Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Monday Musings – Men’s and Women’s Hoops and Football

A Monday Musing tradition is the "Cheerleader of the Week," pic. We like to bring some attention to those behind the scenes and that includes our lovely cheerleaders and the best mascot in the land. Photo - BDN

The Duke Men's Basketball team were an offensive machine in route to scoring 141 points against St. Augustine's in the season opener while the Duke Women held their Blue-White game entertaining key recruits.  Meanwhile the football team continues their struggles on the gridiron and we'll talk about all that in the return of our Monday Musings article after a one week hiatus.

These Devils can run

Beep-beep!  That's the sound the infamous cartoon character the "Roadrunner," makes when churning up and down the countryside as he outwits Wile E. Coyote along the way.  This seasons Duke men's basketball team reminded me of  a bunch of roadrunners in the way they pushed the ball up and down the court with ease while never being threatened by an outgunned St. Augustine's in their exhibition game opener.  The bottom line is all but possibly one of the Duke Scholarship players thrive in a system where Krzyzewski will more often than not turn them loose.  During the post game interviews, Kyle, Kyrie and Nolan all told BDN that they have never played on a team that dropped 141 points.

Coach K shares criteria for this seasons bigs

During last weeks ACC Operation Basketball, Krzyzewski spoke of how his bigs needed to be efficient this season for Duke to have success.  In short their role will be to rebound the ball, defend the post but more importantly to be efficient with limited offensive touches.  Mason Plumlee's stat line from Saturday epitomizes what he is looking for in that he was 6 for 6 from the field, grabbed 8 boards to go with 2 assists, 3 blocks and a steal in just 19 minutes of play.  By comparison, his brother Miles Plumlee found just 2 points and 2 rebounds in 22 minutes but he did have 4 blocks, yet I realize that we cannot judge a player off of a simple exhibition game.

Blue Devils depth is just plain nasty

It's fair to think that even if several Blue Devils struggle on the offensive end this season, their depth will bail them out.  With a team full of shooters, especially those who can drain the three point ball, somebody shpould  always be able to step up.  A scary thought is what will be when all the Devils are hot at the same time.

BDN Premium checks in with Alex Murphy and player interviews

We posted a couple of post game interviews with Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith and will continue to bring you exclusive post game bits all season long.  BDN Premium chatted up key prospect Alex Murphy last evening and he gave us some lengthy answers to burning questions.  Support Blue Devil Nation by joining BDN Premium and get full site access which includes all of the recruiting, inside stuff and the ability to chat with other members via our private members only message board.  We think you'll be happy with what you find as a member here.

Duke Women hold their Blue-White Scrimmage and entertain key prospects

The Duke Women's Basketball team held their annual Blue-White scrimmage on Sunday where two true freshman led the way.  Chloe Wells and Tricia Liston scored 18 points apiece and the duo and their mates will mix with three Duke veterans this season, meaning they will play key roles.  For more, check out this link. 

Coach P and Duke entertained verbal commitment Whitney Knight and the nations #2 rated prospect  Elizabeth Williams this weekend as well as BDN will continue to focus in on the women's team recruiting efforts.

Can Duke catch Navy napping?

The  Duke Football team now enters a stretch where they should be able to compete against the teams on the remainder of their schedule.  The next opponent Navy could be fat and happy, coming off a victory over Notre Dame and this could prove to be a trap game for the Middies.  It's true that Navy will be a favorite but the fact that they do not pass the ball a lot helps Duke prevent some of the big plays that has rocked them in the season to date.  The Middies open as a 14.5 point favorite.

Renfree too good to continue his struggles

I feel for Sean Renfree who is simply learning on the fly this season.  Expectations were high for Renfree in that he had a lot of success spelling Thaddeus Lewis last season.  Renfree is a good quarterback that has hit the skids and in the process he may be overthinking the game.  Whatever the true issue might be with concerns to red zone and turnover struggles, Renfree is the only capable Duke starter in that Brandon Connette is simply a true freshman.  Of course, it would help Renfree if the vaunted Duke wideouts would reel in a few more passes which at times are right in their mitts.

Have a good week Blue Devil Nation and join us each and every Monday for more random musings.

