Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Football

Are you ready for some football? Questions answered –

"Are you ready for some football?"  Those were the first words heard when Coach David Cutcliffe addressed the media to open last season.  A few months later, Duke finished with four wins which tied the total of victories from the prior four years combined.  They were competative and improved and it was indeed the start of the dawn of a new day.

If you think it's been quiet around the football offices in the Yoh Center you are right.  That's because the staff has been out in force on the recruiting trail and they're literally recruiting as I type.  But when in thier offices, they are already working hard and preparing for the 2009 season.

This past weekend, the program celebrated the past during the Annual Football Banquet where Michael Tauliliili won the MVP award the same day he won that same award in the East-West Shrine Bowl All Star game.

While Duke may have celebrated the past, the future was very much on the staffs mind.  Duke welcomed four incoming prospects for their official visits and had a top recruit in town to check out the campus and meet with the coaches.

You already know of the four freshman that enrolled for the spring semester and if you don't go to our archives.  What you may not realize is that the four will be counted in with last seasons class which consisted of 17 players.  That means Duke has created some openings.  At this time, Duke has 26 verbals.

Here are the answers to some burning question and a run down of the very latest happenings around the football program for fans of the Blue Devil Nation -

Who visited this weekend?

Taylor Sowell (6-0, 174, Dorman, S.C.) projects as a cornerback and he happens to be a high school teammate of South Carolina Shrine Bowl MVP, Walt Canty (5-10, 165) who also plays in the secondary.

Also, in town was Desmond Scott, a local player who attended Durham Hillside.  Scott is a 5-9, 177 running back.  Scott was joined by August Campbell, a 6-2 190 player who plays for Christ School in Arden, N.C.  Campbell projects in the secondary as well.

Who was the top prospect that visited?

That would be Mike Marry, a 6-3, 220 middle linebacker/tight end.  Duke has had their in homes with the prospect and he was on campus this past weekend.  He speaks highly of Duke defensive coordinator Mike McIntyre and many feel it will come down to Mississippi or Duke.

When is the Annual Duke Football Spring Game slated?

The game will take place on April the 18th at 1:30.  Be there!

Is the team working out?

Harder than ever.  The team lifts weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday and they run on Tuesday and Thursday.

Will our staff return intact?

At this time it certainly looks as if Duke will retain the entire staff, but there were overtures made with no less than five of the coaches.

Any additions to the staff?

James Mitchell from Tennessee joins the staff and he comes highly regarded.   He even has a championship ring from Coach Pat Summitt from his work in Knoxville.  In fact he worked with the football and basketball programs in Knoxville.   He will have many duties and we'll share those with you in an article which is coming soon.

What about stadium improvements?

Duke is addressing the bathroom situation and one concession stand for next season.  The next phase will be improvements to the Yoh Center and practice facilities then they'll goback to Wallace Wade.

Is the roster out yet?

Yes it is out at GoDuke.com.

How did the awards banquet go?

Here you go!

Will there be position changes?

You betcha.  They are being discussed by the staff.

Is the schedule out?

Not at this time.  There are three ACC teams that are still seeking a 12th game and once that is resolved, the ACC will make the announcement.

I'm a high school football player and I want to go to the Duke Football Spring Clinic, when is it?

It will be held on March 26 and 27.  Give the football office a call and they'll give you all the details.

Do you know the dates for the Duke Football Camp?

Yep!  The camp will be held on successive weekends June 13 and June 20th.  Again, contact the football office for details.

Is the twelfth game set?

It will almost certainly be North Carolina Central which will be a first for the Durham community.  Look for them to come in the fourth game of the season.  Duke will use this as an opportunity to reach out to Durham and the surrounding community.

What are we playing two division 2 opponents?

Some are making this out to be unusual, but if you take a look at Clemson, Florida State and Maryland's schedule this past season, there is two and this trend will continue.

Why can't we play a division one school?

Several reasons, mainly finding someone who is available.  Then there is the going asking rate of up to $900,000 for an opponent and in this current economy the numbers tell the tale.

Will have a coke with Coach Cut return?

Yes it will.  The Duke staff is hard at work to identify new opportunities to get fans interested as well.  Blue Devils Night will also return.

What have they learned from last season?

Funny you should ask, because they are addressing what worked and what didn't with concerns to game day experiences and promotions.   There will be a refined game day experience and the Blue Devil Walk will return.  The staff will make an effort to get more students to the games and fans in general.  Duke prefers to play games between 3:30 and 7:00 when at home for studies show they are better attended than noon starts which are sometimes necessary due to T.V.  They recognize that the student tailgate gets up to 1200 attendees and that many don't make it over to the game.  They will work on the rest of the student body in the coming year.

Is Cutcliffe here to stay?

Well, he signed a contract extension and he is determined to build Duke into a solid football program.

