Tag Archives: Coach Cutcliffe

Duke Football: Four Questions for the Second Half of the Season

October 19, 2009 Bob Green

coach cut-300x201 The 2009 college football season is at its halfway point, and Duke is sitting at 3-3 (1-1 ACC) with impressive wins over Army, NCCU, and N.C. State. In their most recent game, the Blue Devils traveled to Carter-Finley Stadium and defeated the Wolfpack by dominating the second half of the game. Thaddeus Lewis threw for a career high 459 yards and five touchdowns as Duke earned a huge victory to even their season record at 3-3. Coach David Cutcliffe stated, “I believe that is the finest game that I’ve had a quarterback have in college.” That is high praise coming from a coach who has previously coached Peyton and Eli Manning in college. Lewis was named the Walter Camp Foundation’s National Offensive Player of the Week and the ACC Offensive Back of the Week.

Looking forward to the second half of the season, here are four questions burning in the minds of Duke Fans around the World:

1. Can Duke build off the N.C. State victory and finish with a winning record in 2009?

With Duke’s bye week coming at the season’s midpoint, it is like having two six game seasons. Having achieved a .500 winning percentage over the first season, Duke Fans are looking to the team to improve during the second season. The competition will be tough as all six games will be against ACC opponents.

Based on the team’s performance against Virginia Tech, Duke has proven they can compete with every team in the ACC. The games against Miami and Georgia Tech should be the biggest challenges, but the Blue Devils are favored over Maryland, and should be favored to win the game against Virginia, with the Wake Forest and North Carolina games being toss ups. The odds are actually irrelevant as illustrated by Duke’s 21 point defeat of the heavily favored Wolfpack. If Duke plays inspired football, over the next six games, they are definitely capable of winning a majority of their remaining games.

How the team finishes this season is an important next step in the rebuilding of Duke Football. Last season, Duke was 4-3 after traveling to Nashville and defeating Vanderbilt, 10-7, in a thriller. However, the Blue Devils dropped five straight games to finish the season at 4-8. The coaching staff, players, and fans are all looking for a different ending this year. Achieving success over the next six games would pay dividends on the recruiting trail, which is paramount to the long range success of Duke Football.

2. Will Thaddeus Lewis break Ben Bennett’s record for most passing yards by a Duke Quarterback?

Bennett threw for 9,614 yards during his career (1980 – 83). At the halfway mark of his senior season, Lewis has thrown for 8,336 yards. He needs to average 213 yards per game down the stretch to break Bennett’s record.

Is breaking the record important in the big scheme of Duke Football? Yes, emphatically yes, it is. Duke is a passing team so the more yards they gain through the air the better the chances of winning games, and Duke Football needs to win games.

On the surface, Lewis breaking Bennett’s record would appear to be an individual accomplishment for the senior, but actually the achievement will represent Duke Football continuing to grow as a program. It will represent the maturation of the offensive line and validate Duke’s receiving corps as one of the best in the ACC. Thad Lewis breaking the career passing yards record should be an important team goal for the Blue Devils.

3. Duke’s receiving corps is deep. The question is who will lead the team in key categories: total catches, yards receiving per game, and touchdown receptions?

Duke’s air attack offense isn’t all Lewis. Duke’s receiving corps is a talented group that provides Lewis multiple options each time he drops back to pass. Currently leading the team, Austin Kelly has 30 receptions, Conner Vernon is averaging 71.4 yards receiving per game, and Donovan Varner has four touchdown receptions.

In addition to Kelly, Duke has three more receivers with more than 20 receptions on the year: Donovan Varner (27), Conner Vernon (26), and Johnny Williams (22). Those four guys are all primary targets for Thad Lewis and they will all catch many more passes this season.

Donovan Varner is averaging 71.2 yards receiving per game so he is right on Conner Vernon’s heels in the yards receiving per game category. Varner and Vernon are both receivers who can make defenders miss in order to rack up the unofficial “yards after catch” statistic.

Tight End Brett Huffman and wide receiver Austin Kelly each have three touchdown receptions.

The offensive line has earned a shout-out by providing Thad Lewis enough time to deliver the ball to his receivers. Lewis has been sacked 12 times, which is tied for third fewest in the ACC. Continued improvement along the front line will be required so Duke’s receivers can participate in some healthy competition between themselves to see who can lead the team in the various receiving categories with the real goal being to increase Duke’s opportunity to win games.