Duke Football

#23 Hokies defeat Blue Devils 44-7

Mark Watson, BDN Photo

BLACKSBURG, Va.– The Duke football team fell to 23rd-ranked Virginia Tech, 44-7, Saturday afternoon in front of 66,233 sun-splashed fans at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.

The Hokies improve to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in ACC action while the Blue Devils fall to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the league.

Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 13-of-17 pass attempts for 280 yards and 280 touchdowns to lead the Hokies, who claimed a 7-0 lead just over seven minutes into the first period when Taylor found tight end Andre Smith for a 14-yard scoring toss to cap a five-play, 57-yard drive.  Following Duke’s next possession, Virginia Tech’s Jayron Hosley returned a Duke punt 61 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Ryan Williams to give the Hokies a 14-0 advantage with 1:30 remaining in the opening quarter.

After Holsey intercepted a pass by Duke quarterback Brandon Connette, the Hokies marched 24 yards in six plays to take a 21-0 lead on a two-yard touchdown plunge by Darren Evans.  The teams went to intermission with the score 27-0 after Chris Hazley booted a pair of field goals in the final 2:37 of the half.

Taylor threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to flanker Dyrell Roberts on Virginia Tech’s first possession of the third quarter, extending the home team’s lead to 34-0.  Duke responded with a nine-play, 56-yard drive that resulted in a six-yard touchdown run by running back Jay Hollingsworth.  The drive, which was set up by Desmond Scott’s 36-yard kickoff return, was keyed by Connette’s 19-yard run that gave Duke a first-and-goal from the Hokie six yard line.

On the Hokies’ next possession, Taylor found David Wilson down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown pass to make the score 41-7 with 5:08 left in the third quarter.  Hazley’s third field goal of the day – this one from 22 yards away – pushed the margin to 37 points late in the third period.

Virginia Tech scored on eight of its first nine offensive possessions to secure its sixth consecutive victory of the season.

For the Blue Devils, quarterback Sean Renfree hit on 12-of-32 passes for 116 yards while Connette paced the ground attack with 43 yards on eight carries.  Wideout Conner Vernon finished with six receptions for 44 yards.

Duke steps out of conference action next week by travelling to Annapolis, Md., to meet the U.S. Naval Academy.  Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised live by CBS College Sports.

Duke Football

BDN Previews Duke vs Virginia Tech

Duke wideouts need a big game for Duke to defeat the Hokies - BDN Photo/Rick Crank

BDN Previews Duke's Trip to Blacksburg

Duke (1-5, 0-3 ACC) and #23 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-0) will kickoff at noon ET on Saturday in Lane Stadium. The game will be televised by the ACC Network in ACC markets (check for local TV listings here) and will be available at espn3.com in non-ACC markets.  

Duke in Week 7

The Blue Devils fell to the Miami Hurricanes last Saturday in Durham, 28-13. Once again, turnovers doomed the Blue Devils, as the offense committed 7 total turnovers, including 5 interceptions thrown by QB Sean Renfree. The turnovers led to 14 Miami points, including an interception returned for a touchdown on the first drive of the second half, which put the Blue Devils down for good. Yet again, the defense showed tremendous improvement from earlier in the season, holding the talented Miami offense to just 3/12 on 3rd downs and 0/4 on 4th downs. Duke recovered a fumbled kickoff to open the game and also recovered a fumble forced by LB Abraham Kromah in the second 2nd quarter. Junior RB Jay Hollingsworth had his best game as a Blue Devil, “running with a purpose,” as Coach Cutcliffe later described, for 69 yards on 10 carries.  

Virginia Tech in Week 7

The Virginia Tech offense exploded against Wake Forest last week in Blacksburg, blowing out the Demon Deacons 52-21. The Hokies put the game away quickly, scoring on 7 of their first 8 possessions and jumping out to a 49-14 halftime lead. Though they managed just 3 points in the second half, the Hokies totaled a season-high 605 yards of offense, distributed evenly with 314 passing yards and 291 rushing yards. Senior QB Tyrod Taylor led the way with 3 touchdowns through the air and added another on the ground. Junior Darren Evans added 3 more touchdowns on the ground, while sophomore David Wilson ended the game with 105 yards on 15 carries. The defense held the Demon Deacons to just 14 points, but did allow a career-high 241 rushing yards to Josh Harris. 

