Tag Archives: Cutcliffe

BDN previews the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs the Duke Blue Devils football game

duke-maryl;and 041Don't miss Duke Football (5-4 overall, 3-2 in the ACC) as they take on #7 ranked Georgia Tech (9-1 overall, 6-1 in the ACC) this Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. BDN previews this battle for first place in the ACC Coastal Division, which will be televised on ESPN2 at noon ET. Tickets are still available through the Duke Ticket Office at 877-375-DUKE (3853) or www.goduke.com.

Scouting the Blue Devils

Last time out

Duke was defeated by North Carolina in Chapel Hill last Saturday, 19-6. Thad Lewis completed just 16/33 passes for only 113 yards with 1 interception. Austin Kelly led the Duke receiving corps with 4 catches for 22 yards. Duke’s 6 points came on two first half field goals by Nick Maggio, filling in for Will Snyderwine, who was injured in pre-game warm-ups. The Duke offense was dominated by a physical Carolina defense throughout the game, converting just 2/13 on third down.

The Duke defense put up a valiant effort in the loss, holding North Carolina to just 9 points through the first 3 ½ quarters. In fact, a fourth quarter interception by senior CB Leon Wright gave Duke the ball in North Carolina territory with an opportunity to take a fourth quarter lead. However, the Duke offense turned the ball back over to the Tar Heels, who rode the strong legs of Ryan Houston the length of the field to take a 16-6 lead with under 7 minutes to play. Houston finished the day with 164 yards on 37 carries.

Season

The Duke offense is led by senior QB Thad Lewis, who ranks second in the ACC with 269.8 passing yards per game and 15 TDs. Duke’s receiving corps of freshman Conner Vernon, sophomore Donovan Varner, and junior Austin Kelly all rank in the top 10 in the ACC in receiving, along with the big play potential of sophomore Johnny Williams. The Blue Devils have struggled to run the ball, ranking last in the conference.

The Duke defense ranks 4th in overall yards, allowing just 323 total yards and 23.6 points per game with a +3 turnover margin. Duke has struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks, registering just 15 sacks on the season. Special teams has been much improved during Coach Ron Middleton’s tenure, including 13/16 in field goals and a perfect 27/27 extra points.

Scouting the Yellow Jackets

Last time out

Georgia Tech held off Wake Forest in overtime at home last Saturday, 30-27. The Yellow Jackets trailed 17-10 at halftime, but rallied in the second half to take a 24-17 fourth quarter lead. The Demon Deacons, led by senior QB Riley Skinner, tied the game with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Devon Brown with just under 5 minutes remaining in regulation. In overtime, the Demon Deacons scored first with a 34-yard field goal. On the ensuing Georgia Tech drive, Coach Paul Johnson elected to go for it on 4th and 1 at the 5 yard line, and was successful with a 2 yard run by QB Josh Nesbitt. Nesbitt ran into the end zone on the next play, giving Georgia Tech the 30-27 victory.

The Georgia Tech triple-option attack ran for 412 yards in the OT victory, led by Jonathan Dwyer’s 189 yards on 23 carries. The Yellow Jacket defense stymied the Demon Deacon rushing game, holding them to just 28 yards on 25 carries. The Demon Deacons were successful moving the ball through the air, completing 26/40 passes for 263 yards.

Season

In just his second year as head coach, Paul Johnson has turned the Yellow Jackets into one of the ACC’s top teams, led by RB Jonathan Dwyer, QB Josh Nesbitt, and WR Demaryius Thomas. Georgia Tech is 9-1 on the year, with key wins coming at home against Clemson, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jacket’s lone loss was a 33-17 defeat at Miami on a Thursday night in September.

Georgia Tech boasts the ACC’s leading offense, averaging 34.7 points per game and 314.9 rushing yards. Despite the emphasis on running the ball in the triple-option offense, WR Demaryius Thomas leads the ACC in receiving yards per game at 86.1. When the Yellow Jackets do look to throw the ball, Thomas is a dangerous weapon. On the defensive side of the ball, the Yellow Jackets rank 5th in rush defense, allowing 126.4 yards per game, but rank 10th in pass defense, allowing 226.7 yards per game and 19 touchdowns through the air.

Injuries

Coming off a crushing defeat to a physical North Carolina team, the Blue Devils may be as physically and emotionally bruised as they have been all season. The Duke defense will be limited if both DT Vince Oghobaase and leading tackler LB Vincent Rey are unable to play. On offense, QB Thad Lewis, WR Conner Vernon, and WR Donovan Varner are all injured but expected to play. K Will Snyderwine remains questionable with a leg injury suffered last week during pre-game warm-ups in Chapel Hill. With key players nursing injuries on both sides of the ball, Duke’s lack of depth may be exposed on Saturday.

On the other hand, Georgia Tech is relatively healthy, with none of their key playmakers listed on the injury report.

Closing Thoughts

First place in the ACC Coastal Division is on the line this Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. A win for the Yellow Jackets will clinch a berth in the ACC Championship game December 5 in Tampa, FL. A win for the Blue Devils will bring them one win away from bowl eligibility, a feat the program has not accomplished since 1994.

The Blue Devil defense ranks 7th in the ACC, yielding 139 yards per game. In an early season contest against a similar option-style offense at Army, Duke prevailed with a 35-19 win, giving up 266 yards on the ground (4.6 yards per carry). Duke is a more confident team now than against Army, having won 5 games overall, including 3 conference games. The Duke passing offense will need to get off to a fast start against a suspect Georgia Tech secondary. Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan leads the ACC in sacks with 11.5; if he is able to pressure Thad Lewis, it will be a short day for the Blue Devil offense. The Yellow Jackets will attempt to control the game with their option-style offense; the Blue Devils will need to counter this with well-executed offensive drives and key defensive stands on 3rd downs.

