Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Football

BDN Previews- North Carolina at Duke and picks the Blue Devils in an upset

Duke expects the two senior tight ends known as the "Bro's" to return for the home and career finaled against UNC - BDN Photo

It's the final week of the 2010 football season, as the Blue Devils (3-8, 1-6 ACC) host the rival North Carolina Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4 ACC) in Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will kickoff at 3:30 PM ET and will be televised on ESPNU. Tickets for the rivalry game are still available from

 

GoDuke.com, as the Blue Devils try to reclaim the Victory Bell for just the second time in the last 20 tries. 

DUKE IN WEEK 12

Duke fell at Georgia Tech last Saturday, 30-20, in what Coach Cutcliffe called “a tough pill to swallow.” The Blue Devils' defense held the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone for the entire first half, taking a 13-6 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the momentum quickly turned towards Georgia Tech after Brandon Connette threw a red zone interception, which was returned 85 yards for the touchdown and a 16-13 lead. The Blue Devils fought back in the 4th quarter, as Sean Renfree found Austin Kelly on a play action pass for a 37-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 23-20, but it was not enough. The Yellow Jackets' option offense wore down the Duke defense and sealed the victory. On the day, the Duke defense allowed 320 rushing yard to the #1 rushing offense in the country, which was led by Anthony Allen and Tevin Washington. For the Blue Devils, Renfree threw for another 300+ yard game in the loss, including 92 yards to Cooper Helfet and 7 catches each for Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner. 

NORTH CAROLINA IN WEEK 12

If the Blue Devils' loss last week was tough to swallow, North Carolina's was devastating. The Tar Heels hosted rival NC State last Saturday and fell, 29-25. North Carolina jumped out to a 7-0 first quarter lead, which they extended to a 19-10 lead by late in the 3rd quarter. At that point, the game went an unexpected and almost instantaneous reversal of momentum, as Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack scored 17 unanswered points to close the 3rd quarter and start the 4th. The first score was the most unlikely, as Wilson threw a jump ball on 4th and goal to a crowd in the back corner of the end zone, which somehow fell into the hands of TE Owen Spencer for the touchdown. After forcing a quick punt, explosive returner T.J. Graham took the punt return 87 yards for the score and a 24-19 lead. The Wolfpack would add on a FG and a last-minute safety to seal the 29-25 victory. Seniors T.J Yates and Anthony Elzy led the way for the Tar Heels in the loss, as Yates threw for over 400 yards, including 178 and a touchdown to Elzy. 

ANALYSIS

Turnovers

Both teams find themselves in the red in the turnover margin for the season. Turnovers have haunted the Blue Devils throughout 2010, while North Carolina has given it away 7 times in their last two games. Last week, Duke saw firsthand how a key turnover can propel a team to victory. Without leading fumble recovery man Kelby Brown, the Duke defense will have to find other players to step up with takeaways.  

Explosive Plays

Without crunching all the numbers, let's just say in last week's games, both teams were on the losing side of key explosive plays. Georgia Tech scored three touchdowns, two of which were explosive plays: an 85-yard interception return and a 79-yard catch. In the Tar Heel's last game, the decisive play was a T.J. Graham 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, which gave the Wolfpack the lead for good. With 2 of the ACC's top 3 quarterbacks, both teams have the ability to rack up explosive plays on the opposing defense. Renfree will have to get things going with Vernon, Varner, Kelly, and Helfet early and often, while the Duke secondary will have to contain Yates and his receivers, led by the trio of Dwight Jones, Anthony Elzy, and Erik Highsmith. 

Sacks

Sacks haven't had a huge influence on the Blue Devils' games this year, as Duke has been very good at protecting Sean Renfree, while the Duke defensive front has struggled to bring pressure. Conversely, the Tar Heels rank last in the ACC in sacks allowed, as Yates has found himself on the ground an average of 3 times per game, including 7 times last Saturday. UNC's defense has failed to bring the pressure it did a year ago, when they ranked second in the ACC in sacks per game. 

3rd Down Production

Would you be surprised to learn that the struggling Duke defense has done a better job on opponent 3rd downs than their rivals in Columbia blue? It's true, and the Blue Devils' offense has also done a better job converting on 3rd downs. On paper, advantage Duke. 

