Tag Archives: Duke – Maryland

Duke Football

BDN Previews Duke at Maryland

Duke Running Backs - BDN Photo

Duke (1-3) will travel to College Park for the first time since 2003 on Saturday to try and put a stop to their disappointing 3-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Maryland Terrapins (3-1) will look to extend their winning streak to 3 games, while avenging last season’s loss in Durham. The showdown in Byrd Stadium presents the young Blue Devils with an opportunity to overcome their early season struggles and turn their season around as they head to their bye week.

Duke in Week 4
Duke fell to Army, 35-21 in last week’s Homecoming game in Wallace Wade Stadium. Turnovers were the story of a forgettable day for first-year starting QB Sean Renfree, who threw three interceptions and added a fumble. The Blue Devils finished with five turnovers, and were just 1 of 8 on third down. Conner Vernon continued his strong start, finishing with 8 catches for 129 yards and a late touchdown, though he also added a fumble of his own. The defense showed improvement from earlier contests, holding the potent Army rushing attack to 3.8 yards per carry, but did give up two big touchdown passes in the 3rd quarter, which sealed the win for the Black Knights. After a strong performance against Alabama, freshman LB Kelby Brown continued his strong play, leading the Blue Devils with 10 tackles.

Maryland in Week 4
Filling in for the injured Jamarr Robinson, ACC Freshman of the Week Danny O’Brien led the Terrapins to a 42-28 victory over Florida International. The redshirt-freshman QB finished 18 for 27 for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Terrapin offense scored on 4 plays of greater than 50 yards, including big runs from Da’Rel Scott and Davin Meggett, and a 68 yard strike to standout WR Torrey Smith. It was a mixed day for the Terrapin defense, which came away with two interceptions, held FIU to 2.9 yards per carry, but gave up 355 passing yards.

Analysis
Momentum appears to be in the Terrapins’ favor, who have already eclipsed last year’s 2-win mark and are thirsty for revenge after a sloppy 17-13 loss to Duke in 2009. The Army loss was deflating for this Duke team and its fanbase, but a win in College Park would go far to restore the confidence of this team and the Blue Devil faithful.

The Terrapin offense will present a significant challenge for a struggling and banged up Blue Devil defense. Maryland boasts one of the most balanced offenses Duke will see in 2010, entering the contest at 4th in the ACC in scoring, while also averaging an almost even 160 yards rushing and 160 yards passing per game. While O’Brien, a player Coach Cutcliffe recruited, has earned the start, Robinson is also expected to be available, giving the Terrapins a dynamic passing/rushing tandem under center. The duo of Scott and Meggett lead the rushing attack, which has averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 7 touchdowns in 2010. The best way to contain the Terrapin offense, however, would be to find a way to slow Torrey Smith. Smith already has 5 receiving touchdowns on the year (including 4 in his last two games) and is second in the ACC in receiving yards behind Duke’s Conner Vernon. Duke’s defense is allowing 237 passing yards per game and has already given up 10 receiving touchdowns. While they don’t turn the ball over, the Terrapins do lead the ACC in penalty yards, a trend the Blue Devils hope will continue on both sides of the ball Saturday.

In summary, defensive keys for Duke:

1. Limit big plays for the Terrapins by slowing Smith and finishing tackles against the run.
2. Bring pressure. The Terrapins gave up 8 sacks in week 3 to West Virginia.
3. Play tough on 3rd down. Maryland enters the game last in the ACC in 3rd down conversions.

Just as Duke will have its hands full with the Maryland offense, the Blue Devil offense should bounce back and challenge an inconsistent Terrapin defensive unit. The game will feature the ACC’s top red zone offense (Duke, 13/13) against the ACC’s top red zone defense (Maryland, 10/18). Florida International demonstrated that it’s possible to throw the ball against the Terrapin defense, which is allowing 186 passing yards on the year (which includes a game against run-heavy Navy). The defense is anchored by an impressive group of linebackers, led by senior Alex Wujciak, who enters the game second in the ACC in tackles at 12.2 per game. The Terrapin defense has forced an impressive 10 turnovers on the year, but has just 5 sacks, allows nearly 200 rushing yards per game, and ranks last in the ACC in 3rd down defense.