Georgia Tech will be a formidable opponent for Duke on Saturday; Duke fans will need to fill Wallace Wade Stadium to create a winning atmosphere for the football program. If Thad Lewis and his exciting receiving corps can get back on track, and if the defensive can make a few key stands, the Blue Devils are more than capable of pulling off the upset.

Cutcliffe talks of the Virginia game and the upcoming battle of the blues

BDN believes in and heartily supports Coach David Cutcliffe and Duke Football.
BDN believes in and heartily supports Coach David Cutcliffe and Duke Football.

The Blue Devil Nation continues to share what is normally saved for premium members in an effort to shine the light on Duke Football.  Here is the audio from yesterdays media call in show where Cutcliffe answered a few questions.  Please feel free to link BDN's football coverage for we have supported and covered Duke Football from the start.

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It’s time to believe! Devils defeat UVA 28-17 for their third consecutive ACC win

Devils celebrate their 28-17 win over Virginia on Saturday
Devils celebrate their 28-17 win over Virginia on Saturday

The Duke Blue Devils won their third consecutive ACC game by beating Virginia in Charlottesville 28-17 on Saturday.   Maybe it's time to start believing in this team for a quick look at the standings shows that the Blue Devils are in sole possession of second place in the ACC's Coastal Division.

Coach Cutcliffe and his staff continue to surprise the college football world in just their second year in Durham and a change in culture is happening in more ways than one..  Duke and Virginia went toe to toe for most of the game, but a consistent and resilient game plan allowed Duke to push their record to 3-1 in the ACC and 5-3 overall.

Thaddeus Lewis made big plays when it counted and was cool under pressure while Nick Snyderwine connected on 5 of 5 field goals, showing what it means to have consistency in the kicking game.  Plenty of other Devils helped as well and we'll continue coverage on this key win mid afternoon.  Until then, check out the links page.

Victories bring out the fanbase

History shows that when Duke Football wins, fans will start to turn out.
History shows that when Duke Football wins, fans will start to turn out.

Durham, N.C. - Many old timers will tell you that when Duke has won a few games in the past fans come out of the woodwork.  Unfortunately for Duke, a good crowd dwindled as the rain periodically soaked Wallace Wade Stadium this past Saturday.

Putting fans in the seats in Durham has been no easy task, but it is true that victories seem to cure all ills.  Duke stands 4-3 going into Charlottesville where they'll face a Virginia team hell bent on revenge after being held to a field goal last season.

But if the Blue Devils can pull out a third consecutive ACC victory, fans will not only turn out when Georgia Tech comes to town, but they'll travel to Chapel Hill in force for a game with their rival.

Duke Coach David Cutcliffe will not allow his team to look ahead and he's stated what many of us know in that Duke cannot afford to look past anybody.  Still, you can bet that his mind may well drift thinking of what could be if Duke continues it's ascend back into the college football world.

One cannot help but wonder what it would be like to see a solid sea of royal blue in Wade and if the wins keep coming, you will see just that.

Fan Quote of the Week - "Duke is not only winning football games, but they are exciting to watch."  Now, when is the last time you heard anything like that being whispered around Duke Football?

Devils play with a lot of heart but fall short to Hokies 34-26

thadDurham, N.C. - The Duke Blue Devils showed a lot of heart on a beautiful Saturday afternoon but came up short against the defending ACC Champions Virginia Tech.  The Hokie 34-26 win boosts their record to 3-1 while Duke falls to 2-3 on the season.  The Hokies made some big plays on the day which proved to be the difference.  Most of those plays were made in their passing game where Tyrod Taylor was deadly accurate going 17 of 22 for 327 yards and two touchdowns.  His main target was Jarrett Boykin who pulled in 6 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

But it was a controversial call that had many turning their heads when the ACC officials awarded Boykin a touchdown calling it a simultaneous catch.  But the real catch is that his feet were clearly out of bounds in post game pictures, yet the replay crew did not overturn the call.  Regardless, that one play wouldn't have changed the outcome but it would have made the score closer.

Duke was impressive standing toe to toe with a team most feel will win the ACC.  Thaddeus Lewis has a huge game throwing for 359 yards and completing 22 of 40 passes, two for scores.  Like Tech, Duke had some big plays of their own.  True freshman Conner Vernon, Donovan Varner and Brandon King had catches of 74, 55 and 48 yards respectively.

The Devils struggled in their running game, but another true freshman Desmond Scott continued to give fans a glance of the future averaging 4.9 yards per carry on his way to 39 yards.  It was also the rushing game that came alive for the Hokies late which helped them put the icing on the cake.

After the game, Coach Cutcliffe was pleased with his teams effort and there were few people going into this game that could have envisioned the Devils playing a spirited and tough game.  In fact, Duke had a chance at recovering an onside kick with second left and a score and a two point conversion would have tied the game.

"We don't believe in moral victories," said Cutcliffe after the game, but Duke fans that showed up for the contest were entertained and there is reason to think that if Duke can be consistent then they can turn the corner in upcoming ACC contests.

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs 21 17
Total Yards 477 397
Passing 327 359
Rushing 150 38
Penalties 12-105 7-44
3rd Down Conversions 8-12 7-19
4th Down Conversions 0-0 3-3
Turnovers 1 0
Possession 29:25 30:35

Check back in for Cutcliffe audio and a photo gallery from the game.