Tag Archives: Duke Football

Duke Basketball, Duke Football

Monday Musings – ACC Operation Football, media guides, future schedules and AAU Basketball

BDN is at ACC Operation Football today while Andrew wraps up his AAU coverage in Las Vegas. Busy week ahead, so stay tuned.

Are you ready for some football?  You better be for ACC Operation Kickoff got underway in Greensboro, North Carolina.  For many fans, the media gathering  signals the start of ACC Football season. 

 The votes are already in for the projected order of finish in the conference and the player of the year and the results will be released at 3:30 today.  I went with Florida State in the Atlantic and Virginia Tech in the coastal but it wouldn't surprise me if Georgia Tech, Miami or North Carolina won the Coastal for they are that even.  Could all of them go 6-2 in the conference?  We'll soon know.

- Electronic media has a huge presence in Greensboro and there are signs that we are in the infancy of a new age of convergence.  There will be some trial and error in the effort to merge new and old but in the end it's a necessary progression.  But there are concerns and you can bet that the ACC will control who they allow access to for it seems everybody has a team blog these days.

One change is the fact that Duke will no longer print a glossy media guide.  That's right collecting purist's, those yearbooks are for now a thing of the past.   I'll miss those old black and white glossy guides but there is an upside.  Duke has produced the most informative guide in the conference for pure information.  No photo's or glitz, just information.

 In April, the NCAA passed a law which no longer allows schools to send traditional media guides to prospects or recruits.  For many schools, this was an opportunity to show off their program.  I doubt that's the reason for Georgia Tech and Maryland's bare bones offerings. [I had a little crow for breakfast for Georgia Tech's offering is here today as is Maryland's]

Maryland produced it's basketball media guide on DVD-R and put out a few pages for football.  But as paltry as there information for media is, it's still better than Georgia Tech who provided a few stapled pages from a copier that could use some ink.

North Carolina trimmed their 2011 Media Guide down as did some of the other school but those I have not mentioned were all  average or above average in their offerings.  Okay, let me get to the point.  Media members need hard copies to facilitate their best work.

You see a lot of stuff on PDF files, but have you ever tried to open that during or after  a game while still being able to access to your article? The navigation is awkward at best especially for long documents.  May the hard copies live forever.

- The Duke Men's Basketball Coaches are winding up their viewing of AAU events this week.  Coaches James and Collins are in Orlando for the Showcase and  AAU Nationals.  As you may have seen in our tweets or updates if you are a member, Kryzyzewski took in Murphy and Muhammad in Las Vegas while juggling his Team USA duties.  Lot's to come for members of BDN Premium this week.

- And be sure to tune in to ESPN 3 at 7:00 EST tonight, for Michael Gbinije and Team Takeover will face Each One led by Austin Rivers. 

Here is a look at the 2011, 2012 Duke Football schedules -

2011 Duke Football Schedule

Home - Richmond, Stanford, Tulane, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Away - Florida International, Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia

2012 Duke Football Schedule

Home - Florida International, Memphis, N.C. Central, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia

Away - Stanford, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Duke Football

Quarterback development key to 2010 success

This article was co-authored by Patrick Cacchio.

Duke football will be playing their third season under Coach David Cutcliffe in 2010 and quarterback development will be a key element to success. In his first two seasons at Duke, Coach Cutcliffe has guided the Blue Devils to a record of nine wins and 15 losses. Those nine wins came with four year starter Thaddeus Lewis calling the signals. This season Duke's first challenge will be to fill Lewis' big shoes if they are to have continued success toward rebuilding the football program into a contender. Coach Cutcliffe recently stated, at an appearance in Winston-Salem, "For this particular team, the obvious concern is our quarterback play." There is no better coach than Coach Cutcliffe to lead the quarterback development effort as developing quarterbacks is his specialty. "We've got some talent at the quarterback position," Cutcliffe said this spring, "but three of the guys are freshmen - one redshirt and two true freshmen."

Sean Renfree (6'3" 210) is currently projected to be Duke's starting quarterback. Renfree redshirted the first year Coach Cutcliffe was in Durham and played in six games last season connecting on 34 of 50 pass attempts for 330 yards, and four touchdowns with two interceptions. Renfree underwent rehabilitation over the winter for a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his right knee he suffered in the game against Georgia Tech last November. Though he was limited in Spring Training, Renfree was able to participate in passing drills, continuing to impress the staff with his strong arm, "throwing the ball much better than any time he's been here." He is now a full participant in off season workouts. Coach Cutcliffe recently stated, “He’s at full speed….the guy is a machine.”

Renfree will most likely be the starter when Duke tees it up and kicks off the season against Elon on September 4th.

