Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Football

Okay Duke fans, it’s time to turn out in force and wear your royal blue with pride

DURHAM - If you are out and about in the Durham area today, you can already see those Bama flags with that curious elephant on them flap about on out town cars.  The invasion of Bama faithful is on as the nations number one team has even the most casual fans excited about what is turning into an event unlike any other seen in these parts for some time.

N.C. State and North Carolina are just mere miles from the Duke campus but in Tuscaloosa, the Tide is the only game in town and state with the exception of their rival, the Auburn Tigers.  Duke Coach David Cutcliffe warned of the invasion during his weekly press conference and it's as if he knew exactly what to expect.  He mentioned that the visiting fans would be walking around the campus and stadium to check it out and sure enough after leaving Coach K's Thursday press conference, there they were strolling around campus on two full days before the game kicks off.

But the Tide fans weren't the only curious ones.  Duke fans came by to see the erected bleachers which transform Wallace Wade Stadium into something much different than some are used to.  In the open end of the stadium there is a huge section of bleacher brought in from the games hype.  Across the top, there are three other sections on each side.

All photo copyright BDN

There is even a smaller section in the closed in of the stadium which is reserved for a ton of Duke Football prospects, coaches and others affiliated with the program in some way.  The word is concessions are stocking up as if  two games being played but let us warn you that going to get your soda's and such could cause you to miss big portions of the game so plan accordingly.

Another suggestion is to leave as if this was a 1:00 game for traffic will be at an all time high and confusion will reign as the invading horde tries to find their way around.    In short, there is no trial run for the circus, but that is half the fun for unless you are there you cannot witness what is sure to be a sight for the local fans.

This is the game where Duke fans should all wear their royal blue with pride and cheer like they never have before and back the team and program no matter how the game progresses on the field.  This team deserves that support for they are young.  Coach Cutcliife deserves this for he is truly turning the once moribund program around.  The Administration deserves this for they allowed this game to remain in Durham instead of selling out for short term bucks.

Get out there and tailgate folks!  Go to the Chapel and or line the way as the Blue Devils march through two hours before game time on their way to Wade.  Simply get out there and enjoy the atmosphere of big time college football and learn from the experience.  And when you leave you will not only say, "I was there," but you will take away a unique experience and a part of the process of growing the program to where they desire to be.

Duke Senior TE's Huffman and King BDN Photo, may not be used without prior permission

Alabama is good.  Heck, they are real good, awesome if you will.  You can almost see Godzilla mving in from tree tops afar.  As solid as they are though, too much local focus has been on them instead of our own.  When you are watching the game, keep in mind that the vast majority of these Devils will return next season and that a solid quarterback in Sean Renfree is just beginning his career.

Very few people expect Duke to win but that's okay for sometimes you can actually win a bit in a loss.  This may be the case for Duke in that they can measure themselves against future NFL starters and carry any positives over into the rest of the season.  They will see the highest level of football and can take away gains from the experience.

And for gosh sakes, cheer them on even in the toughest moments.  Be heard on third down plays despite what may have happened in the previous possession for just one stop can lead to good things.  It will seem like a Alabama North game to many but this is still our house and our turf.  Let's not roll over and concede without a fight both in the stands and on the field.

Your team needs you.  Cheer loud, cheer often and wear your Duke Blue and if you are on the fence about going, if you don't you can never say, "I was there when the nations best team came to town and the place was packed."  Don't fret the worries about a ticket if you don't have any, just go and things will work out.  This is a call to arms for Duke fans from BDN.  Don't let "your" Blue Devils down.

The spirit of Wallace Wade will be roaming about, but will you?  Bring the spirit!

Duke Football

Preview: Duke Blue Devils vs Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) roll into Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday, for a showdown with the Duke Blue Devils (1-1), in a contest that has everyone associated with Duke football giddy with anticipation. Alabama is the number one team in the nation and the winner of 16 straight games. The odds makers have the Crimson Tide as a 23 point favorite. The game will be televised by ABC Sports and will also be available on ESPN3 with kick-off scheduled for 3:30 pm EDT.

Blue Devil Nation is urging all Blue Devil fans in the area to show up and support the team on Saturday afternoon. Alabama has a dedicated traveling fan base and a sea of red will be present in Durham so the Duke faithful need to counter with a Blue Out in support of our Blue Devils. Duke has installed temporary bleachers behind the open end zone and in various locations along the concourse so break out your blue and head over to Wallace Wade Stadium for a fun filled afternoon of college football.

Duke in Week 2

Duke suffered a disappointing 54-48 defeat at the hands of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons last Saturday. Turnovers and big plays plagued the Blue Devils on a rainy afternoon in Winston-Salem. A fumbled snap on a punt and three intercepted passes resulted in 21 points for Wake Forest which was too much for Duke to overcome.

Duke is ranked number six in the nation in passing offense and number nine in total offense. Wide receivers Conner Vernon, Donovan Varner and Austin Kelly are the headliners in a deep and talented receiving corps. The three have combined to catch 44 passes for 584 yards in Duke’s first two games.