What are the four F's that so many within the program speak of?

That would be faith, family, future and football.

When will season tickets go on sale?

Good question.  I'll work on that one.  Duke sold more tickets last season than ever before.  Check back soon on this one and more off season news.

Duke Football

Tauiliili Wins Defensive MVP honors in Shrine Bowl and Team MVP at Duke Football Banquet

DURHAM, N.C. — Senior All-America linebacker Michael Tauiliili was named the recipient of the Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award at Duke University’s annual football banquet held on Saturday evening in Durham, N.C.
 
Tauiliili, a native of Houston, Texas, led Duke in tackles (140), interceptions (4), pass breakups (5), quarterback pressures (5) and caused fumbles (3). His 140 stops led the ACC and matched the eighth highest single-season total in school history. He added 13.0 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery and received All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation (2nd team), Associated Press (3rd team) and Sports Illustrated (Honorable Mention).
 
A First Team All-ACC selection, Tauiliili finished third in the league’s Defensive Player of the Year voting after captaining a Duke defense that held three opponents to less than 10 points for the first time since 1976. He also received a Captain’s Award, the Iron Devil Award for most snaps played and the Outstanding Linebacker Award.
 
Other honorees included Greg Akinbiyi (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Defensive Lineman), Re’quan Boyette (Captain’s Award), Cameron Goldberg(Captain’s Award & Outstanding Offensive Lineman), Abraham Kromah (Outstanding Special Teams Player), Thaddeus Lewis (Outstanding Offensive Back), Vince Oghobaase (Ace Parker Award), Eriks Reks (Mike Suglia Award), Vincent Rey (Captain’s Award), Eron Riley (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Receiver), Tielor Robinson (Captain’s Award), Glenn Williams (Captain’s Award & Outstanding Defensive Back) and Ryan Wood (Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award).
 
Akinbiyi, a senior defensive end from Miami, Fla., finished the season with 55 tackles while leading the Blue Devils in both tackles for loss (14.5) and quarterback sacks (6.0).
 
Boyette, a senior running back from Wilson, N.C., missed the entire 2008 campaign while recovering from knee surgery. He will return for his fifth season of eligibility in 2009.
 
Goldberg, a senior offensive tackle from Lutherville, Md., started all 12 games for the Blue Devils in 2008 and was a primary reason Duke allowed 23 fewer sacks than the previous season. Goldberg finished his career with 35 starts along the Duke offensive front.
 
Kromah, a sophomore linebacker from Staten Island, N.Y., closed the year with 13 tackles and one blocked punt.
 
Lewis, a junior quarterback from Opa-Locka, Fla., earned Second Team All-ACC accolades after completing 224-of-361 passes for 2,171 yards and 15 touchdowns.
 
Oghobaase, a junior defensive tackle from Houston Texas, was awarded the Ace Parker Award which is presented annually to an individual who displays unparalleled commitment to the team and overcomes adversity to contribute. Parker, one of 11 former Duke players and coaches to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame, was a two-time All-America pick in 1935 and 1936. Following his successful NFL career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. Parker later served as an assistant coach at Duke from 1947-65. An honorable mention All-ACC selection, Oghobaase posted 51 tackles in 2008 along with nine tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks and five quarterback pressures.
 
Reks, a sophomore defensive end from Wrentham, Mass., received the Mike Suglia Award which is presented annually to the second-year member of the Duke football program who best exemplifies the qualities of the late Mike Suglia. Suglia was an offensive lineman at Duke in 1976-77 who died suddenly during the spring of his sophomore year. He was an excellent student, an outstanding football player, and, most importantly, a young man of the highest integrity.
 
Rey, a junior linebacker from Far Rockaway, N.Y., finished second on the team behind Tauiliili with 109 total tackles. He added 15.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and two fumble returns for touchdowns on the year.
 
Riley, a senior wide receiver from Savannah, Ga., caught 61 passes for 693 yards and eight touchdowns en route to earning second team all-league honors.
 
Robinson, a senior tight end from Greenwich, Conn., had 16 pass receptions for 97 yards on the year while rushing for two touchdowns on six attempts.
 
Williams, a senior defensive back from Baltimore, Md., was fourth on the team in tackles with 60 and also contributed three tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, three caused fumbles and one interception.
 
Wood was the recipient of the Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award which is presented annually to the member of the Duke football program who displays the highest teammate qualities such as inspiration, unselfishness and commitment to the team. Micah Harris was tragically killed in an automobile accident in June of 2004, just prior to his senior year at Duke.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke senior linebacker Michael Tauiliili earned Defensive MVP honors of the 84th annual East-West Shrine Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Houston, Texas.
 
Tauiliili, playing in his hometown, registered a game-high 13 tackles while helping the East squad to a 24-19 victory.  The East defense stopped the West three times inside the 10-yard line.  Trailing by five points late in the fourth period, the West squad moved inside the 10 but a fourth down pass by Central Washington's Mike Reilly was incomplete.
 