4. Is improvement being made on Duke’s defense?

With so much focus on Thad Lewis and Duke’s potent passing attack, it is easy for fans to forget about the defense. We all can rest assure that Coach Cutcliffe and staff have not forgotten about the defense as defensive improvement is a vital aspect of building a winning program.

Duke has been prone to giving up the big play. It happened against Virginia Tech when Tyrod Taylor completed a 62 yard pass to Jarrett Boykin on third and 34 with the line of scrimmage at the VT 16 yard line. Instead of forcing the Hokies to punt from deep in their own territory, giving up the big play ultimately resulted in a Field Goal and a 20-13 lead for Virginia Tech.

A similar big play cost the Blue Devils a potential win over Northwestern last year.

If Duke is to win games down the stretch in 2009, the defense is going to have to pressure opponents’ quarterbacks and force mistakes. Duke is currently 8th in the ACC in total defense, 12th in sacks and 9th in interceptions. Tracking these defensive categories should provide insight into how competitive Duke is over the next six ball games.

On the individual performance front, Vincent Rey is 5th in tackles averaging 8.2 per game. Catron Gainey is tied for 11th with 6.5 per game, while Abraham Kromah is 14th with 6.2 per game. Matt Daniels (5.8) and Leon Wright (5.0) are also in the Top 50. Moreover, Matt Daniels leads the ACC in fumbles forced and Leon Wright is 3rd in interceptions.

In the sacks and tackles for loss categories, Duke has no one in the Top 20. Increasing pressure in our opponent’s backfield has to be a focus area for improvement.

The next six weeks are a potential boon in the revitalization of Duke Football. The team is improving their on field performance week by week, the fan base is excited, and opponents are taking the Blue Devils seriously. The time has arrived for Duke to put together a conference winning streak.

The second six week season kicks-off Saturday October 24th at Wallace Wade Stadium with a 1:30 pm game against Maryland. The Blue Devils are currently favored by eight points over the Terps. Tickets are still available so the Blue Devil Nation encourages everyone to come out and participate in the festivities.

Duke Football is showing clear signs of improvement at the half way mark

October 13, 2009 Mark Watson

Okpokuwuruk puts presseure on Wilson - Duke had four sacks vs NCSU — Duke puts pressure on Wilson - Duke had four sacks vs NCSU

When one reflects on the first half of Duke's Football season most feel that at 3-3 overall, they are right where they are supposed to be. Some might feel that the Richmond loss was balanced off with the NCSU win where they were 15.5 point underdogs. But a further look shows that Cutcliffe's second team is definitely starting to turn the corner to respectability. Some would say they've already earned that with a solid win over N.C. State this past weekend, but there are still some in the media which take regular shots at Duke no matter what they do.

Thankfully for Duke fans, Cutcliffe and his staff refuse to let this get them down and they are in no way accepting of anything less than a complete change in culture surrounding the program. Saturday's win went a long ways towards accomplishing said goal, but Cutliffe is well aware of the pitfalls, meaning he knows Duke has to play their best game to win until the talent level improves through recruiting.

When Cutcliffe arrived in Durham, the lack of team speed was down right disturbing, so he immediately hit the road with his staff and turned up more speed and saved the great majority of players Roof already had in the fold. It's no secret that the talent level in recruiting has increased significantly and one needs to look no further than the field this season where kids like Conner Vernon are shining.

No longer is Duke completely outmatched in the speed department but there is still a ways to go and Cutcliffe has been forthcoming in saying his team still has some growing pains in store. What he means there, is that Duke needs to be two deep at almost every position and that means red-shirting more kids.

On the surface, Duke seems to have burned more red shirts than they would have liked, but when one looks at the play of Desmond Scott, Conner Vernon and others, it is easy to see why. Still, Duke has several lineman which will get that extra year of preparation.

Okay, I got a little off track there, so let's turn our attention to upcoming games and what Duke can accomplish in the here and now. Cutcliffe's legitimate worry is finding a way to keep his team to compete consistently play off new found confidence. However, confidence is a funny thing and it can sometimes become a hindrance if players stop working or rest on their laurels.

