End
6-5, 260, R-Sr. (6)
Galena, Ohio (Olentangy)
** 61 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 2 PBUs
** Ranks 2nd among ACC DEs in total tackles behind Kareem Martin of UNC
** In the ACC, ranks 6th in tackles for loss per game (1.23) and 12th in sacks per game (0.55)
** ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week following win over N.C. State
Kelby Brown, Duke
Linebacker
6-2, 230, R-Jr.
Matthews, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)
** 94 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 caused fumbles, 6 QB pressures, 1 PBU
** Leads the ACC in tackles per game in league games
** Three-time ACC Linebacker of the Week
** National Defensive Player of the Week following 14-tackle, 1-INT outing in win over No. 16 Virginia Tech
Jeremy Cash, Duke
Safety
6-2, 210, R-So.
Miami, Fla. (Plantation)
** 91 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4 INTs, 4 PBUs, 2 caused fumbles, 2 QB pressures & 1 fumble recovery
** In the ACC, ranks 5th in tackles per game, 4th in interceptions per game and 9th in fumble recoveries per game
** Recorded 5+ tackles in all 11 games and 10+ tackles in four weeks
Ross Cockrell, Duke
Cornerback
6-0, 185, R-Sr.
Waxhaw, N.C. (Latin)
** Two-year team captain and unquestionably the leader of a 2013 Duke team that has already tied the school record for most wins in a season (9) while clinching at least a share of the ACC’s Coastal Division championship
** 35 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INTs & 12 PBUs
** Leads the ACC in both total passes defended per game (1.50) and PBUs (12)
** Has directed a Duke five-man secondary that has had four first-time starters around him while playing two additional true freshmen in key reserve roles
** During Duke’s current 7-game winning streak, has had crucial plays & games:
>> Interception of Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas in the end zone to preserve a 3-0 Duke lead in the 13-10 victory over the No. 16 Hokies
>> Career-high FIVE PBUs in Duke’s 48-30 win over No. 24 Miami
>> Sealed Duke’s 28-21 road win over Wake Forest with a game-clinching interception of Deacon QB Tanner Price with 2:30 left in the fourth period
** Is Duke’s all-time leader in total passes defended with 53 (12 INTs & 41 PBUs)
** 2012 First team All-ACC (by both coaches & media) and HM All-America (Sports Illustrated)
Jamison Crowder, Duke
Wide Receiver
5-9, 175, Jr.
Monroe, N.C. (Monroe)
** 83 receptions, 1,077 yards, 5 TDs
** 23 punt returns, 362 yards, 15.7 avg., 2 TDs
** In the ACC, ranks 1st in receptions per game (7.5), 2nd in receiving yards per game (97.9), 2nd in all-purpose yards per game (136.4) and 2nd in punt return average (15.7)
** Two-time ACC Receiver of the Week
** Two-time ACC Special Teams Player of the Week
** Has matched the school’s single-season record with six 100-yard receiving games
** Sits just two catches shy of the school’s single-season record of 85 set last year by Conner Vernon
** One of just two players in Duke history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons
Braxton Deaver, Duke
Tight End
6-5, 250, R-Jr.
Charlotte, N.C. (Providence)
** 29 receptions, 402 yards, 4 TDs
** Among ACC TEs, ranks 2nd in TD receptions, 3rd in receptions and 3rd in receiving yardage
** Top game (3 receptions, 96 yards & 2 TDs) came vs. Virginia as Duke rallied from 22-0 deficit to win, 35-22
** Has caught 2+ passes in all 11 games to date
Ross Martin, Duke
Kicker
5-9, 185, So.
Solon, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit)
** 75 points on 9-12 FGs & 48-48 PATs
** Set school single-season record for PATs
** ACC Specialist of the Week after booting two 50+ field goals in 13-10 win over No. 16 Virginia Tech
** Field goal opportunities decreased as Duke is one of two teams nationally to convert 100% of Goal-To-Go chances into TDs (22-of-22)
Will Monday, Duke
Punter
6-4, 210, R-So.
