The 2011 Duke Football season is behind us. It's time to look forward to the future, and that begins with the class of 2012. Duke has already secured 15 verbal commitments in this class, and BDN will profile each of the newest Blue Devils as we head toward Signing Day 2012.
Hackley LB/DE A.J. Wolf committed to Duke in June
A.J. WOLF
Height: 6'4" Weight: 245 pounds Position: Defensive end Hometown: Tarrytown, New York High School: Hackley School - NEPSAC Class C
Senior season recap: It was a dissapointing season for the team, losing many close games, and ending up 1-6 (1 game cancelled due to snow storm.) However, I personally think I had a great season and did the best I could to help the team win 100% of the time.
Senior season stats: From the MLB position in only 7 games - 98 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 blocked FG, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 Rush TD
Scholarship offers: Duke
Commitment to Duke: I get to play ACC football and get a fantastic education. Also, the coaches all seemed very wise and competitive. On my unofficial visit over the summer, it seemed like everyone was part of one big family, and everyone was close. Another bonus is the weather (compared to NY). In my eyes, it seemed like the perfect school to play football at. I committed on site during my visit for those reasons.
Considering other schools: No
Academic interests: Business/Finance
Pro or College Role Models: I don't compare myself to, but strive to be like DeMarcus Ware and Clay Matthews. No one can block them.
College goals: Win an ACC Championship and be 1st Team All-ACC.
Planned enrollment: Summer 2012
Message to Duke fans: I am also a State Champion Track & Field Athlete, and am trying to be an All-American this year.
BDN Scouting Report: Wolf is clearly one of the most intriguing sleeper prospects in Duke's class of 2012. He's a tremendous athlete and comes from an extremely gifted family. A.J. has a good frame and will be able to add strength in a college weight program. In high school, he played all over the field for Hackley, a testament to his athleticism at 6'4" and 245 pounds. He was recruited to play defensive end at Duke, though has the skill set to potentially slide inside to defensive tackle. Wolf didn't see a very high level of competition in high school, so it remains to be seen how he will fare against college competition. Being able to focus on one position will allow him to perfect his techniques, but he already possesses good instincts and tackling ability. In all likelihood, A.J. will benefit from a redshirt year under Coach Petri in Durham, but his athleticism and intelligence may make it hard to keep him off the field for long.
Stadium: Kenan Stadium
Surface: Natural Grass
Capacity: 60,000
Radio: Blue Devil IMG Sports Network; Sirius XM Radio (Channels 94 & 193)
TV: RSN - Rich Waltz (Play-by-play), Keith Jones (Analyst) and Jenn Hildreth (Sideline)
Internet: GoDuke.com; theACC.com
Tickets: 1-877-375-DUKE
Series: North Carolina leads, 57-36-4
Last Time: North Carolina amassed 519 yards of total offense and held off a late Duke rally to post a 24-19 win over the Blue Devils in Durham. QBs T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree threw for 264 and 242 yards, respectively.
Duke Closes 2011 at North Carolina
• The Blue Devils will close out the 2011 schedule this week by travelling to face rival North Carolina.
• Duke is 3-8 overall and 1-6 in ACC play following its 38-31 loss to Georgia Tech last week. The Tar Heels stand at 6-5 overall and 2-5 in league play after losing to Virginia Tech, 24-21, last Thursday.
• Saturday’s game will mark the 98th on the gridiron between the two schools, with North Carolina holding a 57-36-4 all-time series advantage.
• The Tar Heels have won seven straight and 20 of the past 21 meetings including last year’s 24-19 decision in Durham.
Victory Bell
• The battle for the Victory Bell began in 1948 with North Carolina earning possession with a 20-0 win in Chapel Hill. Duke head cheerleader Loring Jones and North Carolina head cheerleader Norman Spear decided on the idea of the Victory Bell.
• Jones designed the model while Spear obtained a bell from an old railroad train. Red Lewis, Duke’s business manager for athletics, agreed to find money in the budget to pay for the bell.
Record Book Watch
• With one and four pass receptions respectively, WRs Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon will become just the sixth and seventh players in ACC history with 200 career catches. The current group includes Clemson’s Aaron Kelly (232), Wake Forest’s Desmond Clark (216), Virginia’s Billy McMullen (210), Florida State’s Peter Warrick (207) and N.C. State’s Jerricho Cotchery (200).
• With 53 catches in 2011, Varner is seven receptions away from becoming the first player in ACC history to post three seasons with 60+ grabs. He is one of 13 players in league history with two campaigns with 60+ catches, a list that includes teammate Vernon.