Duke will have to go into the Maryland, Virginia and UNC games respecting their opponent as if each were Virginia Tech, the fourth rated team in the country they played toe to toe with just two weeks ago. Many will say that all three of these games are winnable and they are, but a realist attitude should be in play here as well.

Duke handled Virginia handily last season, but that in no way means this will happen again on the road this season. As Cutcliffe has often told the media, it's a game of match ups, but he puts just as much emphasis in telling those who listen that the ball can bounce many different ways on a given day.

Austin Kelly hauls in one of five Lewis T.D. passes

Already the same media which regularly beats down the program on talk radio shows are playing the split personality game. They're doing their best to set Duke up by now saying, could they now be the best team in the state. Don't get me wrong, it's possible, but the Devils can ill afford to listen to such rhetoric which is designed to incite responses and draw the ire of other local teams and fan bases.

Duke must now deal with sudden expectations and the fact is that Duke will likely be favored in their next game against Maryland. This is uncharted territory for the Duke program of late . The same holds true for the players, who have now won more games in two years than Duke has in a cluster of years before Cutcliffe's arrival.

Expectations are a welcomed thing around Durham, but they must be tempered and fans need to know that Duke is taking some big steps, but that the small ones that often go unseen are just as important. Cutcliffe simply wants his team to compete at the highest level they can in each game and win or lose and with that kind of effort, that is progress.

Duke is also trying to find a way to get their fan base back into the stands. It's no secret in years past Duke fans have come out of the woodwork after a couple of wins over teams they were not expected to beat. With Duke's victory over cross town rival one would hope this happens again against Maryland, a game that would give the Devils their first two game ACC win streak in a long time.

But the one thing which Devils fans can take joy in is that this is a young football team, but a spattering of key seniors gives this team a chance to win now. In order to do so they'll need some support and I guarantee you if some of you who are on the fence and make excuses on Saturday's turn out, you'll be a part of the process for the team will respond.

The time is ripe for Duke fans to do their part, for Cutcliffe and his team are certainly moving along towards the goals they have set . And don't look now, but Duke suddenly looks as if they will indeed compete with in state rivals UNC and Wake Forest and Maryland and Virginia as well. If the ball bounces right they can come away with some much needed wins thanks to their persistence and something that has been missing, that being great coaching.

This past Saturday was a win for the coaches, players and fans. Those who had remained faitful and true were rewarded and smiles are contageous. Duke fans are ready for some more smiles and the 2009 Blue Devils have an opportunity to bring them out.

Duke Football

BDN Audio – Coach Cutcliffe talks about the NCSU game and more during his Sunday Q & A

October 11, 2009 Mark Watson

Cutcliffe gave the entire Blue Devil Nation a key vicotry on Saturday

Here is a seven minute excerpt from today's media call in with Coach David Cutcliffe. He discusses the NCSU game and what the vicotry means to his team and more -

Just press play! The complete 22 minute interview is available for Blue Devil Nation members.

Duke Football

Coach Cutcliffe talks Duke Football at today’s media luncheon

August 11, 2009 Mark Watson

With kickoff to the opening game with Richmond just 25 days away, Coach David Cutcliffe addressed the media this morning. He discussed various subjects, but we'll just give you a general recap -

The freshman class - Cutcliffe was encouraged by the play of his freshman class. In fact, towards the end of the session he stated that there would be several on the two deep chart going into the season. "Freshman will play," said Cutcliffe who continued, "If we are going to play them, we are going to play them. I don;t like playing a freshman and then him playing five or ten plays. I'd prefer to redshirt a number of them and we will to some degree if we are able to, but we've got some guys already who will end up in our two deep.

Youth - The Blue Devils sport 38 true and or redshirt freshman on the roster. There is some inexperience but the general feel is that there has been an upgrade in the type of player Duke now has on it's roster.

Full Pads - Duke dressed in full pads for the first time today.

Spirit - The players are upbeat about the coming season which Cutcliffe mentioned. The upbeat nature was clearly evident when talking with players.

Kicking game - Nick Maggio is coming back off surgery to his face and is now getting some reps. Cutcliffe lauded Kevin Jone punting abilities. Jackson Anderson and Chris Shannon are battling for the long snapper job, while the aforementioned Jones leads as the holder on extra points.

