Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke throttles N.C. State 49-28 behind Thaddeus Lewis’s five touchdown passes

Lewis scored on this run and threw for five touchdowns - BDN Photo
Lewis scored on this run and threw for five touchdowns - BDN Photo

The Blue Devil faithful are all smiles tonight for the David Cutcliffe era just got a signature win and it will not be the last.  Duke defeated N.C. State 49-28, outscoring the Pack 28-7 in the second half.  "I imagine I'll have a ball somewhere in my office commemorating this win," said Cutcliffe.

Thaddeus Lewis had the game of his career throwing for 459 yards on an amazing 40 of 50 passing which translated into 5 touchdowns.  The Devils shredded the Wolfpack secondary while their defense made half time adjustments.  "We didn't want to play not to lose," said Cutcliffe and Duke didn't for they remained aggressive and took the victory which send them into a two week break 3-3.

"You have to give Duke credit.  Their passing game is very sophisticated and they have a guy at quarterback [Thaddeus Lewis] that can handle that offense.  We had all kinds of trouble covering those guys," said N.C. State head coach Tom O'Brien.

One might think they were watching the famous Virginia Tech special teams tonight, for Duke recovered two punts for touchdowns.  In short, Duke played well in all aspects of the game.

The Devils also converted 13 of 19 third down attempts and they were an amazing 6 of 7 in the red zone.  If you want more proof that the Duke offense is grasping the system, ten different players caught passes.

Of those ten, Donovan Varner had 7 grabs for 154 yards and Conner Vernon is making a case for freshman All American hauling in 10 catches for 86 yards and a score.

The Devils defense held the explosive Russell Wilson to 172 yards and a touchdown, adjusting their sets after he started the game 8 for 8.

"To fight for four quarters as well as we did tonight, I'm just proud of our guys," said Cutcliffe, who continued, "Our offensive line and receiving core was marvelous.  Overall, just an excellent display of team football."

The Blue Devil Nation will be bringing you audio from Thaddeus Lewis and others, so be sure to check back in as we help Duke Football celebrate a huge victory.  We also have an amazing photo gallery on the way.

Blue Devils set to visit N.C. State to renew a long time rivalry

Cutcliffe leads his Blue Devils into Raleigh hoping to garner their first ACC win of the season
Cutcliffe leads his Blue Devils into Raleigh hoping to garner their first ACC win of the season

Duke will look to build on their four quarters of competing against the defending ACC Champions when they take to the field on a nationally televised game via ESPNU against N.C. State this Saturday.  The Blue Devils can ill afford any kind of let down against what is sure to be a Wolfpack team seeking to avenge a loss against Wake Forest.

While many in the media seem to have been phishing for bulletin board material asking if Duke felt they could pass on the Pack, it is important to keep in mind that N.C. State is still atop the conference in offensive production.  Much of that has to do with Russell Wilson, one of the leagues top play-makers from his quarterback position.

Wilson is almost unorthodox in his play where he seems to shift his thoughts on a dime.  Duke will attempt to mix up it's defensive looks in an effort to slow down the team which tagged Pitt for 38 points and Garner Webb for 60 plus.  That task will be hampered by the absence of Duke's second best linebacker Abraham Kromah.

This means that Duke's youth on defense will be tested at the  linebacker spots and in the secondary.  It'll be key for the secondary to get proper reads for one mistake could mean a quick score.  "Wilson is going to get his, we just have to cut down on some of the big plays," said Duke coach David Cutcliffe earlier this week.

Cutcliffe also pointed towards the N.C. State defensive front calling them better than Virginia Tech and the best in the league.  This is certainly an area for concern in that Duke has been inconsistent and looking for guys to step up on the offensive front.  This match up alone is a big reason Duke is now a 16.5 point underdog going into the game.

One thing which could offset that would be for Duke to take advantage of red zone opportunities.  While Will Snyderwine took over kicking duties connecting on 4 of 4 field goals this past week, Duke needs to turn at least half of those into scores to upset the 3-2 Wolfpack.

In the past, these two teams have played very entertaining games and Duke holds the series lead, but there is no secret that a lot of fans cannot remember Duke's last victory in that they have lost fifteen straight.  In fact, the Blue Devils are seeking a breakthrough ACC win and that's the only progress that really counts in the long run.

It will be interesting to see if Duke can continue the conferences leading passing attack against a team letting up a league low in total yardage on defense.  The game will be televised on ESPNU at 4:00.