Three quarterbacks will be in the running for the backup quarterback position:

Sean Schroeder (6'3" 185) redshirted last season so he has the advantage of a year in the system. During the 2009 season, Schroeder routinely took snaps with the first team offense while Thad Lewis nursed injuries. In the Blue-White scrimmage, Schroeder struggled to find a rhythm with his receivers, connecting on four of 20 throws for 23 yards. Throughout the spring, Schroeder impressed the coaching staff with his mobility, but at times struggled to adjust to the speed of the game.

Brandon Connette (6'2" 210) is a true freshman who enrolled at Duke in January 2010 and quarterbacked the Blue Team to a 24-3 victory in this Spring's Blue-White Scrimmage. In post game comments, Coach Cutcliffe stated, "The play of Brandon Connette stood out, as it has in a lot of scrimmages." Connette rushed 12 times for 91 yards and a touchdown and threw for 67 yards including a six yard touchdown pass to Tyree Watkins. Connette's ability to run with the ball may propel him past Schroeder on the depth chart. During the course of spring practice, Coach Cutcliffe was impressed with the "unbelievable progress" Connette was able to make as a true freshman.

Anthony Boone (6'1" 225) will be a true freshman at Duke this fall, and will also be given an opportunity to win the backup quarterback job. Boone attended Weddington High School in Monroe, NC passing for 1530 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 780 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior. Despite his strong frame, Boone has shown the ability to be a dual-threat and make plays outside the pocket. Boone enrolled at Duke for the first summer session and is already on campus, participating in early workouts.

Improvement in the running game would go a long way in taking some of the heat off of Duke's young signal callers. In 2009, Duke averaged 368.5 yards of total offense per game, however, only 63.5 yards per game came via the ground. In 2010, experience on the offensive line will be a strength which should help improve Duke's ability to run the ball. Sophomore Desmond Scott and freshman Josh Snead, along with junior Jay Hollingsworth, provide the Blue Devils power, speed and talent in the backfield. Snead was impressive in spring practice, demonstrating an ability to "hit the hole unbelievably quick and with no fear," according to Coach Cutcliffe.

With the experience and depth Duke has in their receiving corps, airing the ball out on offense will remain a main strategy so the offensive line will need to provide the young quarterbacks time to throw the ball to Donovan Varner (65 catches in 2009), Conner Vernon (55 catches), Austin Kelly (54 catches), and the other members of the receiving corps.

Four of five offensive line starters return in 2010, along with a talented group of young redshirt freshmen. Senior center Bryan Morgan (6'3" 255) has started 24 straight games, totaling 2,017 career snaps, which is the most among active players. Tackle Kyle Hill (6'6" 285), guard Brian Moore (6'3" 275), and guard Mitchell Lederman (6'7" 305) are the other returning starters to a unit that finished third in the ACC in sacks allowed per pass attempt in 2009. Guard Brandon Harper (6'3" 305) also has starting experience. This spring, Coach Cutcliffe challenged the starting offensive linemen to lead the Blue Devil offensive attack, and was pleased with their progress: "I like our first offensive line right now. I'm more than pleased with their knowledge; they're stronger, they're quicker. We're better across the board there." For the first time in Coach Cutcliffe's tenure, the Blue Devils will have strength in numbers along the offensive line, which should help to keep the units fresh. "I also like what our young linemen have done," he said this spring, "I think for the first time since we've been here we're building a little depth." Success on the gridiron starts at the line of scrimmage and Duke's young quarterbacks are going to need the experienced guys along the offensive line to win the battles in the trenches this coming fall.

Duke has the pieces in place, talent and depth at receiver and running back, experienced lineman upfront; however, if Duke is to improve on last year's 5-7 record they will need their quarterbacks to develop into solid performers capable of consistently making good decisions, executing Coach Cutcliffe's game plan with precision, and leading the Blue Devils to victory. With a roster that includes 54 underclassmen, the young Blue Devils will need Sean Renfree to step up as a leader under center.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Alabama OT Boo Simon impressed with competition at Duke camp

BDN checked in with Boo Simon, a 6’4” 280 pound offensive tackle from Bay Minette, Alabama, just after the highly recruited junior left Duke’s campus.

“It was definitely one of the best camps I’ve ever been to,” he said “the competition level was extremely high. I think there were over 400 kids there, which is even more than the SEC camps I’ve been to. I got whooped on a couple times and you know the competition is high if that happens. Coach Middleton told me we’d get after it, and he was right.”

Though Simon has over a dozen scholarship offers, four schools have emerged at the top of his list: Duke, Maryland, Florida State, and Stanford. He recently got an invite to Auburn’s camp, and being an in-state school, they might enter the final mix if a scholarship is extended. Boo is looking for a school with a good location – in “a well-educated, cultured area.” Academics are also important, as is a coaching staff that he knows he’ll be comfortable with over the next four to five years.