Rushing TDs

Would you also be surprised to know that as of last week, North Carolina has surpassed Duke as the ACC's worst rushing offense? The Blue Devils' have Nate Irving and the NC State defense to thank for that. After a season-ending injury to Johnny White, the Blue Devils will have to focus their defensive efforts on Anthony Elzy and Shaun Draughn in the North Carolina backfield. In last week's preview, we stressed the importance of the Blue Devils' scoring on the ground. The Tar Heels have only allowed 9 rushing touchdowns this year, but Brandon Connette and the Blue Devils' backs will have to find ways to convert in the red zone for Duke to shed its two-game losing streak. 

Field Goals

Will Snyderwine had been nearly automatic in 2010, but missed two late FGs in Atlanta last week. Expect the Blue Devils' kicker to have a bounceback game in the season finale. Casey Barth has been equally good for the Tar Heels, and the team that does a better job of putting the ball in the end zone, rather than through the uprights, is most likely to win this one. 

Penalties

Duke has done a nice job of minimizing penalties in 2010, though the few penalties they have committed have often been costly. Against Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils committed 6 penalties for a total of 50 yards, but several of those helped to extend Yellow Jacket drives. North Carolina's inability to follow the rules off the field has been well documented, but the Tar Heels have also committed an average of 7 penalties per game. They've improved this statistic in recent weeks, totaling just 70 yards in penalties their past two games. 

PREDICTION

It is difficult to remain objective when it's Duke vs. North Carolina. The Tar Heels are admittedly exhausted: mentally, from having faced tough questions all season about their wrongdoings off the field; and physically, from playing shorthanded while not having a week off since their bye in week 2. In the back of some players' minds, the Tar Heels are just one game away from the end of this nightmare regular season. After an emotional loss to rival NC State on senior day, can the Tar Heels get back up for one more game? 

Meanwhile, the primary question that has haunted the Blue Devils in 2010 is “what if…?,”  as they've watched ACC games slip away against Wake Forest in week 2, Maryland in week 5, Boston College in week 11, and Georgia Tech in week 12. Can the Blue Devils breakthrough this week against the rival Tar Heels? If this year's senior class has its way, the Blue Devils will be ringing the Victory Bell into their offseason. 

Duke 27

UNC 26

Duke Football

UNC vs Duke Football Game Notes

 
 

Lance Images

Durham, N.C.
Stadium: Wallace Wade Stadium
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: 33,941
TV: ESPNU - Pam Ward (Play-by-Play), Danny Kanell (Analyst)
Radio: Blue Devils ISP Sports Network
Internet: GoDuke.com (Live stats)
Tickets: 1-877-375-DUKE
Series: North Carolina, 56-36-4

Victory Bell on the Line

  • Duke and North Carolina will play for the Victory Bell on Saturday, Nov. 27 when the two teams wrap up the regular season at 3:30 p.m. in Wallace Wade Stadium.
  • The Blue Devils are coming off a 30-20 loss on the road at Georgia Tech while the Tar Heels fell to N.C. State at home, 29-25.
  • The game between Duke and North Carolina will be televised on ESPNU with Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Danny Kanell (analyst) calling the action.

Senior Day for Blue Devils

Late Game Rally Falls Short

  • Duke led 13-6 at halftime, but Georgia Tech scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter and went on to defeat the Blue Devils 30-20 in Atlanta.
  • Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sean Renfree completed 30-of-41 passes for 334 yards and one touchdown on the day for his fifth 300-yard game of the season.
  • True freshman quarterback Brandon Connette set a school record for rushing touchdowns by a freshman with his seventh of the year on a 20-yard run.
  • Senior wide receiver Austin Kelly caught his third touchdown pass of the season on a 37-yard toss from Renfree.
  • Junior safety Matt Daniels caused a fumble and also had a fumble recovery while recording seven tackles.
  • Redshirt senior linebacker Abraham Kromah tallied 13 tackles for his seventh game of the season with 10 or more.
  • Junior kicker Will Snyderwine made two field goals, including a career long of 52, to move into a tie for second on Duke’s career made field goals list (37).