• With 68 catches on the year, Vernon is six grabs shy of the Duke single-season record of 74 set by Wes Chesson in 1970. Vernon fell one reception short of the standard last season with 73 catches.
• With a nine-reception outing last week versus Georgia Tech, Vernon matched the school’s single-season record for most games with 5+ catches with nine. Vernon, who also had nine games with five of more catches last year, shares the standard with Chesson (1970) and Roger Boone (1987).
• With 2,738 passing yards this season, QB Sean Renfree is 262 yards shy of reaching 3,000 for the season. Renfree topped the 3,000-yard barrier last year (3,131) to join Ben Bennett (1982-83), Anthony Dilweg (1988) and Thaddeus Lewis (2009) as Blue Devils to accomplish the feat at least once.
• Having completed 65.0 percent (269-of-414) of his pass attempts through 11 games, Renfree is on pace to break the school’s single-season record for pass completion percentage, a mark currently held by Bennett (.640 [300-of-469] in 1983).
• With 14 pass breakups this fall, S Matt Daniels is one PBU shy of matching the Duke single-season record of 15 set by Erwin Sampson in 1989.
• Duke has 19 rushing touchdowns through 11 games this season — matching last year’s total for the most since 1994 (21). Sophomore RB Juwan Thompson has seven rushing scores — the highest total by a Duke running back since 2005 when Justin Boyle scored nine times on the ground.
Matt Daniels and the Blue Devils came up short on Senior Day - BDN Photo
DURHAM- Matt Daniels and the Blue Devil seniors made their way out of the tunnel and into Wallace Wade Stadium for the final time on Saturday, but their best efforts came up just short against Georgia Tech as Duke fell 38-31. The Duke offense had success moving the ball against the Yellow Jackets, putting up 31 points and over 300 yards of total offense, but in the end, the Blue Devil defense just couldn’t stop the Ramblin’ Wreck option offense.
Duke final drive comes up short
Senior Charlie Hatcher came up with a crucial fumble recovery with 3:31 remaining in the 4th quarter to give the Blue Devils a chance, trailing by a touchdown. But two crucial penalties stalled the Blue Devils’ final drive, and ultimately led to a controversial GT interception that sealed the victory with 2 minutes remaining. Two critical plays were reviewed in the game and not overturned in the Blue Devils’ favor.
Vernon and Varner rewrite the record books
Duke senior Donovan Varner had a memorable Senior Day, adding to his lead in the Duke record books with 5 catches for 32 yards and 1 TD. Varner is Duke’s all-time receptions leader with 199. Varner also set a new Duke record with a reception in 36 straight games. Junior WR Conner Vernon is 2nd on Duke’s all-time receiving list with 196 career catches after finishing with 9 catches, 92 yards and 1 TD. On the day, Varner and Vernon became the ACC’s top all-time receiving duo, passing Clemon’s Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham. The duo will look to add to their records next Saturday in Chapel Hill.
Big plays haunt Blue Devils
Georgia Tech had 8 plays of 20 yards or more in just the first 3 quarters alone, as big plays continued to haunt the Blue Devil defense. After a 3 and out on the first drive of the day, the Ramblin’ Wreck moved the ball with ease against the Blue Devils. On the day, the Yellow Jackets piled up over 550 yards of total offense, led by Tevin Washington, who finished with 185 yards through the air and 136 yards on the ground. Georgia Tech was perfect in the red zone, finishing with 5 rushing touchdowns and a field goal.
Inconsistent offensive attack
Sean Renfree threw for 4 TDs and 227 yards, but was erratic at times, finishing 26/42 on the day. Duke senior TE Cooper Helfet had himself a big Senior Day, hauling in 2 TD receptions. Vernon and Varner led the Blue Devils’ receivers, but Duke struggled to get a consistent rhythm on offense, especially on the ground. Duke’s running game was led by Varner, who picked up a 39-yard run on the offense’s first play from scrimmage. The running backs failed to get going, with Desmond Scott picking up just 27 yards and Juwan Thompson just 24 yards on the day.
One shot left
Duke drops to 3-8 and will have one last shot to get to 4 wins and end their season on a high note. The Blue Devils will travel down 15-501 to Chapel Hill to take on the rival Tar Heels next Saturday at 3:30 PM. The Victory Bell will be at stake and the Blue Devils desperately need a win to gain momentum into the offsesason.
Check back with Blue Devil Nation for full postgame coverage.
Duke will host the Ramblin' Wreck on Senior Day this Saturday.