"It was a great stand for us," said Tauiliili, who also served as a captain for the East squad. "It was a great atmosphere playing with the best of the best."
 
Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky earned Offensive MVP honors after rushing for 68 yards and one touchdown.
 
Tauiliili becomes the second Duke player to garner Defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Bowl as former Blue Devil safety Alex Green received the award in 2005.

Duke Football

Tauiliili will play in the Shrine Game

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke All-America linebacker Michael Tauiliili will participate in the 84th annual East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, January 17 in his hometown of Houston, Texas.  The game, which will be played at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium, will kick off at 2 p.m. (ET) and be televised live on ESPN2.
 
Tauiliili will play for the East squad under former Georgia Tech and Maryland head coach Bobby Ross.  Former Alabama head coach Gene Stallings will coach the West team.  Tauiliili is one of eight players from the ACC to participate in the contest, joining linebacker Robert Francois of Boston College, kicker Graham Gano of Florida State, wide receiver Aaron Kelly of Clemson, defensive lineman Orion Martin of Virginia Tech, defensive lineman Darryl Richard of Georgia Tech, offensive lineman Jaimie Thomas of Maryland and offensive lineman Edwin Williams of Maryland.
 
In 2008, Tauiliili led Duke in tackles (140), interceptions (4), pass breakups (5), quarterback pressures (5) and caused fumbles (3).  His 140 stops led the ACC and matched the eighth-highest single-season total in school history.  He added 13.0 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery and was a primary reason that Duke made significant improvement in scoring defense (-9.8), total defense (-67.4), rushing defense (-28.7) and passing defense (-38.7) while facing the second-most difficult schedule in the nation -- a ledger that included 10 bowl eligible teams and the top-ranked FCS squad in James Madison.
 
Tauiliili received All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation (2nd team), Associated Press (3rd team) and Sports Illustrated (Honorable Mention).
 
A First Team All-ACC selection this past season, Tauiliili finished third in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting after captaining a Duke defense that held three opponents to less than 10 points for the first time since 1976.  He is the only linebacker in the ACC to rank among the league's top 10 players in four defensive statistical categories.
 
Tauiliili played 46 career games at Duke and finished with 434 tackles, 46.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 quarterback sacks, seven interceptions and eight pass breakups.  On Duke's career charts, he ranks fourth in tackles and third in tackles for loss.
 
Tauiliili becomes the 34th player to represent Duke in the annual event, joining Elmore Hackney (1937), Ace Parker (1937), George McAfee (1939), Willard Perdue (1939), Tony Ruffa (1940), Ernest Beamer (1943), Al DeRogatis (1948), Bob Pascal (1955), Sonny Sorrell (1955), Wray Carlton (1958), Mike McGee (1959), Jack Wilson (1961), Jay Wilkinson (1963), Mike Murphy (1967), Wes Chesson (1970), Leo Hart (1970), Steve Jones (1972), Ed Newman (1972), Dave Meier (1975), Billy Bryan (1976), Mike Sandusky (1977), Lyman Smith (1977), Carl McGee (1978), Chris Castor (1982), Phil Ebinger (1983), Mike Junkin (1986), Dave Colonna (1989), Robert Baldwin (1994), Ray Farmer (1995), Tawambi Settles (1997), Ryan Fowler (2003), Drew Strojny (2003) and Alex Green (2005).

Duke Football

Four Freshman Duke Gridders Enroll Early

[private]The average senior in high school usually finishes out the year by going to the beach and such with their classmates once they graduate.  A few others have a unique focus and take education very seriously and they have enough credits to graduate early.   You don't see this as often with kids who have signed to play major college football, but Duke welcomes four new faces to campus for the spring semester.

Four members of Coach David Cutcliffes 2009 recruiting class - Kevin Rojas, Ryan Hall, Sydney Sarmiento and Zach Greene are already on campus and adjusting to the environment early on.

Ryan Hall is a 6-3, 230 pound tight end who played his high school football at Olympic in Orlando, Florida.  Hall is considered one of the top players at his position, one which was depth shy last season for the Blue Devils.

Hall is already rooming with another young man in Kevin Rojas, a 6-2 outside linebacker who played his high school ball just down the road from Durham at Wakefield.  Rojas is just one of many in state prospects Duke has had success with under the new staff and he will began the next level of his education just days ago.

Another outstanding in state prospect from neighboring Raleigh will join the group.  That being Zach Greene a kid with the kind of speed that  Duke is currently recruiting.  The 5-10, 170 pound secondary prospect carried a 3.8 GPA which allowed him to enroll and participate in the upcoming spring practices.