Off season emphasis - The Duke players felt like conditioning is still important, but there has been a lot of work in the area of strength conditioning. Cutcliffe wants his players to build core strength. "Our team is just stronger and that's not just lineman and body weight. It's lean muscle mass. It's Johnny Williams and Donovan Varner being able to practice all the time."

Re'quan Boyette - Cutcliffe said he looks ready to go but that he would only give him so many snaps going into the season.

Jay Hollignsworth - I love to see how he attacks people with the ball. He's a good runner and reciever," said Cutcliffe. He also mentioned that Boyette and Holligsworth were the starters.

Saturday scrimmage - Duke will hold a closed scrimmage this Saturday and Cutcliffe said that he wanted to separate the men's from the boys and see who wants to play. Cutcliffe said the play calling and schemes would be basic in an effort to see which players showed they can play.

Offensive line concerns - Many questions were asked about the offensive line. Cutcliffe was pleased with Brian Moore and said Jarrod Holt had played both the guard and tackle spots. Pontus Bondeson has missed some reps due to injury. "It's an area of concern and everybody should realize that," said Cutcliffe. Conner Irwin a redshirt freshman is expected to move into the number two spot at tackle. There is just one senior on the offensive line.

Kick return game - "I really like running backs there," said Cutcliffe. "We'll look at Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth back there," said Cutcliffe. "Desmond Scott may work himself into some playing time there, but no decision has been made yet." Cutcliffe mentioned that Hollingsworth has improved his overall speed.

Punt return - Lee Butler, Leon Wright and Johnny Williams are vying for the spot.

Vinnie Rey -" He's the heart of our football team," said Cutcliffe. Michael Tauliliili had Vinnie Rey, but who will Vinnie have?

Linebackers - "Those four freshman linebackers are good looking prospects. How we move forward with that will be real interesting in finding out who earns playing time," said Cutliffe after lauding his starters. "It's a critical are for some freshman to step up for us."

We'll have more on Duke Football from Cutcliffe's last tour stop to interviews from current players this week. BDN is the place to be for pre season football coverage.

Duke Football

Coach Cutcliffe talks Duke Football and the Durham Community

July 20, 2009 Mark Watson

Coach Cutcliffe and his daughter took Duke Football to the Durham Rescue Mission this past Sunday.

The Duke Football team went to the Durham Rescue Mission on Sunday afternoon to feast with kids and parents in yet another effort to reach out to the Duke Community. BDN was on hand and able to procure a few comments from Coach Cutcliffe about the upcoming season. Season tickets and plans may be purchased at GoDuke.com. The beginning of the interview was with other media members, but there is a break when I was able to talk to the coach one on one. Enjoy the interview and support Duke Football -

"When we come out here there is no question who benefits the most, we do. This is an uplifting experience for our players and certainly I see the children thrilled, their moms thrilled ... this is an event we will continue to do every year." said David Cutcliffe.

Since you have come to Duke, you have stated you want to be Durham's team and this is but another example ...

Yeah, it is. One of the things I want our players to realize that when they are out in Durham, how positive of a place it is. This facility here is surrounded by beauty here. The players recognize that there are quality things going on in Durham. The rescue mission and women's rescue mission both. I want our players to realize it's a bigger picture than just playing in Wallace Wade. There is a Duke community, a Durham community and a social community and our players do a good job.

You are getting ready to start the season ..

We start August 6th, we report August 5th. This team is prepared, I know they are in condition, I know they are hungry , I know they are eager. We've got a big challenge in front of us where we open with last year's national champions in the football play off sub division. Richmond is a big challenge right off the bat, but I think this team is ready and it is going to be interesting.

On N.C. Central ...

Well, Mose Risen and I have become friends and our assistants have had relationships with him. So, we went to lunch and started talking about what it would mean to his program and what it would mean to Durham to have a classic game between our two major institutions in Durham, so as we talked about it, I went to Kevin White and Stan Wilcox in our administration and told them it was something I would like to pursue. It'll be a great thing. Everywhere I go in Durham, the Central fans are telling me we are going to get beat. There is a lot of interest, even with our employees on Duke campus who have been around Central for years. It's amazing that the two have finally got together and I think it is going to be a lot of fun. It's a 7:00 kickoff and I hope we get great weather late in September, a September evening can be wonderful and I really pray that Wallace Wade doesn't have enough seats. I want to see standing room only and a great night of fierce competition between two fine football teams.

