Category Archives: Duke Football

Duke Football

Duke Football is still on track

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Duke AD Kevin White and Coach Cutcliffe (BDNP)

Duke lost that second half magic on the road against Georgia Tech this weekend and in the process dropped to 1-1 in the ACC and 3-2 overall.  The defense made enough plays to be in the game, but the offensive execution was the worst it had been all season in a 0-27 loss.

Quite simply, Tech's defensive front manhandled the Blue Devils and a lack of execution in all facets on offense spelled eventual doom.  "You're not going to win if you don't score," said a frustrated David Cutcliffe shortly after the loss.

Cutcliffe said in a Sunday teleconference, that his team had been practicing well, so until he saw them in a game situation on Saturday, he had no idea his team wasn't as prepared as they seemed to be during the week.

So, it's back to the drawing board for the Blue Devils, but before some of you fair weather fans abandon ship, take a few things into consideration.

1) No realistic fan expected Duke to go bowling this season.  Tempered expectations are a must for a team that was quite literally the ACC doormat.  Sure, we are to expect wins, but there will be learning curve and bumps in the road.

2) While the schedule is tough from here on out, you still play those last seven games on the field.  True, Duke might not be favored in more than one game at this time, but they have proved competitive in all but one half this season.

3) These kids are learning a new system and I for one think they have a pretty good grasp of it in a short time, although it can certainly get better.

Now, let's recap the season to date -

James Madison - Duke thwarted a Division II power in the Duke's.  JMU hasn't lost a game since then and currently stand 5-1 with a win over defending champion Appalachian State and chalking up sixty plus to nothing on Hofstra this past weekend.  This was a solid start for the Blue Devils, something fans aren't too accustomed to.

Northwestern - Duke won the game everywhere but the scoreboard.  This was a bitter defeat for victory was in their grasp.  Still, Northwestern entered the coaches top 25 this week at 5-0 and Duke had the better team everywhere but where it counts - the scoreboard.

Navy - Duke rounded the learning curve in this game, never saying die and proving off season conditioning helped immensely.  It was important for Duke to come back with a win after a close loss and they did.  The offense racked up some serious points in the process.  Navy went on to defeat Wake Forest and Air Force on the road and like Northwestern, they almost certainly will go to a bowl.

Virginia  - This 31-3 win snapped the dreaded ACC losing streak.  That would have been a great season by itself in the past several years.  When one takes a closer look at the stats, you can see a trend where the offense started to get out of rhythm, but the defense proved itself a worthy adversary after letting up 31 to Navy.  Virginia then went on to wallop Maryland, showing they aren't so bad after all.

Georgia Tech - Duke was very much in this game in the first half and the defense played well with the exception of a few cover situations.  Duke held down one of the nations top rushing attacks, but couldn't find any points or put together drives to keep the defense rested.  The end result was an ugly goose egg, but this was a game that could have gone down to the wire with a little production.  Georgia Tech, amazingly, is still not ranked after a 4-1 start.

Dukes first five opponents are 20-7 overall to date which isn't bad!

The reason I am going into a lot of this is that I find it interesting that a trip around the message boards have some calling Miami a must win or a disgusted few saying it is doom and gloom and or the same old, same old.  Trust me, it is a good sign that some of you are aching, for it shows a couple of things.  It means that you care enough to where the losses are painful and proves that the sweetness of success is a good taste that makes the losses tougher.

I could say Rome wasn't built in a day, but let's just state the facts.  Duke is playing a lot of young players at skilled positions, yet most teams are able to red shirt these kids.  What this means is that the talent level has a ways to go before we can let the newcomers season and mature like Wake Forest and Vanderbilt and the traditional powers are doing.

Make no mistake though, Duke is moving in that direction, but it is not an overnight patch job.  One of the things which has stuck in my mind was hearing new AD Kevin White say he worried about fan expectations in which he may have had the foresight to see what might develop.   When thirsty fans tasted a couple of wins, they naturally want more.