The fourth early entry is definitely the largest.  Sydney Sarmiento is a 6-4, 250 pound prospect from West Florence, South Carolina.  Like Greene, he come with a 3.8 GPA in hand and will now start to adjust to being a college student.

All four of the prospects will be working as a group with Duke Strength and Conditioning Coach Noel Durfey.  The incoming 2009 prospects will be Cutcliffe and companies first true recruiting class.[/private]

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Cutcliffe, Tyree Glover, Brian Zoubek and Gerald Henderson

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Cutcliffe is popular on the recruiting trail 

Coach  Cutcliffe  and  the Duke staff landed a jewel in Tyree Glover a 230 pound physical linebacker.  "I like giving the punishment rather than taking it. And just the thrill of the chase," Glover said.  Be sure to read the article and you will see how hard Duke is working on the recruiting trail. Click this link

Here is an excellent article in the Philadelphia Enquirer which talks of the injuires that have slowed Brian Zoubek and Gerald Henderson and how both are reviving their games.  Many fans forget that both of these kids had off season surgery.[/private]

Duke Football

Duke DL Oghobasse will return to Duke Football in 2009

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DURHAM, N.C. -- All-ACC defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase announced on Monday that he will return to Duke for the 2009 football campaign to play his final season of eligibility for the Blue Devils.
 
Oghobaase has fulfilled requirements for his degree in sociology, and will continue his undergraduate studies to pursue a second degree as well as a certificate in markets and

Vince wants another year under Hobby
Vince wants another year under Hobby

management.  Earlier this month, he submitted his name to the NFL draft advisory board and received confidential information regarding his potential status for the upcoming 2009 draft.

 
"I honestly feel there is a time and place for everything, and deep down in my heart I know Duke is where I want to be next year," said Oghobaase.  "When we arrived here, we set some goals both academically and athletically and we have some unfinished business on the field.  We want to continue to turn things around for the program and we have a great foundation for success.  We have some outstanding players returning on both offense and defense and in the kicking game.  We have holes to fill as we lost some great seniors, but the foundation is there.  On the defensive line, we have Ayanga (Okpokowuruk), Wesley (Oglesby), Kinney (Rucker), Charlie (Hatcher), Patrick (Egboh) and Brandon (Harper) all coming back with experience and we will strive to be an exceptional unit.  If we continue to work hard as a team and do everything the coaches ask of us, we can reach our goals of winning games and playing in a bowl game.
 
"I was dissatisfied with receiving honorable mention All-ACC last year," continued Oghobaase.  "I am highly confident with another year of development I can earn first team all-conference, All-America and defensive player of the year honors.  These are very attainable goals.  I know I can develop further under strength Coach (Noel) Durfey and d-line Coach (Marion) Hobby.  I feel another year with them will put me over the top and evolve me into one of the elite defensive tackles in the country.  I accomplished my goal of graduating from Duke, and now I'll concentrate on the markets and management certificate.  That will be just another thing in my pocket I can use after football."
 
Oghobaase will be one of five returning starters on a defensive unit that made significant improvement in scoring defense (-9.8), total defense (-67.4), rushing defense (-28.7) and passing defense (-38.7) while facing the second-most difficult schedule in the nation -- a ledger that included 10 bowl eligible teams and the top-ranked FCS squad in James Madison.
 
"This decision indicates Vince's strong commitment to both his education and our football program," said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.  "I think he probably shocked some people when he chose to come to Duke four years ago, and I think this decision will probably shock some people.  But people need to understand that Vince is a young man of great character who has a tremendous understanding of what is important.  He values faith, family, education, hard work and the desire to be successful.  Choosing a college to attend isn't a four-year decision, it's a forty-year decision, and Vince wants to make sure that his total college experience is the best it could possibly be.  Vince did his homework and reached this decision.
 
"In regards to football, it is without question that we're thrilled to have one of the best defensive tackles in the country returning for his senior season," continued Cutcliffe.  "He'll have an opportunity to earn All-America recognition next year.  Vince will continue to get better under the guidance of Marion Hobby, and I'm confident that he will put himself in a better position for the professional football ranks over the next 16 months."
 
Oghobaase enrolled at Duke in January of 2005 following a prep All-America career at Alief Hastings High School in Houston, Texas.  After redshirting his first season, he has started

Vince wants another season under Hobby
Vince wants another season under Hobby

the past 36 games on the Blue Devil defensive front, amassing 128 tackles, 29.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 quarterback sacks.  His 29.0 career tackles for loss rank 11th on Duke's all-time chart.  Oghobaase has played his best football late in the season, posting 14.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 11 career November games. 

 
This past season, Oghobaase posted 51 stops, 9,0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and five quarterback pressures, ranking 10th in the conference in sacks.  En route to earning honorable mention All-ACC honors, Oghobaase closed the 2008 campaign on a high note by registering 25 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks over the final five games of the year. 

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