In summary, offensive keys for Duke:

1. Take care of the football. Turnovers doomed the Blue Devils last week and the Terrapins defense is hungry for takeaways.
2. Keep the offense balanced. Renfree to Vernon has been a pretty thing to watch so far in 2010, but Duke’s other receivers have been inconsistent. Duke needs to get a few more of their receiving weapons going while also allowing Scott and Snead to break some big runs to really open things up.
3. Move the chains and convert in the red zone. This looks like a game where 3rd down and red zone conversions will be the deciding factor.

In closing, the Blue Devils should also be wary of Tony Logan, the ACC’s leading punt returner, who took one to the house last week for 85 yards. In contrast, Coach Cutcliffe insists the Blue Devils have been close to a return TD themselves, and a big special teams play will swing the momentum.

BDN Prediction
Every week presents an opportunity for the young Blue Devils to turn things around, and the trip to College Park would be as good a time as any with a bye week looming. After showing improvement on defense against Army, the defense will face a stiffer test in a balanced Maryland attack. Allowing big plays and turning the ball over are trends that need to be reversed for the Blue Devils to stay competitive. Coach Cutcliffe has praised the character and work ethic of his young team, and it will have to be on full display in a hostile environment Saturday evening. The margin for error is slim, but the BDN consensus is that the Blue Devils will pull together for a hard-fought and much-needed conference win.

The BDN Football staff split 2-1 in favor of Duke on this one and the consensus pick was Duke 34  Maryland 33

Duke Football

Duke goes to 4-3 with a 17-13 win over Maryland (Rey post game audio added)

Lewis threw for two touchdowns
Lewis threw for two touchdowns-BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C.  - The Duke Blue Devils rode the arm of Thaddeus Lewis to defeat the Maryland Terrapin's 17-13 in soggy and wet Wallace Wade Stadium.  The win pushed Duke's record to 2-1 in the ACC and 4-3 overall.

The Devils have now won two consecutive ACC games for the first time since 1994 when they won four in a row.  Lewis hit 30 of 43 for 371 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Lewis was aided by big games from wideouts Donavan Varner [8 catches 120 yards, one touchdown] and Conner Vernon [5 catches for 102 yards] and Austin Kelly [9 catches for 61 yards].  The other passing touchdown went to tight end Danny Parker.

Vernon became the first freshman in Duke history to record two 100 yard games.  Thaddeus Lewis broke a school record for total offensive plays as well.

"When's the last time somebody could say Duke won ugly?," asked Duke Coach David Cutliffe.

His point was that Duke had a season high 12 penalties for 101 yards and two fumbles in the red zone.  Despite that, Duke was able to hang on for a key ACC victory.

Duke's defense would have held Maryland to less than 200 yards if it were not for one 67 yard touchdown pass.  Interestingly, Duke held Maryland to 67 yards rushing on 31 carries, a season low for the team.

The Blue Devils next travel to Virginia in a game which starts at 3:30 on ESPN 360.  More football coverage to come.

Duke LB Vinnie Rey post game comments -

Duke Football

Thaddeus Lewis is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Thaddeus Lewis named to watch list - BDN Photo
Thaddeus Lewis named to watch list - BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. – Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2009 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The prestigious Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the nation’s top senior college quarterback by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.

Lewis has led Duke to a 3-3 record on the season. He ranks second in the ACC and 17th nationally with 266.8 passing yards per game. He has completed 134-of-213 (.629) pass attempts for 1,601 yards. He has thrown 12 touchdown passes while throwing just two interceptions. He also has three rushing touchdowns to lead the team.

In two conference games, he is averaging a league-best 409.0 yards per game. He completed 40-of-50 pass attempts for 459 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-28 win at N.C. State. His performance earned him National Offensive Player of the Week honors from the Walter Camp Foundation as well as ACC Player of the Week and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week. He also threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns against No. 6 Virginia Tech.

The 2009 winner will be presented with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Friday, December 11 at the Tremont Grand Meeting & Banquet Facility in downtown Baltimore. Joining the festivities that evening will be a number of former Baltimore Colts teammates of Johnny Unitas, along with NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr.

Duke Basketball

Duke ousts Maryland 67-61 enroute to the ACC Tournament Championship Game.

Duke will go for another ACC Championship against FSU
Duke will go for another ACC Championship against FSU

In the movie Scarface, Al Pacino (Tony Montana) said, "Say hello to my little  friend," as he whipped out his machine gun to take care of business.  Duke introduced Maryland to their old friend, the three point shot, going 9 of 22 helping them take care of business.