Flowery Branch, Ga. (Flowery Branch)
** 56 punts, 2,409 yards, 43.02 avg., 18 inside 20 vs. 4 touchbacks
** Ranks 3rd in the ACC in punting average
** Ranks 2nd the ACC in punts downed inside the 20 yardline-to-touchback ratio
Perry Simmons, Duke
Offensive Tackle
6-5, 300, R-Sr.
Raleigh, N.C. (Sanderson)
** Has started 47 consecutive games at right tackle – the longest active streak in the ACC
** ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following 35-7 win over Navy
** Duke ranks 2nd in the ACC in sacks allowed per passing attempt in league play
** Duke is one of just two teams nationally to have converted 100% of its GOAL-TO-GO opportunities into TDs
** Helped protect QBs Anthony Boone & Brandon Connette, who have combined to complete 223-of-346 (.645) passes for 2,631 yards with 21 TDs & 15 INTs while rushing for an additional 503 yards & 17 TDs
** All four of Duke’s RBs average 5.0+ yards per carry and have combined for 1,442 rushing yards
** All-ACC selection in 2012
** Academic All-America selection in 2012
Laken Tomlinson, Duke
Offensive Guard
6-3, 320, R-Jr.
Chicago, Ill. (Lane Technical)
** Has started 35 consecutive games at right guard
** Duke ranks 2nd in the ACC in sacks allowed per passing attempt in league play
** Duke is one of just two teams nationally to have converted 100% of its GOAL-TO-GO opportunities into TDs
** Helped protect QBs Anthony Boone & Brandon Connette, who have combined to complete 223-of-346 (.645) passes for 2,631 yards with 21 TDs & 15 INTs while rushing for an additional 503 yards & 17 TDs
** All four of Duke’s RBs average 5.0+ yards per carry and have combined for 1,442 rushing yards
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NOTING THE 2013 DUKE BLUE DEVILS
** 9-2 Overall, 5-2 ACC
** Ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press & USA Today/Coaches national polls
** Cracked the BCS standings for the first time in program history this week – No. 24
** Current 7-game winning streak – Duke’s longest since winning the first seven games of the 1994 season
** Matched school record for victories – standard set by the 1933, 1936, 1938 & 1941 teams
** Clinched at least a share of the ACC’s Coastal Division championship – has the opportunity to win the title outright with win at UNC this week
** Division crown will mark the first for Duke football since the 1989 squad tied Virginia for the conference title
** Duke has rallied from double digit deficits to win three times this year: Virginia (trailed 22-0), Miami (trailed 17-7) & Wake Forest (trailed 14-0)
** Will play in consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history
** Duke has won 4+ home games and 4+ away games in a season for just the third time in school history, joining the 1939 & 1941 teams
** Cracked the Associated Press national top 25 poll for the first time since 1994
** Won multiple games over ranked opponents for the first time since 1971
** Won a road game over a ranked opponent for the first time since 1971
** Won a road game over a ranked ACC opponent for the first time since 1959
** Under Coach Cutcliffe, Duke won just 1 of its first 20 games in November (2008-12) --- Duke is 3-0 in November in 2013
** Team was picked to finish 7th (last) in the Coastal Division at the annual ACC Kickoff media event in July
** Other preseason projections:
>> Athlon Sports: 5-7 overall, 2-6 ACC … Last (7th) in Coastal Division … National rank: 73rd
>> Lindy’s: ACC pick: Last (7th) in Coastal Division … National rank: 82nd
>> USA Today: 4-8 overall, 1-7 ACC … Last (7th) in Coastal Division
NOTING THE BLUE DEVIL OFFENSE
** QBs Anthony Boone & Brandon Connette have combined to complete 223-of-346 (.645) passes for 2,631 yards with 21 TDs & 15 INTs while rushing for an additional 503 yards & 17 TDs – both have missed game action due to injury in 2013
** First Duke offense to compile 20+ rushing TDs and 20+ passing TDs in a season
** WR Jamison Crowder has caught 83 passes for 1,077 yards while four Duke receivers – including Crowder – have caught 4+ TD passes
** All four of Duke’s RBs average 5.0+ yards per carry and have combined for 1,442 rushing yards
NOTING THE BLUE DEVIL DEFENSE