Duke vs. North Carolina

  • Saturday’s game will mark the 97th on the gridiron between the two schools, with North Carolina holding a 56-36-4 all-time series advantage.
  • The first game in the series came on November 27, 1888 with Duke earning a 16-0 victory in Raleigh.
  • The Tar Heels have won six straight and 19 of the past 20 meetings including last year’s 19-6 decision in Chapel Hill.
  • Duke’s last win over North Carolina in Durham came in the form of a 35-29 decision in 1988.

Game Sponsor
TIAA-CREF serves as the game sponsor for this week’s Duke-UNC game.

Battle of the Blues Presented by Continental Tire

  • The Duke-North Carolina rivalry series continues this year with a new name and presenting sponsor.
  • The Battle of the Blues presented by Continental Tire is the year-long rivalry series between the two schools, with points awarded in 23 sports of competition.
  • The winner at season end will receive the Continental Tire Cup.
  • UNC leads the 2010-11 series, 4-2, with this week’s football game worth two points to the winner.

Duke-North Carolina Ties

  • Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and North Carolina head coach Butch Davis both did not coach during the 2005 season. Cutcliffe was on the staff at Notre Dame in the spring of 2005 but resigned due to health reasons before re-joining the Tennessee staff for 2006 while Davis was in between head coaching positions with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns (2001-04) and North Carolina (2007-present).
  • Blue Devil associate head coach Ron Middleton and Tar Heel offensive coordinator John Shoop were on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff together in 2004. Shoop was a graduate assistant coach at Vanderbilt from 1992-94 when the Commodores fell three times to Tennessee with Cutcliffe on the Vol coaching staff.
  • UNC aide Art Kaufman served on the Ole Miss staff when Cutcliffe was the head coach of the Rebels.
  • Wes Chesson, who serves as the color analyst for the Duke Radio Network, scored on a 53-yard touchdown pass from Marcell Courtillet on the famed “shoestring play” in Duke’s 17-13 victory in 1969.
  • Anthony Dilweg, the Duke Radio Network’s sideline reporter, completed 29-of-49 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns in the Blue Devils’ 35-29 win over the Tar Heels in 1988. Dilweg engineered a game-winning 76-yard drive which resulted in Roger Boone’s six-yard scoring run with just 23 seconds left.
  • Duke director of player development Terrell Smith logged seven tackles and forced a fumble in the Blue Devils’ 30-22 victory over North Carolina in 2003. Smith, a captain on the 2003 club, led the Blue Devils in tackles with 140 that season and received All-ACC honors.

The Last Time
North Carolina 19, Duke 6
November 7, 2009 l Chapel Hill, N.C.

  • North Carolina RB Ryan Houston rushed 37 times for 164 yards to help the Tar Heels to a 19-6 win over Duke in the 96th meeting between the two schools as 59,750 fans looked on at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
  • The Tar Heels limited Duke to just 125 yards of total offense while securing their 19th win in the last 20 games in the series
  • The teams accounted for two field goals each in the first half before North Carolina K Casey Barth gave the home team the lead for good with a 41-yard effort on the final snap of the third quarter ... North Carolina then scored 10 points over the final seven minutes of the game
  • Duke WR Conner Vernon caught three passes for 21 yards on the day to set a new school single-season record for reception yards by a freshman, breaking the previous standard of 578 yards set by Walter Jones in 1988
  • In the third period, Duke CB Leon Wright posted his fifth interception of the year and the 10th of his career ... Duke S Jordan Byas blocked a Tar Heel punt in the first quarter to set up the Blue Devils’ first field goal

Victory Bell

  • The battle for the Victory Bell began in 1948 with North Carolina earning possession with a 20-0 win in Chapel Hill. Duke head cheerleader Loring Jones and North Carolina head cheerleader Norman Spear decided on the idea of the Victory Bell.
  • Jones designed the model while Spear obtained a bell from an old railroad train. 
  • Red Lewis, Duke’s business manager for athletics, agreed to find money in the budget to pay for the bell.