Just this past week, the New York Times was checking in on Duke Football.  Many media outlets were talking up the Devils as well.  This too, was both good and bad.  It was good in that Coach Cutcliffe has improved a team which many felt was an impossible task.   And he is winning in just one season.  Duke is no longer a team everybody wants for homecoming.

The bad is that Duke is in the process of learning how to win and become a football team and they are not ready for prime time just yet.  They will have to continue to work hard in practice.  But it is more than just on the field improvements which need work, but a plan is in place.

That plan but it will take some time and work.  There will be some occasions, we'll get a butt whooping which generally makes players coaches and administrators want to work harder.  As fans, we must work as well and that job entails being there supporting and growing with this team.

With the administration showing a willingness to improve facilities and change the culture., the team needs continued support.  The staff is already making significant in roads with recruiting as well.  In short there is a foundation which a loss to Georgia Tech or any upcoming opponent cannot derail.

This is a pretty good football team with seniors which will pick them back up and I guarantee you no coaching staff is working harder on or off the field than Cutcliffe and company.

So, temper your expectations a bit, but expect some measure of success for this team can win some football games.  There is no reason for fans not to turn out in force for an attractive remaining home schedule with just three games left.  I know, I will be there when Duke takes on Miami in two weeks and it'll be interesting to see if the team rebounds.

One thing I can tell you  for certain is this team will not quit.

Late note - Another sign of progress is that the Miami at Duke game has been picked up by ESPNU for a 3:30 time slot.  This will be the third nationally televised game in a row.[/private]

Duke Football

Coach Cucliffe Sunday Media Teleconference

[private]Opening statement -

Execution lacked greatly on offense after a decent start.  We just were not able to execute.  It's something I haven't seen in practice this week, so it concerns me.  Something is not correlating and we have to address it quickly.  Defensively we played really well early.  They took the ball down the field some early, but they are going to do that until you get use to the option.   I wish we could get more aggressive offensively and find that flow again.  We'll go to work on it during the open date and try to heal some people.  We have some bumps and bruises, but nobody is out other than Boyette and Lind on the injury chart.

On getting back to execution -

I'm not pleased with any aspect of the crispness of the execution of play.  It wasn't the scheme, it's not what we are choosing, it's just missing here and there.  All it takes is a person missing a block or a throw, not running a route.  It hasn't shown up in practice.  I have to make sure that we are not leaving it on the practice.  So we will start from the ground up and go into every detail with what is happening.  We will do a great evaluation of our players as well as techniques.

Could the loss be a lapse in the teams psych  or getting back to old habits -

It's hard to measure or evaluate whether a team is going back to a frame of mind or a negative reaction to when it gets hard.  The only thing I have ever been able to measure well was the performance in practice and the attitudes there.  Football is a funny thing!  Virginia turned around and beat Maryland 31-0.  Florida State and Miami scored a lot of points.  Both have tremendous defenses and they play a 41-39 game and nobody could have predicted the results of those two games. 

Do you have an answer or tried and true method to rectify some of the mistakes on offense -

If we can just run the ball a little better we can run play action and pass and get the ball down field, but we have been absolutely anemic running the football.  We can go back to our inside drill and you can always just turn the heat up a little bit.  We will do some of that, but can't do tons of it because we can't afford to beat up our team.  We don't have a lot of numbers available so it's kind of an old catch 22.  We're going to find a way to get people running the ball better.

The players reactions since being back -

They'll regroup.  They will be motivated and ready to go back to practice.  I don't think they're frustrated at all.  We just got whipped.  If you go into the arena enough times it happens.  I don't know if I remember one quite as bas as that one, but it does happen.  You use it as a way to challenge yourself.  I hope the team is looking forward to that challenge.  I think they are.

On the off week -

We worked today lifting and running to get through some of the soreness and to get the taste out of your mouth.  They will have tomorrow off and focus on academics.  We will practice Tuesday through Thursday.  I'm going to give them Friday through Sunday off.  I want us to get away from it a bit.  We'll come back Tuesday and have a great deal of work on game week.