The Blue Devils 67-61 victory over the Terrapins wasn't always pretty, but the end result has to be beautiful for Mike Krzyzewski who will vie for his 11th ACC Championship tomorrow afternoon.

But Duke had some other familiar friends show up in their victory which pushed their season record to 27-6.  Duke managed to get to the free throw stripe 21 times, canning 18 of them.  Then there was their staple defense which is allowing 64 ppg in their first two contests.

Duke didn't shoot the ball well.  In fact, one of their key stars, Gerald Henderson went 3 of 14 from the field.  That combined with 36% from the field made for a game where Maryland remained within striking distance for most of the game.  Henderson ended the game with 8 points, but his streak of 24 straight double figure scoring games went down.

Henderson finally hit a three to give Duke a 47-41 lead at the 8:44 mark in the second half.  Maryland quickly scored of a Vazquez drive, but that's when the player of the game, Jon Scheyer took over.

Scheyer nailed a three point shot and then stole the ball just beyond half court, driving the ball for a lay in all in the same motion.  Scheyer also hit key free throws down the stretch and led all scorers with 22 points. 

Another key factor was Nolan Smith logging 30 minutes.  Smith shook off some early game rust and finished with 10 points, 3 assists and 0 turnovers.

But the player who kept them into the game in the first half, was Kyle Singler.  The sophomore star was the only double figure scorer for either team at the half and while he cooled off in the second half, he put up numbers of 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots.  Singler became the 50th player in Duke Basketball history to score 1000 points with his effort.

Let's not forget Dave McClure who made consecutive baskets during a key second half spurt.  McClure was 3 of 3 from the field for six points.  McClure had several key boards and timely blocks which gave Duke a spark.

"As a group, it would be a great way to help us in the latter part of March. Personally, it would be great just to get back there. We won a couple championships early in my career, but I really wasn’t much of a factor. I was young and coming off a couple injuries. There would be no better way to end with these guys than to go out and get one. Everybody on our team feels like they are a part of it. Everybody will take ownership of it," said McClure in the post game interview session.

That spark was important, for the Blue Devils came out looking lethargic.  It was as if they were waiting for one another to make a play.  That's why Singlers play was vital today for he put the team on his back in the early going.

The Duke defense held Greivas Vasquez to 14 points on 17 shots.  Eric Hayes picked up the slack late for the Terps scoring 20 points, but it was too little too late.

Duke defeated Maryland for the third time this season.   Duke will now against a more talented Florida State team that defeated #1 rated North Carolina to advance to their first championship game under Coach Leonard Hamilton.  The ACC Coach of the Year, will attempt to keep his team from losing their third game to the Blue Devils.

Duke has played in 28 of the 56 ACC Tournament Championship games, a stat that speaks for itself.  Duke now has a 7-1 all time record in the Georgia Dome.

Link to Box Score Duke-Maryland ACC Quarterfinal

Duke Basketball

Duke takes out Maryland 78-67 in key road win

Krzyzewski praised freshman Elliot Willams after the game. Williams scored a career high 15 points to go with 6 rebounds.
Krzyzewski praised freshman Elliot Willams after the game. Williams scored a career high 15 points to go with 6 rebounds.

The Duke Blue Devils defeated Maryland 78-67 to move into sole possession of second place in the rough and tumble Atlantic Coast Conference.  The pesky Terps played the Blue Devils even most of the game, but after the score was tied at 60 apiece, Duke made key plays to go up 66-60 and never looked back.  They outscored the Terps 18-7 down the stretch.

"We knew what was at stake.  You have desperate teams.  You have a Virginia Tech team that won at Clemson tonight and Maryland beat the best team in our conference in North Carolina.  We knew they were an entirely different team now," said Krzyzewski.

It was a workmanlike victory for the Devils who never showed signs of losing their composure despite the usual hostile home crowd.  Duke was also able to take

19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocked shots for "G"
19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocked shots for "G"

Grevies Vasquez out of the game by taking several charges.  Vasquez ended the game with just 10 points coming off his signature performance of 35 points and double figure assists and rebounds in their upset win over North Carolina.

Gerald Henderson continued his torrid pace, putting the team on his back during key stretches.  Henderson who has been one of the most consistent players in the country of late ended the game with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks.

