Tag Archives: Duke vs Georgia Tech

Duke Basketball

Georgia Tech at Duke Game Notes

NCAA BASKETBALL: FEB 09 North Carolina at Duke3/3 Duke (15-1, 2-1) vs. Georgia Tech (10-5, 0-3)

Thursday, January 17, 2013 • 9:05 p.m. • ESPN

Durham, N.C. • Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)

Television

ESPN

Play-by-Play: Dave O'Brien

Analyst: Doris Burke

Radio

Blue Devil IMG Sports Network

Play-by-Play: Bob Harris

Analyst: John Roth

Sirius/XM - 91

The Opening Tip

• Duke is 15-1 on the year after suffering its first loss of the season, 84-76, on the road at No. 20

N.C. State. Duke is 15-1 for the 11th time in the last 19 seasons under Mike Krzyzewski.

• The Blue Devils are ranked No. 3 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Duke has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 104 consecutive weeks.

• Duke is 9-0 at home this season with home ACC wins over Wake Forest and Clemson. Duke is outscoring opponents by 22.8 points per game in Cameron Indoor Stadium this season while averaging 80.6 points per game. Duke is 793-153 (.838) in Cameron, including a 435-57 (.884) mark under Coach K.

• Duke and Kansas are the only two teams in the country to be ranked in the top five in the AP and Coaches polls, the NCAA RPI and SOS rankings.

• Duke is 14-1 since the 2009-10 season following a loss.

The Last Time Out

• The unbeaten and top-ranked Blue Devils suffered their first loss of the season, 84-76, at the hands of No. 20 N.C. State in PNC Arena.

• Duke trimmed the deficit to four points, 73-69, with 2:07 remaining, but the Wolfpack held off the late really to improve to 3-0 in the ACC.

• Four Blue Devils scored in double figures, led by Seth Curry with 22 points. Curry suffered an ankle injury with just over three minutes remaining in the game and Duke trailing

73-67. He did not return.

• Quinn Cook added 17 points and seven assists, Mason Plumlee recorded his ACC-leading 10th double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Amile Jefferson added 10 points.

• Playing without leading three-point shooter Ryan Kelly, Duke shot .300 (6-of-20) from the three-point line, nearly two percentage points lower than the team’s season average (.418).

Numbers Game

• Duke, ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Poll, has been ranked in the top 10 of the poll 104 consecutive weeks. The last time Duke was not ranked in the top 10 was Nov. 19, 2007.

• Duke is playing its 193rd straight game as a top-10 team in the AP poll. Duke is 161-31 in that span.

• Under Coach K, Duke is 400-162 (.712) against teams currently in the ACC.

• Duke landed in the No. 1 spot in the first edition of the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). Duke is one of only two teams in the country to be ranked in the top five in the AP Poll (No. 3), Coaches Poll (No. 3), NCAA RPI (No. 1) and Strength of Schedule index (No. 2). Duke is the only team in the top three on all four lists.

• Duke is 14-1 since the 2009-10 season following a loss.

• The Blue Devils are averaging just 9.0 made free throws per game and have not made more than 11 free throws in a game in ACC play. In non-conference play, Duke made 17.8 free throws per contest with 20 or more made free throws in seven contests.

• Quinn Cook ranks second in the ACC in assists at 6.2 apg. Bobby Hurley (1990-93), Dick Groat (1952), Jason Williams (2000-01), Chris Duhon (2003-04) and Quin Snyder (1989) are the only other Blue Devils to average over 6.0 assists per game in a season.

• Mason Plumlee has led the Blue Devils in rebounding in 14 straight games and in 15 of Duke’s 16 games this season. He leads the ACC in both double-doubles (10) and double-figure rebounding games (11).

• With Ryan Kelly sidelined with a right foot injury, Josh Hairston and Amile Jefferson combined for 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and two blocks from the forward spot in Saturday’s loss to N.C. State.

• Seth Curry along with his older brother, Stephen, have combined to score 4,370 career points. The Currys are eight points from moving past Chuck and Wesley Person (Auburn) and into third place among the top brother scoring tandems in NCAA history. Curry has scored 1,735 career points, including 1,028 points as a member of the Duke program.

Duke-Georgia Tech Series History

• Duke leads the all-time series 65-23, including a 31-5 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

• Duke is 50-18 against Georgia Tech under Coach K.

• Duke has won the last four meetings in the series and 28 of the last 31 contests overall.

• Duke has won five straight games against Georgia Tech in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke’s last home-court loss to Georgia Tech came on March 3, 2004.