** Allowed a total of 34 points in the 4th quarter through 11 games this season
** Allowing 22.8 points per game (5th-best in the ACC) – down from an ACC-worst 36.0 last year
** After ranking LAST in the ACC in red zone defense (.913) in 2012, currently ranks 4th in the ACC this year (.765)
** Allowing 390.4 yards per game – down from 469.2 a season ago which ranked 11th out of 12 teams in the ACC
** LBs David Helton (9.5) and Kelby Brown (9.4) rank 1-2 in the ACC in tackles per game
** CB Ross Cockrell leads the ACC in total passes defended per game (1.40)
** Has had two National Defensive Player of the Week selections by the Walter Camp Foundation in LB Kelby Brown (14 tackles & 1 INT vs. Virginia Tech) and S DeVon Edwards (10 tackles & 2 INTs for TDs vs. N.C. State)
NOTING THE BLUE DEVIL SPECIAL TEAMS UNITS
** One of two teams with Miami to rank among the ACC’s top 5 in Net Punting, Punt Return Average, Kickoff Coverage & Kickoff Return Average
** Jamison Crowder is averaging 15.7 yards per punt return and has two returns for TDs this year
** DeVon Edwards is averaging 29.9 yards per kickoff return and has one return for a TD this year
** In Duke’s 13-10 win at No. 16 Virginia Tech, Ross Martin booted two field goals of 50+ yards (51 & 53)
NIT: Duke vs Alabama Game Notes
Duke vs. Alabama – NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinal
Nov. 27, 2013 • 9:30 p.m.
New York, N.Y. • Madison Square Garden (19,812)
TV: ESPN • RADIO: Blue Devil IMG Sports Network, Westwood One
The Opening Tip
• Duke takes on Alabama in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off in Madison Square Garden Wednesday (9:30 pm - ESPN).
• The Blue Devils are playing their 219th straight game as a top-10 team in the AP poll. Duke is 181-37 (.830) in that span.
• Duke is ranked No. 6 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches’ Polls. The Blue Devils are 112-30 all-time when ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll.
• Duke is 27-15 all-time with a 22-7 mark under Mike Krzyzewski at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have won 14 of their last 16 games at MSG.
• The Blue Devils have won 26 consecutive regular-season tournament games and are 77-15 in regular-season tournaments under Coach K.
• Duke is 19-2 in the NIT Season Tip-Off with 13 consecutive victories. Duke’s last Preseason NIT loss came on Nov. 29, 1996 against Indiana.
The Last Time Out
• Jabari Parker scored 19 points in the second half and Rodney Hood hit the game-winning free throw with five seconds left to push Duke past Vermont 91-90 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• Parker and Hood combined to score 48 points, including a game-high 26 from Parker and 22 from Hood.
• Duke allowed Vermont to shoot .648 (35-of-54) from the floor for the highest shooting percentage the Blue Devils have allowed since 2010, while the 90 points were the most Duke has allowed in a win since Feb. 22, 2009.
• Quinn Cook and Andre Dawkins also scored in double figures with 14 and 16 points apiece. Cook added eight assists – and just one turnover – while Dawkins hit three three-pointers.
• Parker scored at least 20 points for the sixth straight game, while Hood reached that mark for the fourth time.
By The Numbers
• The Blue Devils are 24-2 all-time in the NIT Season Tip-Off claiming championships in the event in 1985, 2000, 2005 and 2009.
• Jabari Parker has scored 20 or more points in each of the first six games of the season, marking just the second time a Duke player has accomplished that feat. Art Heyman opened the 1961-62 season with 10 straight 20-point games. Parker is also the third Division I freshman in the past 10 years to open his career with six straight 20-point games and the first since Indiana’s Eric Gordon (2007-08).