Simon made the drive to Duke on Friday, joining the coaching staff and other recruits for dinner before Saturday’s day-long camp. “Coach Cutcliffe and his staff really know how to sell Duke. You can tell they’re a close-knit group, with their hearts in the program, and they’re happy there,” Boo said about the Duke staff, “and they always know what they’re doing. That’s an SEC or NFL caliber staff they have there. Their stock is rising and fast.”

Boo has a big week coming up, with camps scheduled at Auburn, Mississippi State, Alabama, Florida State, and Stanford.

He said that he’s developed a close relationship with Coach Tom Brattan, the offensive line coach at Maryland, who’s a “player’s coach.” Boo also mentioned that he liked the proximity of their campus to Washington, DC. “Florida State’s program speaks for itself, and it’s in a great location in Tallahassee,” he said, while also adding, “I was pretty pumped to get an offer from Stanford. Jim Harbaugh’s building a top dog football program there.”

Boo’s strengths on the field include his preparation, knowledge of the game, and quick feet. He’s a good blocker on the edge and is working on becoming a more complete leader for what he expects to be a young team this fall. “We’ve got a senior offensive line, but most everybody else is sophomores, so I want to get those sophomores in the weight room and on the field this summer so that they can step up in the fall,” he said when asked about his goals for his senior year. “We’ve got an extremely tough schedule, but we can pull off some upsets.”

Boo has a big week of camps coming up and will then make his college choice sometime over the summer, hopefully well in advance of his senior year.

Duke Football

A Cut Above – Portrait of a Football Leader to feature Duke Football Coach David Cutcliffe

Coach Cutcliffe and AD Kevin White are putting Duke Football back on the map - BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. --
A Cut Above - Portrait of a Football Leader, a one-hour documentary featuring Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe, is scheduled to air on Fox Sports South five times this month beginning on Sunday, June 13 at 9 p.m.

The show also will air on June 18 (7 p.m.), 20 (5 p.m.), 23 (7 p.m.) and 27 (9 p.m.).

Produced by ISP Sports, A Cut Above - Portrait of a Football Leader, focuses on Cutcliffe’s influence on others, personality and leadership style while including behind-the-scenes video footage of the Blue Devil head coach at practice, in the locker room, at home with his family and bass fishing with Hank Parker.  Topics covered include his roots in coaching, his training methods for elite quarterbacks, his bout with open heart surgery and his challenge in building Duke football into an annual contender.

Highlighting the documentary are interviews with former Cutcliffe quarterbacks Eli Manning, Todd Helton and Thaddeus Lewis, former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Archie Manning, Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White, current Duke players and coaches, family members, and country music artist Kenny Chesney.

Cutcliffe was named Duke’s 21st head football coach on December 15, 2007.  He has guided Duke to nine wins in two seasons after the program registered 10 total victories in the previous eight campaigns.  A native of Birmingham, Ala., and a 1976 graduate of the University of Alabama, Cutcliffe spent 19 seasons (1982-98; 2006-07) as an assistant coach at Tennessee where he helped the Volunteers to a 173-54-7 record including 17 bowl games, four SEC championships and the 1998 national crown.  He also served as the head coach at Ole Miss and guided the Rebels to a 44-29 ledger with a 4-1 record in bowl games from 1998-04.

The recipient of the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in 1998, Cutcliffe has coached two Super Bowl MVPs in Peyton and Eli Manning.  He was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2003 after directing Ole Miss to a 10-3 record with a share of the league’s Western Division championship and a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.  Under Cutcliffe, a total of eight quarterbacks have either earned all-conference honors or directed their respective school to a bowl game win: Andy Kelly (Tennessee), Heath Shuler (Tennessee), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Tee Martin (Tennessee), Romaro Miller (Ole Miss), Eli Manning (Ole Miss), Erik Ainge (Tennessee) and Thaddeus Lewis (Duke).

Duke Football

ABC picks up Alabama at Duke – starting times announced

Cutcliffe set to nring his troops together - image property of Blue Devil Nation.net

DURHAM, N.C. – Kick-off times for Duke’s first three games were announced on Thursday in conjunction with the ACC’s early-season television schedule.

The Blue Devils will open the year at home on September 4 against Elon at 7 p.m.  The game will be broadcast live on the internet at ESPN3.com.  In week two, Duke kicks off ACC action on the road at Wake Forest with a 12 noon game televised live by Raycom Sports.

Reigning national champion Alabama travels to Durham on September 18.  The game will begin at 3:30 p.m. and be televised live by ABC Sports.

Season tickets are available and may be purchased online at GoDuke.com/tickets or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE (3853).