On the team so far this year -

I think we've done some really good things.  They have been excited about playing.  Since I have been with them their work habits have improved 200%.  Our freshman and redshirt freshman know other way than how we work and that will grow.  I have seen great progress in so many areas, but we have got so anemic offensively of late you might not see it.  It goes back to eleven people and how they execute.  It's not that difficult to win if you make the play.  We haven't mastered that yet as a team.  That's one of the biggest jobs you have in football is getting a team to perform.

On what he had hoped would be better -

Running the football which is obvious to everybody.  I would like to have been further along there.  Our passing game is good at times, but certainly Saturday wasn't.  If you had asked me if we would be where we are today in January, I would have had a hard time believing we could be 3-2 at this juncture.   It's a credit to how hard they worked.

Has the running game been good in practice -

It's hard to do mid season.  We are running against the scout teams and those kids aren't Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson.  It's hard to simulate that.  People have been driving their blocks, moving their feet - that's been good.  I've got to watch and look at everything.  We are at a point where I have to assess if we are leaving it on the practice field because we are so intense in our practices.  We'll get it and we've got a week to figure it out.  So, it hasn't shown up broken until we were in a ball game.  It's got to be fixed and get fixed quick.  We will not make decisions by indecision.  We will make decisions in order to get better quickly.  We'll crank this thing up and go try to make it work.  I do like the challenge when people say, you are not going to get it done.  I'm a big believer in practicing hard, fast and with precision.  I'm a driver.  Now we have to look at if they can handle that.  That's where I am a little bit right now.[/private]

Duke Football

One on One with OL Fred Roland

[private]How does the win over Virginia feel?

It feels really good.  It's our first ACC win since my freshman year when I didn't really play, so I can't count that as one of my victories.

Coach Cutcliffe said the seniors were really happy in the locker room.  Can  you elaborate on that?

We were really happy.  This is something we've been working for for a long time. A lot of us came back and are glad we have an opportunity to capitalize on that.  Like Coach said, we've got a new tradition.

In the pre season, I was talking to Goldberg and yourself.  At that time you weren't really sure how the weight loss would effect you.  You seemed a bit worried about getting a push off the ball on running plays.  Now that you are four games into the season, can we revisit that?

The deeper we go into the season, I see the weight loss as a positive thing more and more.  We are sustaining a lot longer through the duration of the game.  Actually, it didn't effect me that much.  We work on proper pad level and technique which helps get the job done.

What is being done differently in the locker room at the half which thus far has made the team come out with more intensity?

Not that much has been done differently.  We just go in there and make adjustments, but what has helped the most is that we are able to sustain.

You guys are having a lot of fun this season ...

Yeah, yeah.  Football is always a lot of fun.  It's even better when you win.

What will it be like going up against Georgia Tech?  There a team that will throw a lot at you on defense ... they will blitz a lot ...

Our game plan against Georgia Tech hasn't changed that much at all.  We just have to play our game.  They may be a big physical team on defense, but we are pretty good on offense and we look to establish ourselves.

You get some talking heads that say things like Virginia wasn't that good.  Do you still feel like you have to get another win to prove yourself a little bit or do you feel some sell your opponents short?

Honestly, our biggest competitor is ourselves.  As long as we can prove it to ourselves, that's what matters.  The people who say those things are entitled to their own opinion, but we know what we have to do to get to where we are or where we want to be.  There is always room to improve and grow, but we have definitely gotten better as a team.

I certainly agree with you there.  Has Coach Cutcliffe challenged the seniors?

From the beginning he has told us to step up ... not necessarily with the brunt of the responsibilities to get the team going, but as a senior you are a natural leader.  That's something you have to do.  We've tested by trial and fire.  He told us it is on our shoulders to get players to play at the greatest capacity they can.

*Pictured are the Duke Seniors, BDNP[/private]

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

General Update – Behind the scenes skinny on football and hoops

The Duke staff will take in an open gym for Brandon Knight tomorrow.  [private] They will have a school visit with Kenny Boynton Jr.

I told you in the last update, that Duke will visit all of their prospects as NCAA rules allow.  They have been very pro active and will continue to be.

As mentioned in an older update, Harrison Barnes will be visiting on October 24th.  It was contingent on finances and it has worked out.  This is a very good sign, but it'll be quite a while before he makes a decision.