Freshman Elliot Williams made some huge plays, be it grabbing key boards or getting to a loose ball.  Williams, who has now started three consecutive games, tallied a career high 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds."We were struggling to stop them on the offensive end defensively, but we put it together in the last minutes of the second half and came out with a win," said Williams.

"One of the things I try to use to help the team out is my athleticism.  That was a play where I just tried to get the rebound and I got it, pumped faked and went up as quick as I could," said Williams when asked of a key rebound and stick back in traffic.

"I thought a couple of the plays Elliot made to get a loose ball and a bucket a couple of times was huge.  He made the pass of the game - the extra pass to Jon for the three.  You could see with that three that the look in their (Maryland) faces changed," said Krzyzewski.

Kyle Singler also chipped in with  double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Jon Scheyer also scored in double figures with 12 points.

Duke has protected the ball well in their 3 game winning streak and ended the night with just nine turnovers.  Duke also outrebounded the Terps 39-28.

It was a solid victory for the Blue Devils who move to 9-4 i n the ACC and 23-5 overall.  Duke will now travel to another hostile environment in Blacksburg, Virginia to take on a Virginia Tech team that gained a huge road win over Clemson.

Notes- Nolan had a mild concussion and some chest pain.  Duke expects him to be okay but they are taking precaustions.  Smith ran into a nasty pick from Maryland's Neal. 

Box Score Link

From GoDuke.com - A Winning Tradition
•    Duke has now won 1,870 games all-time, the fourth-highest victory total in NCAA history. The Blue Devils have an all-time record of 1,870-814, including 753-213 under Coach K.
•    The Blue Devils have won 284 games this decade, the most wins in a decade by the program. The win total is the second most by a team in NCAA history behind Kansas (286-60 from 1990-99).
•    Duke is now 929-237 all-time as a ranked team, including 787-180 as a Top 10 team.
•    The Blue Devils have won 20 or more games 44 times in school history with 24 of those coming under Coach K. Duke has won at least 23 of the first 28 games a total of 20 times.
•    Duke claimed its ninth ACC win of the year. They have an 845-478 all-time record against current ACC schools, including a 277-247 mark on the road. They have now won nine games in conference play in 12 of the last 13 seasons and in 21 of the 29 years under Coach K.

Duke vs. Maryland Series
•    Duke and Maryland met for the 165th time on Wednesday with the Blue Devils now holding a 105-60 lead in the all-time series. 
•    The Blue Devils are now 4-3 when playing in the Comcast Center and 30-24 when playing in College Park.
•    Coach K is 46-20 all-time against Maryland. He has a 17-8 ledger in the month of February.
•    Duke has been ranked in each of the last 30 games they have played against Maryland and 54 times overall in the series. They have been ranked in the top 10 in 46 games.

Duke In The ACC
•    Duke now owns a 518-277 all-time record in ACC regular season games since the inception of the league in 1953-54.
•    Duke has an 845-478 record against schools currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference, including a 278-247 record at home.
•    Coach K owns a 343-147 record against schools currently in the ACC.

Duke In February
•    Duke improves to 5-3 in the month of February in 2008-09. Under Coach K, the Blue Devils have a 170-66 all-time record in the month of February.
•    When playing on Feb. 25, Duke is now 16-11 all-time, including a 6-2 record under Coach K.

Krzyzewski Climbs Victory Ladder
•    Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 826th victory as a head coach on Saturday. He ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history for career victories and is first among active coaches.
•    Krzyzewski is now four victories shy of Jim Phelan for fourth all-time.
•    Coach K now has 753 wins as the head coach at Duke, ranking him sixth in NCAA Division I history for victories at one school and second among active coaches (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse – 791). Krzyzewski is six wins shy of Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle for fifth all-time.
•    Krzyzewski’s 826 victories are the second most by a head coach through 34 years of coaching. Only Dean Smith of North Carolina won more games with 830 victories.

1,000 Career Points
•    Duke has 58 players in school history who have scored over 1,000 career points, giving the Blue Devils the third most 1,000-point scorers of any school in Division I behind North Carolina (62) and Louisville (59).
•    Duke has three current players who have scored at least 1,000 points in their career. Jon Scheyer ranks 39th all-time with 1,186 career points. Greg Paulus currently ranks 40th on the school’s all-time list with 1,173 career points. Gerald Henderson ranks 48th with 1,111 career points.
•    Sophomore Kyle Singler is also chasing 1,000 career points this season. He currently has 894 career points.