Analysis

Virginia Tech is playing their best football of the year right now, and it will require an exceptional effort for the Blue Devils to pull off the upset in Blacksburg. It all starts with Taylor, whom Coach Cutcliffe has described as the “best dual-threat quarterback in college football.” While Auburn fans may want to debate that, the bottom line for Duke is that Taylor has accounted for 12 passing touchdowns, 3 rushing touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions so far in 2010. He ranks in the top 8 in the conference in both passing and rushing yards per game, and is the ACC's most efficient passer. Taylor's favorite target has been junior WR Jarrett Boykin, who has hauled in 29 passes for 469 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season. The Hokies' talented rushing attack behind Taylor is led by Darren Evans, who returns after missing all of 2009 with a knee injury; Evans averages 6.0 yards per carry and has rushed for 8 touchdowns. Last year's ACC Rookie of the Year, Ryan Williams, is expected to return this week after missing several games with a hamstring injury. Sophomore David Wilson moved to the backup role in Williams' absence and averages 6.8 yards per carry. Overall, the Hokies' rank 1st in the ACC at 36 points per game, 3rd in total offense at 415 yards per game, and 2nd in rushing offense at 222 yards per game. 

The typically stingy Virginia Tech defense has been somewhat more forgiving this year, falling in the middle of the ACC in most statistical categories, yielding about 22 points and 354 yards per game to opponents. The Hokies are +3 in turnover margin and have 17 sacks on the year; they rank 3rd in the ACC in rushing defense, giving up 142 yards per game (4.6 yards per carry). Though they started the year with significant youth on defense and special teams, their playmakers have grown up quickly, which partly accounts for their turnaround after the 0-2 start. Sophomore CB Jayron Hosley is tops in the ACC with 4 interceptions and 9 passes defended, while sophomore LB Bruce Taylor enters the game 3rd in the conference in tackles for loss and 8th in total tackles. The defensive front is anchored by senior DE Steven Friday with 4 sacks. Senior LB Davon Morgan and junior S Eddie Whitley add a veteran presence to the defense and rank second on the team in tackles behind Taylor. Whitley is listed as doubtful on the injury report with a foot injury and may be replaced by redshirt-freshman Antone Exum. 

Typical of Frank Beamer's teams, the Hokies are 3rd in both kickoff and punt returns, having returned one of each for a touchdown. Both teams rank in the top 5 in the ACC in fewest penalties, and feature the two most accurate FG kickers in the conference in Will Snyderwine and Chris Hazley. In short, it's tough to find any glaring weaknesses on this Virginia Tech team where the Blue Devils can take advantage. 

The keys to the game for Duke:

1. TURNOVERS: Broken record time. Duke can't compete at the rate the offense is turning the ball over. Renfree has to make better throws and decisions; the receivers have to do a better job of catching the ball in coverage. The defense also needs to do a better job of taking the ball away; they managed two takeaways last week and will need to find a way to force at least that many if they want to pull off the improbable upset. 

2. DISCIPLINE: Taylor is just as effective as a runner or a passer. When he scrambles, Duke's defenders must stay disciplined to prevent big plays on the ground or through the air. On special teams, kick coverage will also have to be at its best to avoid giving up easy scores. Missed assignments in any phase of the game will doom the Blue Devils this week. 

3. CONFIDENCE: Duke has to get the ball to its playmakers, most notably sophomore WR Conner Vernon. His confidence is infectious for this young team, and can really open things up for the offense. Duke's young running backs, led by Desmond Scott, will need to run with purpose and consistently find positive yardage to take pressure off the passing game. Across the board, the Blue Devils will have to stay positive in a hostile environment Saturday. 