Duke (3-7, 1-5 ACC) will look to turn their season around on Senior Day this Saturday when they host Georgia Tech (7-3, 4-3 ACC) in Wallace Wade Stadium. While many Duke fans may be tempted to look ahead to basketball season, there are two final chances to watch the Duke senior class with the most wins since 1995 take to the gridiron. This Duke senior class is headlined by All-ACC stars Matt Daniels and Donovan Varner, but also includes 18 other tremendous student-athletes who will leave the Blue Devil Football Program in a much better place than they found it four years ago. Thank you, seniors!
GAME INFO
Georgia Tech at Duke
12:30 PM ET, Saturday, November 19
Radio: Blue Devil IMG Sports Network; Sirius XM Radio (Channels 94 & 193)
TV: ACC Network - Tim Brant (Play-by-play), Dave Archer (Analyst) and Mike Hogewood (Sideline)
Internet: GoDuke.com; theACC.com
KEYS FOR DUKE
1. Win the line of scrimmage: Broken record time, but seriously. Football is won and lost in the trenches, especially against the Georgia Tech option offense. The Yellow Jackets bring in the top rushing offense in the ACC, averaging just under 320 yards per game. It’s a five-headed monster for Georgia Tech on the ground, led by Tevin Washington, who averages over 70 yards per game, along with 4 other players who average over 30 yards per game in David Sims, Orwin Smith, Embry Peeples, and Roddy Jones. While fans can argue the merits of the Georgia Tech offense, the bottom line is it is effective and will challenge the Duke defense for 60 minutes. If the Yellow Jackets’ big, physical linemen are able to control this game, it will be a long afternoon for the Blue Devils. Conversely, with an offense that is difficult to get off the field, the key for Duke will be getting into the backfield and forcing fumbles. With the number of pitches in the option offense, the Yellow Jackets are prone to putting the ball on the ground (GT has 23 fumbles on the year) and Duke will have to capitalize (GT has lost just 8 fumbles overall).
Tevin Washington leads an explosive Georgia Tech offense
2. Explosive plays: Georgia Tech brings in one of the most explosive offensive units in the conference, averaging over 36 points per game and nearly 6 yards per carry on the ground. WR Stephen Hill is the top threat through the air, though his production has dropped off in ACC play. Still, the Yellow Jackets’ offense leads the ACC in yards per play both on the ground (5.8) and through the air (11.6). Those are scary numbers for a Duke defense that is banged up across the board. With key injuries to the defensive line and in the secondary, and the potential absence of both starting linebackers, Duke will need to find several unsung heroes on defense. Expect Matt Daniels to be used heavily against the run, as the Blue Devils will have to gamble and hope that Ross Cockrell can handle Hill in single coverage.
3. Duke on offense: Which Duke offense will we see on Saturday? Will they put together a full 60 minute effort? Georgia Tech is allowing nearly 25 points and over 360 yards of total offense on the season, so opportunities will be there for the Blue Devils to score points. The Blue Devils had the Yellow Jackets on the ropes a year ago in Atlanta, but a costly turnover killed their upset hopes. If Duke can take care of the football and put together 60 minutes of offense, they could find some redemption on Saturday.
Thank you, seniors! -BDN Photo
WHAT TO WATCH
1. Special seniors: It was alluded to in the opening, but bears repeating. This will be the last home game for a Duke senior class that has won 15 games over the past four years. Kyle Hill will watch his Senior Day from the sidelines, ending an impressive streak of 46 straight starts on the Duke offensive line. The remaining seniors will put forth an inspired performance as they look to end their careers with a big upset win in Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils will graduate 20 student-athletes from the program on Saturday: Paul Asack, Matt Daniels, Jeff Faris, Guillermo Freile, Ryan Hall, Charlie Hatcher, Cooper Helfet, Kyle Hill, Jay Hollingsworth, Jeffrey Ijjas, Alex King, Jon Needham, Danny Parker, George Pearkes, Kevin Rojas, Preston Scott, Will Snyderwine, Josh Trezvant, Donovan Varner, and Johnny Williams. Thank you, Seniors!
2. More records: Last week, Duke fans watched as senior WR Donovan Varner became the all-time school receptions leader. Varner will look to add to that record over his final two games, but will also look to set a new school record with a catch on Saturday. Last Saturday, Varner caught a pass in his 35th consecutive game, tying Scottie Montgomery for the all-time Duke record. Also on Saturday, Varner and Vernon will look to become Duke’s top all-time receiving duo if the pair haul in 5 catches.
3. All-American: Senior Matt Daniels has put together an impressive career at Duke, topped off with an outstanding senior campaign. The quarterback of the Duke defense, Daniels is 2nd in the country in pass break-ups, passes defended, and tackles by a defensive back. Throughout his career, whenever the Blue Devils have needed a stop, it seems that Matt Daniels is there. He has been a tremendous leader for this program and will almost certainly be playing on Sundays next year.