North Carolina is Duke’s Most Common Foe

  • With 96 total contests played between the two schools, North Carolina ranks as Duke’s most common football opponent.
  • The only schools Duke has played 80 or more football games against are North Carolina, Wake Forest (91) and N.C. State (81).

2010 Marks 89th Straight Season for Duke-Carolina
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have met every year since 1922.

Notable Games in the Duke-North Carolina Series

  • 1888 — Then Trinity College, Duke wins the first game in the series, 16-0. Stonewall Durham scores the first touchdown in the series.
  • 1935 — Duke’s Jack Alexander rushes for 193 yards as the Blue Devils post a 25-0 victory.
  • 1937 — En route to the Southern Conference title, unranked North Carolina defeats eighth-ranked Duke, 14-6, in Durham.
  • 1939 — In the only meeting when both teams were ranked among the nation’s top 25, No. 13 Duke rallies from a 3-0 halftime deficit to hand No. 7 North Carolina its lone loss of the season. Duke would finish the year 8-1 and win the Southern Conference championship while UNC went 8-1-1.
  • 1949 — The crowd of 57,500, Duke’s largest crowd to date, pours into what is now Wallace Wade Stadium to see Duke lose to North Carolina, 21-20.
  • 1950 — Wallace Wade coaches his final game for Duke and defeats North Carolina, 7-0.
  • 1955 — In its first appearance on television, Duke defeats North Carolina, 6-0, as Oliver Rudy scores on a 35-yard run in the second quarter. The victory clinches the Blue Devils’ third straight ACC title.
  • 1959 — With a national television audience looking on, North Carolina scores on its first three possessions and never looks back, winning 50-0.
  • 1965 — In head coach Bill Murray’s final game, the Blue Devils down North Carolina, 34-7, to give Murray a share of his seventh ACC title. Bob Matheson returns an interception 35 yards for a score while Jay Calabrese contributes three touchdowns.
  • 1970 — Don McCauley rushes 47 times for 279 yards and five TDs as North Carolina wins, 59-34.
  • 1980 — North Carolina’s Amos Lawrence rushes for 143 yards — his fourth 100-yard effort versus Duke — as the No. 15 Tar Heels win in Chapel Hill, 44-21.
  • 1985 — Wide receiver Doug Green catches three second-half touchdown passes — including two in the final two minutes — to guide Duke past North Carolina, 23-21, in Chapel Hill. Green, who finishes with 10 receptions for 152 yards, grabs the game-winning score from Steve Slayden with just 1:10 left in the game as Duke rallies from a 21-3 late third quarter deficit.
  • 1988 — Duke quarterback Anthony Dilweg concluded his outstanding season by throwing for 362 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-29 victory. The league’s player of the year, Dilweg directed the game-winning, 76-yard drive and concluded with Roger Boone’s six-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left in the game.
  • 1989 — In Chapel Hill, Duke wraps up the ACC title with a 41-0 win over the Tar Heels. The win, Duke’s seventh straight to close the regular season, is highlighted by Dave Brown’s school-record 479 passing yards. The victory marked Duke’s seventh straight of the season after opening the year with a 1-3 ledger.
  • 1994 — With both teams heading to bowl games, North Carolina closed out the regular season with a 41-40 win over Duke on the strength of a late 71-yard TD pass from Mike Thomas to Octavus Barnes. Duke’s Spence Fischer completes 33-of-57 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns in the contest. Duke’s 60-yard field goal try as time expired fell short.
  • 2002 — Dan Orner boots a 47-yard field goal as time expires to boost North Carolina past Duke, 23-21. The Blue Devils had taken a 21-20 advantage with just over two minutes remaining on Adam Smith’s 33-yard TD pass to Senterrio Landrum.
  • 2003 — Duke darts out to a 23-0 halftime lead and holds on for a 30-22 victory in Chapel Hill, snapping a 13-game Tar Heel winning streak in the series. Duke’s Cedric Dargan and Chris Douglas combine to rush for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the triumph while Matt Zielinski sacked Tar Heel quarterback Darian Durant on North Carolina’s final possession to preserve the win.
  • 2007 — For the first time in the history of the rivalry, the two teams decided the outcome in overtime. Following a missed field goal by Duke, North Carolina won the game with a 25-yard touchdown run for the 20-14 final score
Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Monday Musings – Duke vs Marquette, Duke vs UNC, Cheerleader of the Week

As always it's a busy time around BDN where we covered both the basketball and football games this past weekend. This week will be no different as we have staff members in Kansas City for consecutive games and we'll start our focus on Duke and UNC on the gridiron as well. And oc course, there is our Cheerleader of the Week!