Prospect Ryan Kelly is visiting UNC.  I'm expecting a decision as early as next week.  The general feeling is that Duke is very much in it, but so are the other teams.

Assistant Coach Nate James went to an open gym for Josh Smith late last weekend.

The Duke Football team has been practicing with crowd noise all week.  They have sent staff members down to Atlanta early to scout out the area.  IOW, they are taking extra precautions to make sure the team is relaxed and gets a good nights sleep.  Eron Riley will suit up despite the injury report and the Devils are expecting both Tech QB's to be ready, being aware of the pre game chess match. [/private]

Duke Football

Georgia Tech preview

[private]Duke heads to Atlanta this weekend for the first road game of the Coach Cutcliffe era. The 3-1 Blue Devils will face a solid 3-1 Georgia Tech team. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a bye week after defeating Mississippi State 38-7 on September 20th. Georgia Tech's 306.8 yards per game on the ground leads the ACC. Coach Paul Johnson is considered the best coach around for the triple option spread offense. Duke's defense must contain the Georgia Tech ground attack for the Blue Devils to have a chance to win.

Coach Paul Johnson has announced that freshman Jaybo Shaw will be the Yellow Jacket's starting Quarterback against Duke due to regular starter Josh Nesbitt being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Nesbitt was injured in the game against Mississippi State resulting in Shaw playing the majority of the game. In this article, from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Johnson states, "If Josh can come back now, he'll be in a reserve [role], and Jaybo will be starting."

In this Durham Herald Sun article, Coach Cutcliffe states, "This is certainly the best team we've played, far and away. We've got to play great in all areas - and I mean great - to have a chance to stay on the field." Duke previously defeated Navy so they are experienced defending the triple option offense. Linebackers Michael Tauiliili and Vincent Rey are currently ranked first and second respectively in the ACC for tackles. They will need to have strong games against the Yellow Jackets.

This News & Observer article addresses the particular concern of Georgia Tech's big play potential. The Yellow Jackets have had 27 plays go for more than 20 yards with nine producing touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets also go for it on fourth down more often than most teams.

On offense, Duke is fueled by Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and his favorite receiver Eron Riley. Lewis is second in the ACC with 218.5 passing yards per game. He has thrown seven touchdown passes with six of them going to Eron Riley. Lewis likes to spread the ball around and freshman Johnny Williams has 18 receptions on the season; sophomores Austin Kelly and Sheldon Bell have 10 each. Duke's offensive line must provide protection so Lewis has time to pass the ball. Georgia Tech is second in the ACC with 11 sacks.

Duke must establish their running game for a couple of big reasons.  First, forcing Gerogia Tech to respect the run will prevent the Yellow Jacket defense from going after Thad Lewis with a big pass rush every play.  Second, Duke needs to maintain possession of the ball in order to keep their defense fresh and able to deal with Georgia Tech's high powered running game.  Freshman Jay Hollingsworth came on strong in the Virginia game rushing for 59 yards on 15 carries.  A similar effort against the Yellow Jackets will be needed in order for the Duke offense to achieve success.

This game will turn on the normal events: controlling the line of scrimmage, turnovers, and big plays. If Duke can survive the first quarter without getting knocked out, the Blue Devils have a chance to still be in the game at the start of the fourth quarter. And if the game is still undecided at the start of the fourth quarter, anything can happen. Duke must start fast, especially on defense, take care of the ball on offense, and create more big plays than they give up to win.[/private]

Duke Football

BDN Exclusive – Interview with Duke LB and National DPOW, Michael Tauilliili

[private]Fresh off his national and ACC player of the week honors, Michael Tauiliili sat down with for an exclusive interview with the Blue Devil Nation.  Tauiliili recorded 16 tackles, forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and grabbed an interception in the red zone versus Virginia.

You had some nice accolades this past weekend.  Did you feel as if you had to take it upon yourself to go in there and disrupt the Virginia offense?