PREDICTION
A year ago, the Blue Devils faced three option offenses, but this season, just one. The option offense is difficult to prepare for and with a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball, Georgia Tech will represent a significant challenge for Duke. Duke should have success moving the ball against Georgia Tech if they stick to an aggressive gameplan; expect another big day for Duke’s “Killer V’s.” An emotional pair of seniors in Matt Daniels and Charlie Hatcher will try to will the Blue Devils’ defense to an upset victory, but the explosive Yellow Jacket offense will still find its way into the end zone.
Duke rides a 4-game losing streak into Saturday's matchup with UVA in Charlottesville
Duke (3-6, 1-4 ACC) will look to make it four in a row against the Virginia Cavaliers (6-3, 3-2 ACC) on Saturday. Heading into the 3PM kickoff in Charlottesville, the Blue Devils are riding a 4-game losing streak while the surprising Wahoos have won 4 out of 5. Virginia ranks 3rd in the ACC in both total offense and total defense, and will present a significant challenge for Duke on both sides of the ball. After a disappointing performance on the road in Miami a week ago, the Blue Devils will need to put together a much better effort in Charlottesville if they hope to secure a tough ACC road win.
GAME INFO
Duke at Virginia
3:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 12
Radio: Blue Devil IMG Sports Network; Sirius XM Radio (Channels 92 & 190)
TV: RSN - Rich Waltz (Play-by-play), Keith Jones (Analyst) and Jenn Hildreth (Sideline)
Internet: GoDuke.com; theACC.com
KEYS FOR DUKE
Duke's Desmond Scott dove for the game-winning TD last year against UVA -Lance Images
1. Winning attitude: Duke is in the midst of a 4-game losing streak, and it shows. The Blue Devils have lost tough games to Wake Forest and Virginia Tech and are in danger of taking a turn to Negative Town. Defensive leaders Matt Daniels and Charlie Hatcher will have to keep their unit focused and confident after they were picked apart by a speedy Miami offense last Saturday. Sean Renfree must take control of the offense, and Kyle Hill must do a better job keeping the offensive line in sync. In short, Duke must play hungry for a win for a full 60 minutes on Saturday.
2. Win the line of scrimmage: Football is won and lost in the trenches, and UVA’s offensive line has helped to power them to their 6-3 start after a dismal 2010 season. The Cavaliers rank 3rd in the ACC with 190 rushing yards per game and are 2nd in the ACC with just 8 sacks allowed all season. If the Blue Devils are to win this game, their young defensive linemen will have to play up to their potential. First and foremost, Duke cannot allow UVA to open holes for RB Perry Jones, who enters the game averaging 5.3 yards per carry. If the Blue Devils can put first-year QB Michael Rocco under pressure, he will make bad throws, as evidenced by his 9 INTs on the season. Virginia as a team ranks last in the ACC with 13 interceptions thrown, a number which the Blue Devil secondary will have to add to on Saturday.
3. 60 Minutes: Coach-speak, cliché, call it whatever you want. Virginia is a good football team and it will take a complete effort for the Blue Devils to pull off an upset on the road. Perhaps most important will be the offensive effort, as Duke’s offense has been wildly inconsistent of late. Sean Renfree will have to be wary of Chase Minnifield lurking in the Virginia secondary, but should be able to find mismatches in the Blue Devils’ favor down the field. Senior Cam Johnson will present a challenge for the Duke offensive line, but the duo of Desmond Scott and Juwan Thompson should still find room to run. Duke has 3 straight wins against Virginia, and they will have to play with confidence and consistency to keep their streak intact.
WHAT TO WATCH
1. Blue Devil Streaks: Duke has a few players closing in on several school records.
Senior WR Donovan Varner needs just two more catches to tie Clarkston Hines’ all-time receptions record at Duke. Varner ranks second with 187 grabs. Junior teammate WR Conner Vernon is right behind Varner with 184 catches.
Redshirt senior K Will Snyderwine compiled two points last week and ranks fourth on Duke’s all-time scoring chart with 209 points … Randy Gardner is third on the list with 221 points.
Donovan Varner has at least one catch in 34 straight games to match the third-longest streak in Duke history … The school record of 35 is held by Scottie Montgomery.
2. Red zone offense: It’s no secret Duke has struggled to score points at times this season. Duke ranks next to last in the ACC in red zone efficiency, scoring on just 72% of their opportunities. If the Blue Devils come away empty-handed in the red zone on Saturday, it will be an ominous sign.