Good Monday Blue Devil Nation and may you all have a great Thanksgiving week ahead.  The Duke Basketball team embarks on two contests that will provide a better look at where they stand this week and the football team takes on those dreaded North Carolina Tar Heels on the football field this week.  So, without further ado here are this weeks Monday Musings and of course, our cheerleader of the week.

Duke will be tested

The Men's basketball team could face two contrasting styles which will challenge both their backcourt and frontcourt.  Marquette is the first challenge this evening and they bring a Big East toughness and a loaded backcourt to the table.  If Kansas State defeats Gonzaga, Duke will face a loaded frontcourt of physical and athletic players.  The Wildcats will also have a home court advantage and that could prove huge for the nations #3 rated team.

The bench will shorten

In the next two nights we'll see which players Krzyzewski has confidence in for his bench will shorten against stellar competition.  Keep in mind that the rotation is likely to look quite different from one night to the next due to the aforementioned match ups.  The games should provide fans a glimpse of what the team will look like as the season goes on but Krzyzewski is far from settled on which combinations will be`on the court come March.

And the arch rival struggles

In watching North Carolina's first few games a few things come to mind when evaluating their future.  The first is that UNC indeed lacks a leader and until they get someone to fill that role, they'll not turn the corner to Top Ten country.  Harrison Barnes will get better as the season goes on, but the question is will UNC get better as a team.  The likely answer to that is yes, but these Heels are not he juggernaut they once were.  Still, too much talent is on hand for them to fold up like last season and finding a leader is a must.  The parts are there but fitting them together is not always and easy task.

The blame game can at times be ridiculous

Perfection!  That's all we'll stand for!  Okay, okay, some of us realize that Duke is a work in progress and we don't find something wrong or someone to point the finger at in the early season.  Unfortunately, there is a faction of the fan base that constantly worries and you can always count on them to play chicken little.  With the Duke backcourt being solid, those fans have turned their attention to the Plumlees.  "They're not Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek," one poster said.  Uh, no they're not but does that fan remember the gripes those two experienced until they won a national title?  The Plumlees are a big key to the success to the 2010-11 Blue Devils but they like others are still learning how to fill their roles and they'll be fine.  It's no secret that Ryan Kelly and Josh Hairston are pretty much all that's behind them, so I'm afraid the brothers will experience what Thomas and Zoubs did along the way, no matter how short sighted those not so basketball savvy critics are.

So close but how far?

Duke Football could have won games against Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Wake Forest this season had a bounce or two gone their way.  Had they won three of these close contests they'd be bowl eligible.  The real question is how close are they from turning the corner where they can win these games.  That's a tough call but Duke returns pretty much all of their better players next season but they'll need to score touchdowns in the red zone before improvement will become evident.

It's Carolina at Duke on Thanksgiving and Duke at Oregon

Make no mistake a win over Carolina in the finale would help ease the frustration from close losses mentioned above.  There was a day when this game was huge but Duke will only be considered a true rival again when they find a way to defeat their neighbors and not just play them close.  With the game being played over the Thanksgiving holidays, the students will be gone and the Duke Basketball team will tip off thirty minutes after the kickoff in Oregon for Kyle Singler's away game in front of his peeps.  With both games being televised, this will likely mean an increase in the dreaded baby blue which will dominate more than half of Wallace Wade Stadium.  A great solution is to back the Devils against UNC in person and DVR the basketball game.  After all, when Duke finally does beat UNC on the gridiron, don't you want to say you were there?

It's Holiday Tournament time

One of our favorite holiday basketball tournaments to cover is the Glaxo Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. But we'll take in some other events as well and as a member of BDN Premium you can keep up with coverage of the Blue Devils future hopefuls and those who've already signed.

Duke Football

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.

Duke Football

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