Running back Desmond Scott is averaging 99.5 yards rushing per game, which is tops in the ACC.

Alabama in Week 2

Alabama is coming off a dominating performance in a 24-3 drubbing of the Penn State Nittany Lions, after beating San Jose State 48-3 in their season opener. Alabama has not allowed an opponent to score a touchdown so far this young season, which is why they possess the number one ranked scoring defense in the nation.

Against Penn State, Alabama rolled up 409 yards of total offense with running back Trent Richardson carrying the ball 22 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Greg McElroy added 229 passing yards including two touchdowns. McElroy has the fifth highest quarterback rating in the nation at 191.12.

The Crimson Tide offense will receive an extra boost with the return to action of 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram who sat out the first two games recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He is currently listed as day-to-day, but is expected to play on Saturday. Ingram rushed for 1658 yards last season.

Analysis

Duke cannot turn the ball over! Alabama’s potent offense can grind out possessions with Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram running the ball behind their big physical offensive line so providing Alabama with extra possessions by turning the ball over would be fatal.

The offense must play to their full potential by executing the game plan on every possession. Saturday is one game day the offense needs to be flawless. It will be imperative Duke convert third downs into first downs in order to sustain drives and allow their defense to stay off the field. Keeping Alabama’s offense off the field by dominating time of possession is an effective defense.

To dominate time of possession, Duke must run the ball at times. Desmond Scott is averaging 99.5 yards rushing per game and has broken two long runs for touchdowns: 63 yards against Wake Forest and 34 yards against Elon. True freshman Josh Snead has not broken a run into the secondary yet, however, with his speed he will surely break free for a couple of long gainers before the year is out.

Taking advantage of Alabama over pursuing on defense with designed cutback runs and misdirection plays will force the Crimson Tide to address our threat to run and open up the passing game for Sean Renfree to throw the ball to wide receivers Conner Vernon, Donovan Varner, Austin Kelly, and tight ends Brett Huffman, Brandon King and Cooper Helfet.

On defense, Duke must contain the Alabama running game and force McElroy to beat the Blue Devils by throwing the ball. McElroy has a quarterback rating of 191.12; however, he has only thrown the ball 40 times this season, which is less than half Sean Renfree’s 83 attempts. Forcing the outcome of the game onto McElroy’s ability to successfully throw the ball down the field gives Duke an advantage.

Just like Duke cannot afford to give Alabama’s offense extra possessions, Alabama cannot afford to give Duke’s potent passing attack extra opportunities to score points, so a turnover or two would benefit the Blue Devils tremendously. Duke is averaging two interceptions per game and if the secondary can come up big on Saturday it would go a long way toward Duke containing Alabama’s offense.

Duke will need their special teams to be special. With good kicking and kick coverage, Duke can force Alabama to play the full length of the field. The opposite is equally true. Duke must excel on kick and punt returns to shorten the field for the offense. If Duke allows Alabama to play on a short field, it will increase the difficulty of containing the Crimson Tide offense.

In summary, Duke must commit no turnovers, convert on third down, control the clock by sustaining drives, run the ball enough to keep Alabama’s defense honest, focus on containing the Alabama running game, force Alabama to make mistakes, and be special on special teams.

BDN Prediction

This is a golden opportunity for Duke football to show the entire nation it is ready to return to the big stage under Coach David Cutcliffe. The Blue Devils will move the ball and score points on the Crimson Tide but, in the end, Alabama will prove too talented and deep for Duke to handle. The BDN staff consensus pick is Alabama 51, Duke 22 in a game which will send a warning shot across the bow of future Duke opponents. Duke may come up short in this game but the Blue Devils will prove they are a team that can move the ball and score points against any defense in the country, and when a team can score points they are always a dangerous adversary.

Duke Football

Duke TE Cooper Helfet wants the ball in his hands

Cooper Helfet took the time to strike a pose for Blue Devil Nation on Photo Day - Rick Crank, BDN Photo
DURHAM - It didn't take long for Cooper Helfet to prove Coach David Cutcliffe right when he was labeled a playmaker.  During yesterdays press conference, Cutcliffe stated that playmakers are guys who want the ball and the brash and confident Helfet fits that mold.  BDN took time to chat with the Duke tight end and here is what he had to say via BDN Audio -

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Duke Football

Duke DB Matt Daniels prepares for the Alabama Crimson Tide

Duke DB Matt Daniels strikes a pose for BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. - As Durham prepares for an invasion of Crimson clad Alabama fans, the Duke Football team met with the media today.  BDN caught up to defensive back Matt Daniels and he discussed the opportunity that playing the countries top rated team afforded the Blue Devils.

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Duke Football

Taking a look at early season statistics

Two weeks into the 2010 season, with the Blue Devils off to a 1-1 start with a 41-27 victory at home over Elon in the opening game, and a 54-48 loss to Wake Forest on the road, it is appropriate to take a look at statistical rankings for answers to a couple of basic questions. In which areas is Duke being successful? In which areas does Duke need to show improvement?