3. Duke seniors: In particular, Matt Daniels and Donovan Varner, two great representatives of the Duke program, who always seem to come up with a play when their number is called. Duke fans have just three games left to watch these two All-ACC seniors and their classmates take the field. This senior class has never lost to Virginia, and would like to keep it that way on Saturday.
PREDICTION
Matt Daniels has never lost to UVA. Sean Renfree has never lost to UVA. Coach Cutcliffe is 3-0 against UVA since arriving in Durham. Coming off one of their most disappointing performances of the Cutcliffe era, Duke needs a win in the worst way. Expect the Blue Devils to put together a much improved effort against a bowl-bound Virginia team. At 6-3, the Wahoos have been one of the biggest surprises in the ACC this season, and they'll certainly be gunning for the Blue Devils after 3 straight losses in the rivalry. There are few instances where history and karma seem to be on the Blue Devils' side, but this may be one of them. Duke seems to have the Cavaliers' number, and they come into this game with nothing to lose, in desperate need of a win. Duke 24, UVA 20
Virginia Tech will roll into Wallace Wade Stadium sitting in 1st place in the ACC Coastal Division
The Blue Devils will host the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium. The Hokies enter the game first in the ACC Coastal Division, and with a 10-game winning streak against Duke. The Blue Devils will have a tough task if they hope to pull off the big conference upset against David Wilson and the Hokies.
To help give us a look at the Hokies' 2011 season so far, BDN welcomes back our good friend furrer4heisman from Gobbler Country.
BDN: The early October loss to Clemson took the Hokies out of the spotlight, but they still sit atop the ACC Coastal Division at 7-1 overall. What potential roadblocks lay between Virginia Tech and a rematch with Clemson in Charlotte?
Well, they've got to beat Duke before they worry about anything else. It may be coachspeak, but Duke is no longer a team that you can take the week off and still expect to win easily. When you've got a quarterback like Sean Renfree, you've got a chance if the game is close. Tech can't start slow again and give Duke hope. They're a banged up football team. They haven't had a bye yet and it's easy to get caught looking ahead. They can't do it, even if it's "just Duke."
Beyond that, there's a road game on Thursday night against Georgia Tech and I don't like our chances in that one. Tough environment against an offense that has given us fits ever since it arrived in the conference. Then there's a Thursday night game home game against UNC, a game we lost in the same situation two years ago and then the rivalry game against UVa. There's plenty of landmines, but things have kind of set up nicely for Tech so far this year. They just have to handle their business and they'll get another shot at Clemson.
QB Logan Thomas has led VT to a 7-1 record in his 1st season taking over for 2010 ACC POY Tyrod Taylor
BDN: As many expected, David Wilson and Logan Thomas have been very good in their first year as starters for the Hokie offense. How would you rate their season so far and what do they need to improve during the second half of the season?
Wilson has been outstanding and has a good chance to break Ryan Williams' school record for rushing yards in a season. Where he sometimes gets in trouble is on runs designed between the tackles, he won't just take his yards that are available and he'll try to bounce it to the outside.
Thomas has been very solid. He's had one bad game. Like most quarterbacks, he just needs to work on the consistency of his throws. I'm happy with the progress he's making and so far he hasn't been careless with the ball.
BDN: Despite several injuries, the Hokies' defense remains one of the top units in the ACC. How does Bud Foster do it year in and year out?
Well, we had a down year last year, finishing eighth in the ACC in terms of both yards per game and yards per play allowed. It was an uncharacteristic Bud Foster defense in that teams were able to run right at us. We just so happened to score A LOT of points and it didn't matter as much. Tech's defense is at its best when it keeps teams behind the chains.
When you look at last year, the Hokies were giving up over five yards per carry on first down. Only Duke and Virginia were worse. This year that number's down to 3.7, which is certainly better but not outstanding.
Tech's success comes from doing well on first down and then pressuring the quarterback. We've had some good cornerbacks that we've trusted to be left in man coverage, allowing the Hokies to commit more personnel to the run game and then blitzing the opposing quarterback, which is where that success has come from. But if you're not doing your job on first down, everything else starts getting compromised. BDN: You picked Duke to upset Boston College earlier this season. Even though the Blue Devils have lost 10 in a row to the Hokies, do you think they'll be able to give VT a scare on Saturday?
Vegas certainly does. The line started at -14. It's since moved to -15, but obviously the odds makers think this one will be closer than it's been in most years. If the Hokies are caught looking ahead to the bye week and beyond that to Georgia Tech, then they're in for a surprise. Duke has enough talent to put a scare into the Hokies, but I like the matchups on offense and defense for Tech and think they'll win comfortably. Not overwhelmingly, but comfortably.
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