Offensive Notes
•    The Blue Devils scored 78 points and have now scored 70 or more in 24 of the 28 games on the year. Duke is 21-3 this season when scoring at least 70 points and 664-132 all-time under Coach K.
•    Four Duke players scored in double figures, marking the 15th game this season that four or more players have scored at least 10 points for the Blue Devils.
•    Duke made 25 field goals to give them 19 games with 25 or more made field goals.
•    The eight made three-point field goals for the Blue Devils give them 14 games with eight or more made treys. Duke has made 24 three-point field goals in the last three games.
•    Duke made 20 free throws and have now made 20 or more from the foul line in 11 games this year, including the last three contests.
•    The Blue Devils outrebounded Maryland 39-28 and have now outrebounded its opponent 18 times in 28 games.
•    Duke committed only nine turnovers, the sixth time this year they have recorded single digits in turnovers. Four of those six games have been in February.

Defensive Notes
•    Duke held Maryland to 67 points, including 33 in the second half. The Blue Devils have held 18 opponents to under 70 points on the year.
•    The Blue Devils limited the Terps to three made three-point field goals. Duke has held 12 opponents to three or fewer made treys, including seven ACC opponents.
•    Maryland committed 11 turnovers and the Blue Devils have now caused over 10 turnovers in all 28 games this season.
•    Duke blocked six shots to give them nine games this season with five or more blocks.

Duke Player Notes:

Gerald Henderson
•    Junior Gerald Henderson scored 19 points to extend his double figure scoring streak to 20 games. He has scored 10 or more points in 24 games on the season and 56 times in his career. He has scored 16 or more in 14 straight games.
•    Henderson pulled down eight rebounds to give him 14 games this season with five or more boards. He has at least five rebounds in 41 career contests and eight or more in five games this year.
•    Henderson set a career high with four blocked shots. His previous high was three blocked shots in a game three times, including the Michigan game on Dec. 6. The four blocks give Henderson 66 career blocks, moving him into 20th on Duke’s career blocks list.
•    With three assists Henderson has now recorded three or more assists in 13 games this season and 23 career games.

Greg Paulus
•    Senior Greg Paulus became the 26th player in school history to play in 130 career games.
•    Paulus made 2-of-3 three-point field goals to give him 205 career made treys. He has made two or more three-point field goals in nine games this season.

Jon Scheyer
•    Junior Jon Scheyer scored 12 points to reach double figures in scoring for the 21st time this season and 67th career outing.
•    Scheyer had three rebounds to give him three or more in 23 games this season and in 73 career games.
•    Scheyer dished out five assists to lead the team on Wednesday and now has five or more assists in five games on the year. He posted his 17th game this season with at least three assists and has led the team in assists in 14 games.

Kyle Singler
•    Sophomore Kyle Singler recorded his eighth double-double of the season and fourth in conference play with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He now has 12 career double-doubles.
•    Singler has now recorded at least one point, rebound, assist, blocked shot and steal in a game 14 times this season.
•    The 13 points give Singler a team-high 25 double figure scoring games this season. Wednesday marked his 50th career double figure scoring game.
•    With 10 rebounds Singler has now pulled down 10 or more rebounds in eight games on the year and 12 career games. He has eight or more rebounds in 15 games and at least five rebounds in 26 of the 28 games this season.

Lance Thomas
•    Junior Lance Thomas recorded two steals to give him a steal in five of the last six games and in 10 games overall. He has four games this season with two steals.

Elliot Williams
•    Freshman Elliot Williams scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 from the field, 1-of-2 from the three-point line and 2-of-4 from the foul line. He has three straight games with 10 or more points after not scoring in double figures in his first 22 collegiate games.
•    After shooting 6-of-8 from the floor, Williams has three straight games with at least five field made field goals. He is shooting 16-of-22 (.727) in the past three games.
•    Williams grabbed six rebounds and now has five or more rebounds in three outings this year.

Brian Zoubek
•    Junior Brian Zoubek blocked a shot for the 17th game this season. He now has a team-high 25 blocks on the year, nearly doubling his career total of 26 coming into the year.