• Jabari Parker (23.0 ppg.) and Rodney Hood (21.8 ppg.) are the top scoring tandem in the ACC (fourth in the NCAA) at 44.8 points per game. The duo has combined for 10 20-point scoring games, while shooting 91-of-148 (.615) from the field and 21-of-39 (.539) from three-point range. Duke is one of only six teams in the nation with two players averaging at least 20.0 points per game.
• Duke has scored 90 or more points in four of its first six games and ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring at 92.7 points per game. The Blue Devils are 272-8 under Coach K when scoring 90 or more points in a game.
• Duke (5-1) has not lost more than one game in the month of November since the 1999-00 season. The Blue Devils are 79-4 in the month over the past 14 seasons.
• Duke has seven players shooting better than 50.0 percent from the field. Three – Rodney Hood (.667, 40-of-60), Amile Jefferson (.792, 19-of-24) and Semi Ojeleye (.714, 5-of-7) – are shooting over 60.0 percent. The Blue Devils lead the ACC and rank fourth nationally in field goal percentage.
• Junior Quinn Cook leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally in assists (7.2 apg.) and leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.4:1). Cook has eight or more assists in four of six games this season and has had more than two turnovers just one time this season.
• Sophomore Amile Jefferson has hit 79.2 percent (19-of-24) of his field goal attempts this season to rank fifth nationally in field goal percentage. Jefferson has made six consecutive field goals.
• Duke has had a double-figure scorer off the bench in five of six games this season. The Duke bench averages 23.3 points per game with graduate student Andre Dawkins averaging a team-high 9.6 points per game off the bench.
Duke wins, but it’s a forgettable Blue Devil effort
The Duke Blue Devils held on for dear life as a much less talented Vermont team pushed them to the brink in their own house. Cameron Indoor Stadium was in shock as the Catamounts almost pulled off what would have been quite possibly the biggest upset in the hallowed buildings long history.
The Blue Devils defense struggled mightily on the evening allowing 90 points to a team that was averaging a mere 63 ppg coming in. The effort obviously upset the team and coach for the locker room doors stayed closed much longer than usual and you could hear a pin drop when they finally opened.
In fact, the first thing you would have seen entering is Rodney Hood who scored 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds with his head stuck in his hands. It was clear that Krzyzewski had given the team a piece of his mind and that they knew they had almost blown a game that would have been devastatingly embarrassing to the hallowed program.
Perhaps even more disturbing was the fact that this game resembled the close win over East Carolina with concern to competitiveness and that begs the question has this team had its confidence shaken?
Cut it any way you want to, but Duke was quite simply supposed to have defeated Vermont going away and instead they had most of the crowd pinching themselves to make sure what they saw on the court was actually real.
Granted, it's early in the college basketball season and games in November will soon be long forgotten. But there is a lot of talent on this team and their communication is simply lacking.
"We got lucky. We didn't deserve to win this game," said Rodney Hood
A few moments later a beleaguered Krzyzewski took to the podium and one could see that he had no real answers as to the lack of communication.
The bottom line is Duke escaped with a 1 point win at home against a team that is now 1-5.
That is not the Duke Basketball that anyone involved expected to see and it certainly raised some red flags.
Another mildly odd stat was the fact that Duke outrebounded the Catamounts, but not by much and this is a team ranked beyond 300th in that category.
The good news is that Duke will have a chance to save a little face and soon with a much tougher Alabama team on the horizon but if Duke plays as it did against East Carolina and Vermont and they allow them to gain confidence by not taking advantage of their patented runs, we'll be talking of the second loss on the young season.
The one thing that is clear after tonight is that Duke is most definitely a team that is a work in progress.
And the one thing that is most fortunate for all involved with Duke is that they managed to win a game that would have been an absolute disaster of a loss. It would have been a monumental upset, the kind that some teams would struggle to ever bounce back from.
Here is what Jabari Parker had to say in the post game.
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