• Seth Curry averages 12.0 points per game in his career versus Georgia Tech.

Duke vs. the Atlantic Coast Conference

• Duke is 899-490 all-time in the regular season against teams currently in the ACC (includes games when those teams were not members of the ACC).

• Under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke is 337-141 against the ACC in the regular season and 53-18 in the ACC Tournament. Krzyzewski ranks second in ACC history with 390 career league wins.

• Duke has dominated the ACC regular season since 1997, logging a 206-53 record during that span which is 34 more wins than the next closest school.

Duke Football

Blue Devils will host Georgia Tech for Senior Day

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.

Georgia Tech 35, Duke 24

Duke Football

Duke vs. Georgia Tech Q&A Exchange

Lance Images

In anticipation of Saturday’s matchup with Georgia Tech in Atlanta, BDN caught up with Winfield and Bird of FromTheRumbleSeat.com. The 2009 ACC Champions have had a disappointing 2010 season and need a win against the Blue Devils to become bowl eligible. BDN’s responses to their questions can be found at their site. Check back later this week for BDN’s full preview of the matchup with the Yellow Jackets, and live coverage from Atlanta.

BDN: Coming off an ACC Championship, the Yellow Jackets lost some serious talent to the NFL in Jonathan Dwyer, Demaryius Thomas, Derrick Morgan, and Morgan Burnett. The media picked Georgia Tech to finish 3rd in the Coastal Divison behind Virginia Tech and Miami, which is about where they are right now (half a game behind UNC). What were your expectations for the 2010 Yellow Jackets and how would you evaluate the season to date?

FTRS: Before we delve into our preseason predictions you must keep in mind that that typical Georgia Tech fan is forever the optimist going into the football season. In the beginning of the season, we discussed the September, October, and November schedules. Winfield boasted a potential 10-2 season while Bird said 9-3. Many thoughts surrounded our picks, mainly “returning starters” and “our defense can only go up from last year”.  Man, we were wrong.

The season has been a disappointment, but if the Tech fan gives himself a reality check, the season makes sense. An example of taking a realistic point of view is Bird’s article from Monday where he evaluates the rushing attack from 2008-2010. The final paragraph summarizes it nicely:  “What this tells me is that we're comfortable with our offense now as wins and losses are almost identical statistically. We're just not catching the breaks we got in 2009 (e.g. increased turnovers, poor field position, and bad special teams). We've lost as many fumbles as we did in 2009 in 29% less games. We've thrown one less interception than we did in 2009 and we still have 2 games plus a bowl game to go (hopefully). We're also punting at a higher frequency with a lower average than 2009. This all adds up to a down year compared to CPJ standards set in 2009. “

BDN: Paul Johnson inherited some pretty good talent at Georgia Tech and seemed to flawlessly install his flexbone offense, leading the Jackets to two Coastal Division Championships in his first two seasons. With a new coach, there's always the question of whether he can recruit and win with his own players. I know Johnson recently stole a good one out of Durham in Vad Lee, a player all 4 North Carolina ACC teams were recruiting. With the scholarship limits now behind them, what does the future look like for the Yellow Jackets?

FTRS: Two* Coastal Division championships (We technically tied in 2008. Won it outright in 2009). Depends on the positions. Paul Johnson will normally redshirt most freshmen so we as fans get to see our future come out as redshirt freshmen. It’s very rich for the A-backs with the likes of Orwin Smith and BJ Bostic.

BDN: Al Groh joined Paul Johnson's staff this season, and his defense seems to have had mixed results. What have been the significant changes to the defense this year? What has worked? What hasn't? Who has stepped up to fill the voids left by Morgan and Burnett?

FTRS: The significant change is the move from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense and we are trying to fit square players into circular holes. It just hasn’t consistently flowed all season.....

BDN: We know Duke will have its hands full with Anthony Allen, but Tevin Washington is filling in for the injured Josh Nesbitt at quarterback. Can you give us a brief scouting report on Washington? What should Duke expect with him under center?

FTRS: He’s tougher than we first expected. Still is slow at making reads but is a better passer than Nesbitt.

BDN: Georgia Tech has had the Blue Devils' number the past two meetings, with convincing wins in Atlanta in 2008 and in Durham in 2009. What do you expect from this year's matchup?

FTRS: The Jackets are stuck in a corner they haven’t been in for years and they need a morale boost before heading into Georgia. We expect (hope?) Georgia Tech to take a lot of frustration out on Duke.

BDN: Thanks, guys! Good luck on Saturday.