On being Durham's team ...

We have a great community and being such a small institution, the numbers, just crunch the numbers, we've got the best bargain in town. No offense to Central, no offense to the Durham Bulls, but we have the best bargain in town. It's a great family experience, six or seven home games, fun for kids, fun for wives and husbands. I want people to understand that it is wide open and there is a great opportunity to follow a great football program. We go out into the community, I do a lot of speaking in the community, go to a lot of churches and civic organizations. We want to be a part of Durham. We love Durham and being a part of it.

(BDN questions from this point on) Will a game like Central give you an opportunity to show Durham fans that this is a team that wants your support.

If they come, they will have a lot of fun. There is not a bad seat in Wallace Wade, it's really relatively easy in and out. I have been told, but I haven't eaten one, that we have great hot dogs and concessions. We have improved the rest room facilities for the coming season and there is an on-going process to make our stadium even more fan friendly. We have blow-ups for kids, tailgating, whatever you want to eat and enjoy a Saturday afternoon. And our ticket prices? You can get a family four pack, or four tickets for a 199.00 for the entire season. You can have a blast being a part of Duke Football. My thought is if we can continue to get our players out in the community people will grow to love our kids just like I have. We have the finest young men around and I want people to realize they are pulling for a bunch of great young men that are a positive part of that community.

Coach, you seem to be instilling that in your players. Do you have a sort of prerequisite that you expect your guys to adhere to?

Absolutely, you know how important it is to all of us. It's in our staff and in our team room it's faith, families and future in front of football. We put our faith, family values and the future in all that we do and it is all a part of a life lesson. I have always done that in 34 years of coaching and I am not about to change now. They can call it old-fashioned, they can call it boring that you should be focused totally on winning games, but I believe that helps you win football games. When you have a gut check in the fourth quarter and you care about each other and you have made it family, then I believe you are willing to fight a little harder and a little longer for victory.

Coach, you've got a 100 yard practice field down there now. It looks really good ...

Huge!

Can you comment on what it means to have better facilities now and on the way?

Well, I said this comically but not comically - we would get to the 25 yard line and not know what to do, we had 75 yards of field. We were the only program in America without a 120 yard practice field, so it is huge. I can conduct a practice like we like to practice on one field if need be. If we get rain or the grass field is too wet, we can put our team there and operate and absolutely be good to go. And recruiting? The practice center is just about finished down there and we can go in and we'll have special teams meetings, real good visual effects and Coach Middleton will get them pumped and into it and we can go straight on to the field right from there and execute it. We love to have special teams meeting prior to practice and the good part of it is this is just phase one and we are going to continue this. People also realize that Duke Football is here to stay.

Coach, the freshman are in, the kids are on campus. How do the guys look overall?

Really good. A good looking group of freshman. We have 27 scholarship freshman, a few more walk-ons who have come in and gone to school. We will have a few more walk-ons in August. So our squad is going to have about fifteen more players on the squad than what we had a year ago. And that is significant in how we will practice. The conditioning level of our team? It's as good as any I have been around. I couldn't say that a year ago. My hat is off to Noel Durfey, Sonny Falcone (strength and conditioning) and their staff.

So, there is a firm foundation and the guys are adhering to that?

Absolutely.

... and that's the way it is going to be with Duke Football?

This is what they expect, we've really made them understand, it is not going to be easy. Nothing about playing football at Duke is going to be easy. It's not an alternative to where you think you are going to win, those days are past, it's all history. The only reason why we want you is because you are a winner on and off the field and if you are not don't even consider coming to Duke.

The staff is almost ready to go ...

Our coaches are just coming off vacation and everybody reports the same day. The reporting date is officially August the 5th and we are on the field the 6th. I don't think I have ever been so anxious to see how this squad throws, catches it, runs, intercepts it, breaks on the ball, all of those things. I can't wait to see what this team looks like.