All statistical rankings quoted throughout this article are from www.theacc.com and www.ncaa.com.

In which areas is Duke being successful?

1. Total offense: In the first two games of the season, Duke has demonstrated a potent offensive attack racking up 514.5 yards per game, which is number one in the ACC and number nine out of 120 teams in the NCAA. Duke is number two in the ACC and number six in the NCAA in passing offense (354 yards per game) and number three in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA in scoring offense (44.5 points per game).

2. Time of possession: at 32:10 per game, Duke is number three in the ACC and number 31 in the NCAA. With an effective offense, led by talented sophomore Sean Renfree, and questionable depth along the defensive line, Duke is a team which needs to have its offense on the field more than its defense. The time of possession statistic will be a critical indicator of Duke’s ability to be fresh in the 4th Quarter of ball games, and being fresh in the 4th Quarter will set Duke up to finish games strong.

3. Third down conversions: the offense needs to keep drives alive in order to score points and keep the opponents defense on the field. Duke is number one in the ACC with a 55.2 percent success rate (16 of 29) on third down.

4. Red zone offense: taking advantage of scoring opportunities is vital to success. Duke currently sits tied with Wake Forest at number one in the ACC and tied at number one in the NCAA (with 34 teams) with 100 percent success in the red zone. Duke has had the ball in the red zone 10 times scoring seven touchdowns and three field goals.

5. First downs: Duke is number one in the ACC and number five nationally with 54 first downs. The Blue Devils have passed for 34, rushed for 15, and had five awarded by penalty.

In which areas does Duke need to show improvement?

1. Total defense: Duke is number 12 in the ACC and number 105 in the NCAA allowing 453 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 177 yards on the ground and 276 through the air on Duke’s defense. The defense must toughen up and slow down future opponent’s offenses to increase the Blue Devils opportunity to win the football game.

2. Scoring defense: When you score 48 points in a game and lose it is obvious your defense didn’t slow down the opponent’s ability to put points on the scoreboard. Duke is number 12 in the ACC and number 114 in the NCAA giving up 40.5 points per game. The number 11 ranked team in the ACC, Wake Forest, is 10 points better than Duke at 30.5 points per game. Duke must reduce the number of points they are allowing.

3. Opponent first downs: Again Duke is number 12 in the ACC having given up 48 first downs to their first two opponents. Those numbers equate to a NCAA ranking of 108.

4. Red zone defense: Duke’s first two opponents have ventured into the red zone six times and scored six times, five touchdowns and a field goal.

5. Turnover margin: Duke’s plus/minus on turnovers is zero. However, with the challenges the Blue Devils face stopping opponent’s offenses, this number needs to be significantly positive. Wake Forest capitalized on Duke turnovers by scoring 21 points, while Duke did not convert the Demon Deacon’s turnovers into points.

Moving on to individual performances, there are three Blue Devils with noteworthy national rankings.

1. Sean Renfree: Passing yards – number two in the ACC and number four in the NCAA with 354 yards per game. Passing efficiency - number one in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA with a QB rating of 159.4.

Renfree is off to an All-America quality start to the season. He is a very talented quarterback with a bright future.

2. Conner Vernon: Receiving yards per game - number two in both the ACC and NCAA with 155 yards per game. Receptions per game - number one in the ACC and tied for number four in the NCAA with nine receptions per game.

Like Renfree, Vernon is off to an All-America quality start to the season. Watching Sean Renfree throw the ball to Conner Vernon is going to provide Duke fans with much pleasure this season.

3. Desmond Scott: All-purpose yards - number two in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA with 166.5 yards per game. Rushing yards - number one in the ACC and number 36 in the NCAA with 99.5 yards per game. Desmond Scott’s speed and strength provide Duke with an opportunity to maintain a semblance of balance on offense. Scott’s rushing yards per game could be the single most important offensive statistic for Duke football in 2010.

Duke’s rankings in these and other statistical categories will certainly fluctuate throughout the season so be sure and check back with Blue Devil Nation as we will update this article on a weekly basis to track the Blue Devils team and individual performances during the 2010 football season.

Duke Football

Cutcliffe recaps the Wake game and talks Alabama

Two hours prior to each home game Coach Cut and his team walk from the Chapel to Wallace Wade Stadium which is called the Blue Devils Walk. It would be great time to get to the game early and support the team as the cheerleaders, band and fans line up to show their support. BDN Photo

DURHAM - BDN brings you the call in show from Sunday with Duke Coach David Cutlciffe in its entirety.  Coach talks a bit about the Wake Forest game but more about this weeks big match up with the number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.  Check out his comments which go on for thirty minutes via BDN Audio and bookmark Blue Devil Nation for the best football coverage on the web. 

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Side Note - We had some technical issues with player interviews after the Duke-Wake Forest game and were unable to save them, thus the lack of post game player interviews this week.  We'll be covering the Bama at Duke happenings all week long and into gameday, so sign up for BDN Twitter and we'll send you updates as they happen.  You can also send your game predictions for this weekends game through twitter and the closest pick to the actual score wins a one month premium membership trial run.