Not really.  I Just wanted to make sure I had my assignments down and we knew they would come in with high intensity looking to get their season back against us.  They have big offensive linemen - their backs are big and I just wanted to prepare for what they would attack us with.  I wanted to be prepared and play physically because you can't be intimidated at all with those kind of guys.  I just wanted to come on the field and hit em in the mouth.

What happened on the interception you made ... what was going through your mind or how did you play it?

Well it was a formation we had seen in practice.  Coach Mac (Intyre) and the LB coach had been teasing me a little bit because we knew this was a formation they went to.  A couple I had missed it early in the week and as soon as they came out - we were in the red zone at the time - I knew exactly where to go, just like Coach Mac said.

I then showed him a play on the computer where he forced a fumble and asked him to describe the play and what happened. (see picture left)

This was a play where there was a fumble recovery.  I guess their was a miscommunication between the QB and center.  There was a blitz called and the center snapped the ball without the rest of the offense being ready.  I continued to come with the blitz and forced him to throw it out.

You forced him to get rid of that ball early ...

(smiling) Yeah.  I was going for the sack, but then I saw him throw it behind him.

A fumble is better than a sack in this case for sure.  Georgia Tech!  They run a similar set to Navy, but they are more physical and athletic.  You have to watch their wide outs and well, what are your thoughts on them?

Oh Yeah.  We definitely understand that Paul Johnson has brought the Navy mentality there.  It's Navy with ACC calibre athletes and we will have to be prepared for the speed and the physicality.  We will continue to work on the schemes we did with Navy making sure people are accountable for their responsibilities.

The coach has really challenged the seniors.   During the teleconference he stated that they were really happy in the locker room last Saturday.  Also, I believe he challenged you guys after the Northwestern game.   As a senior and a leader, what do you do to keep this team prepared or on the edge?

We are just constantly reminding them and guys know the situation that's at hand for the seniors and that we are getting ready for the last stretch, giving it our old and we ask them to do the same.  We constantly demand to give the most and everything that we have and we lead in that way to the younger players.  As a senior, I'm just living in the moment.

I know you don't pay a lot of attention to the media, but some insist that Virginia wasn't that good.  Do you still feel like you have some work to do or that you have to beat a team like Georgia Tech which is a pretty big favorite over you guys this weekend?

I think that we are never going to be satisfied.  Like you say I really don't get into the media.  I could care less what people think about who we've played or who is coming up.  We are the ones who have to play and the ones preparing week in and week out.  We just have to go do what we have to do taking one game at a time.

Is there a bit of a swagger or a quiet confidence with the team this season?  Do you see things this season you may have missed in the past and that it is now coming together?

I would say that it is some strong confidence going on with this team.  We've tasted success and see the things we can do when we rise to the occasion or play the way we are capable of playing.  It's not going to happen just because we've done it before.  we will constantly have to work and get better.  We are working on getting better each week.  We are not getting complacent at all.

An off week!  Good thing or bad thing?

I think it's a good thing from a technique standpoint.  for me, I work on tackling, fundamentals and key reads.  At the same time we are also looking at film to prepare.  At the same time, I don't like it becasue I feel kind of out of the loop watching other games and as a football player you always want to play when possible.

There is going to be a hostile atmosphere in Atlanta - your first road game this season.  Is this something you look forward to ... being in a position where the crowd will be cheering against you?

Yeah.  I always like going on the road.  Especially going in 3-1.  It will be interesting and there will be a lot of people down there, some even cheering for us.

(Vince Oghobasse walked by going to the team elevator)  Tell me about your relationship with this guy.  You two are friends?

We met in the fifth grade and ever since then we have been best friends.  We went to the same intermediate school and the same middle school.  During high school everything is so close that it was done by random draw and we ended up at rival high schools.

He got a little annimated on the field this past Saturday ...

(smiling) Yeah, it was funny.  We joked about it and he does a great job of getting into it.  We feed off each others energy on defense, so it was a good thing to see.

Good luck this weekend!

Thank you.

Be sure to stop back in this week for exclusive one on one interviews with Duke OL Fred Roland and Thaddeus Lewis.  The Blue Devil Nation is your source for Duke Football coverage.[/private]