Coach, you are making great strides in recruiting in state. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Relationships! We've got a lot of long time relationships with coaches in this state whether it is myself or Jim Collins, Scottie and others. I started recruiting this state as an assistant in 1982. That's a long time ago now, unfortunately longer ago than I want to remember. Being a communicator with our coaches and being proud to be a part of the state of North Carolina. I promise you, if you can play in this state, we are going to recruit you. Obviously, we have certain needs but we are out there knocking the doors down and we continue to do that.

Can you comment about the off-season quarterback college and the camps?

We had our quarterback college and the camps and little guys camps. It was as a big a success that I have been around. I don't know the exact numbers but we taught them Duke football and Duke strategy. We don't run those camps just to recruit. I tell our coaches all the time, that I don't want a bunch of hugging and pats on the back. I want coaching and want them to understand what Duke Football is about and, as I said, it is not going to be easy. So, we work them as hard as we can and it gives those kids an idea of what is happening here. And I tell our coaches, the good players know you are serious about it and the reason they can be good is that these guys can coach so there is a side benefit. I love what we are doing in camp right now and the kids will go and tell that we are serious about football.

Do you know how many days remain before kickoff against Richmond?

I don't keep up with that, but my secretary Peggy is sure to remind me. All I know is that we have 29 practices to prepare and we'll be ready.

Duke Football

Duke Spring Football Practice – Vinnie Rey is ready to bring it

April 8, 2009 Mark Watson

: 2009 Season Ticket Packages are on sale at GoDuke.com

When you are talking about the Duke defense in 2009, you can start with Vinnie Rey. The senior linebacker is ready to bring it to the field this season and will be counted on to ease the loss of All ACC teammate Michael Tauiliili. Rey was a defensive star last season for the Blue Devils and at times is a tackling machine. Blue Devil Nation took in spring practice and was able to talk with Rey and get his thoughts on the linebacking unit and more -

Coach Cutcliffe just said that he sees you stepping up on this team and being a leader. What are your thoughts on that?

In terms of being a vocal leader, that just comes with confidence. It means watching film and listening to what Coach wants and carry that to the field. We have other linebackers that are leaders like Damian Thornton, Abraham Kromah and Adam Banks. We watch a lot of film and we are working a lot and that brings confidence that allows us to play fast and be vocal on the field. That's from Coach Mac [Macintyre], he teaches us to do these things. Personally, I feel a lot more confident on the field.

This is your second year or spring under Coach Cut.

I feel that the difference from last year is there is another step we have to take. coaches are demanding a lot from us be it conditioning, playing fast, mental toughness on the field. Even if you might be tired or hurt not to show that which is something I have to work on. Just to be able to take the extra step and get better and better.

Some of the pundits are already saying the line backers could be a weak spot on defense. What do you think of the guys you have been working with this spring?

Well, to tell you the truth, we feel we can be one of the best units in the ACC. Our goal is to be the best bar none and it's all about bringing it every day which we continue to try and do. Every day we bring the intensity to the field - we make some mistakes, but as long as the intensity is there you can build off that. I don't see any reason why we can't be one of the best units on this team if not the best.

In the back of your mind are you already thinking about Richmond (home opener)?

(smiling) I do sometimes! One of our quotes is we prepare for Saturday today ... Saturday in 2009. We are thinking about them a little bit, but we are also thinking about stopping the guys on our offensive side in practice. We have to think about going up against the offensive line and beating them every play. How are we going to beat Richmond if we don't practice winning in practice?

Speaking of the offensive line, there were some major losses there. What has it been like going up against those guys so far this spring?

We have had some battles with them. I don't know that much about the trenches but toughness is a big issue. They've knocked us on the ground sometimes getting pancakes on us, but we've knocked them back sometimes. There has been some battles. All this stuff about linebackers or the offensive line being a weakness - we don't even care, we just go out and work hard every day. We'll see what happens when all is said and done.

Talk a little bit about your coaches ...

Coach Cu [Cutcliffe] t gives us several fundamental quotes and statements and we just go about it. Coach [Mike] Macintyre? He preaches hawking the ball. We have a board in our meeting room which shows how many times you hawked the ball and if your numbers are bad on the board it's kind of embarrassing, so you want to get those numbers high. That's an incentive to go out and hawk the ball every day.

And the bottom line is ...

We know how to work better. We know how to bring it. So, we bring it every day. One thing Coach Cut always says is you are either going to get better or you are going to get worse and I feel that we are getting better every day.