BDN Prediction

The numbers seem stacked against the Blue Devils this weekend. Duke looks to reverse a 5-game losing streak, while Virginia Tech looks to extend a 5-game winning streak and a 9-game winning streak against Duke. Since opening 0-2, the Hokies are averaging over 41 points per game with an average margin of victory of over 3 touchdowns. Last week, Taylor showed what he can do against an inexperienced and undisciplined defense, putting up 49 points in the first half alone. To compete with Virginia Tech, Duke simply cannot turn the ball over. To pull off the upset, the Blue Devils will have to play flawless in all phases of the game.  

VT 42

Duke 17

 

Duke Football

BDN’s Virginia Tech Q&A Preview with Gobbler Country

Sean Renfree hopes to get back on track against the Hokies - Lance Images/BDN

In preparation for this weekend’s matchup in Blacksburg, BDN exchanged a Q&A with the folks at Gobbler Country. Our responses can be viewed over at their website. Riding a 5-game winning streak, the Hokies’ are confident heading into Saturday. The Blue Devils will have a great challenge and opportunity in Lane Stadium.

BDN: Heading into the week 1 matchup with Boise State, expectations were obviously high for the Hokies, but they ended up starting the season 0-2. With the recent losses at the top of the BCS, how disappointed are Virginia Tech fans? With Taylor graduating, was this a missed opportunity?

GC: I'm not sure if disappointed is the right word. For a lot of fans, there was a meltdown of epic proportions after the loss to JMU. Me, I just drank (and drank, and drank, and drank ...) but at the end of the day, there was still the chance to win the ACC if they got their act together.

And that was the expectation all along for me. I figured our best case scenario was winning the ACC and anything else would just be icing. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it was a missed opportunity because I didn't think the defense would be good enough at the start of the season for us to actually go unbeaten and have a shot at the title.

I'm definitely not among the fans who feel like every year is National Title or Bust. But eventually, I'd like to see us at least be in the discussion in November. But with the way we tend to play in September that will never happen.

BDN: What, in your opinion, went wrong in weeks 1 and 2, and what has been the difference in the current 5-game winning streak?

GC: The defense was young and missed tackles and assignments and the offensive line was terrible. Both sides of the ball have gotten their act together, especially the offensive line. You look at how it played in those first four games compared to the last three and it's completely night and day. On defense, we've had some younger guys start to make plays like Bruce Taylor at mike linebacker and Antone Exum in the secondary. They're still young and giving up big plays, but more often than not they make the play they're supposed to make.

BDN: It sounds like Ryan Williams will be back this week. How do you expect that to affect the offense, which seems to be hitting its stride?

GC: It looks like he'll only be in for a couple of series, and I imagine he'll get around five carries. I really don't know what to expect. When he was in there, the offensive line wasn't opening holes and he was getting bottled up in the backfield. I like to think that he'll be able to fit right in and eventually get back to his 2009 form, but I fear that we'll try to rely on him too much when he gets back to 100 percent.

BDN: Duke has played Virginia Tech tough the past two years. Why do you think that is, and do you expect that to continue this year with what you've seen of both teams in 2010?

GC: If Thad Lewis had played in 2008, there's a good chance you guys would have beaten us. We were awful on offense that game and couldn't stop turning the ball over. The last two years Duke has tried to take away Virginia Tech's run game and was especially effective last season. However, Tyrod Taylor was able to burn them last year. What killed Duke a season ago was the inability to finish drives in the red zone. The Devils settled for field goals while the Hokies scored touchdowns.

This year, I really expect the Hokies to come out and dominate. Duke had some talent on defense last year, but it just isn't there this season. Hopefully they'll be able to put up big points like they did last week against Wake Forest and at the same time not give up the big plays that plagued them last week against Wake and last year against the Devils.

BDN: I don't know that Virginia Tech needs anyone off the Duke roster to significantly improve their chance of winning this one game, so I'll ask you a slightly different question. If you could draft a player or two from Duke's roster to have for future games and seasons, who would you choose and why?

GC: I'm going to cheat and take David Cutcliffe to be our quarterbacks coach. No offense to Mike O'Cain, but he hasn't exactly produced any Peyton Mannings in his time in Blacksburg. Tyrod Taylor has steadily improved his passing abilities, but I can only imagine what having a guy like Cutcliffe around could do for him. Heck, Cut could have probably made Sean Glennon All-ACC.