Duke 41, Navy 31

[phaedrus]

Great game, but the crowd was really weak. There's no way the side with the president's box was much over half full. Maybe it was the heat?

[grossbus]

all anyone who doubted a coaching change had to be made had to do to have their mind changed was watch this game.

[devildeac]

In the 1Q, it's 87 with a dewpoint of 73, so that's a heat index of 94. And barely past noon. Reminds me why I don't really miss Durham.

TV reports (we were at the game) said about 92 degrees, don't know the humidity, but heat index reportedly about 105 degrees. Folks, it was BRUTAL at WW today. But, we love the final result. More to come. Just got home, cleaned out the cooler, put away some leftovers and need a shower-desperately-as I am still soaking wet.

[RelativeWays]

There were a lot of people around the perimeter wall to stay out of the sun. It was bad and I've got a nice red tan But we won, and its the 1st of 5 (or maybe 6) Duke football games that Ive attended where they actually won. Defense stepped up big second half allowing only the one big play (shouldn't have happened) offense was more consistent. Duke only had one fumble at the end of the game and it was recovered, much better than the muffed punt return in the 1st. It was almost like the 07 Devils were the 1st half, this year, the 2nd.

I will say that the crowd picked up the second half and they have created a more fun atmosphere. Everyone loved the "more cowbell" 3rd down stand. The Vincent Price laugh after every devil TD is EXCELLENT. We had to sit closer on the Navy side and it really started to irritate their fans after about the 3rd time. They need to have the oldschool blue devil face superimpose slowly over "TD" during the laugh for full effect.

I went to the game with my dad and we met up with an old friend of his from his hometown who went to the Naval Academy (the Navy is serious business in Pensacola). They decided to leave right about the 1 minute mark, my Dad got up, thought I was getting up and I said "like hell I'm getting up. Not till the clock is 0:00" He understood completely.

[devildeac]

Just got out of the shower after being at the game. IT was SCORCHING. They ran out of bottled water (I had 5 Dasanis, myself).

Turnout was much lower than games 1 and 2. I was in first row again, and the student section was still decent, but not as packed as in the JMU or NW games. And the non student seats were much less filled.

As for the game, the O looked good. Cliff Harris didn't look good at all, but Navy's weakness is the pass, so that's not surprising. Lewis had 40 yards of rushing though again on that delayed QB run play, which works great.

Passing was pretty good, with Eron being the main target. Only one deep play and it was over Eron's head again. Thad's still gotta work on this.

Defensively in the first half, we looked poor vs the run, particularly against the option with the toss to the side.

We got better in the 2nd, but they switched QBs for some reason. Not sure if that helped or anything. Against the pass we were poor, but we werent expecting the pass from them too much, so no biggy there.

Special teams though is awful. At least 2 (i think 3) punts had awful snaps (the last one bounced and still went low), but the punter managed them...and of course the missed FG. Joe Surgan from long range was a shocker though. Never thought id say that.

Overall: B+. (A for Offense, B for Defense, D for Special Teams).

WE CAN WIN WHOOHOO!. I'm now 4-34 in my 4 years of watching duke football.

I'd give the special teams a little more credit. Jones recovered both low snaps nicely and got off 2 respectable punts despite the bad snaps. One punt during the game came to rest at the Navy 1, we held, got good field position and, IIRC, coverted with about a 40 yard drive for a score. Kick coverage was better with no long KO or punt returns. 1 FG was tipped. Last year, we only make 1/3 or 0/3 of those FG. Ya gotta remember, the made FG today were about 45 and 52 yards. That's a heck of a lot better than "going for it on every 4th down" which was Coach Cut's mantra about the kicking game in the spring practice and/or summer time.

Very satisfying result today, especially after the adjustments for the 2nd half after giving up several big plays, making several mistakes and allowing 24 points in the 1st 2Q.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Just got out of the shower after being at the game. IT was SCORCHING. They ran out of bottled water (I had 5 Dasanis, myself).

Turnout was much lower than games 1 and 2. I was in first row again, and the student section was still decent, but not as packed as in the JMU or NW games. And the non student seats were much less filled.

As for the game, the O looked good. Cliff Harris didn't look good at all, but Navy's weakness is the pass, so that's not surprising. Lewis had 40 yards of rushing though again on that delayed QB run play, which works great.

Passing was pretty good, with Eron being the main target. Only one deep play and it was over Eron's head again. Thad's still gotta work on this.

Defensively in the first half, we looked poor vs the run, particularly against the option with the toss to the side.

We got better in the 2nd, but they switched QBs for some reason. Not sure if that helped or anything. Against the pass we were poor, but we werent expecting the pass from them too much, so no biggy there.

Special teams though is awful. At least 2 (i think 3) punts had awful snaps (the last one bounced and still went low), but the punter managed them...and of course the missed FG. Joe Surgan from long range was a shocker though. Never thought id say that.

Overall: B+. (A for Offense, B for Defense, D for Special Teams).

WE CAN WIN WHOOHOO!. I'm now 4-34 in my 4 years of watching duke football.

It was very hot; the sun was very uncomfortable for many fans, worse for others. Many left at halftime not to return. Dr. Ed Mabry, who has sat next to me for many years, complained that the sun was giving him a headache midway through the second quarter, got up to leave and collapsed. Fans around him laid him out, everyone nearby passed water bottles over and we doused him in water and a couple of ice packs to cool him off. Emergency personnel took what seemed like forever to get there (midfield in the Iron Duke sections, full of big donors. You'd think they would hustle a bit more...). Ed recovered enough to walk up the stairs at halftime to receive further treatment. Ed, if you see this, I hope you're doing OK tonight.

The student section wasn't nearly as full as it has been for the first two games. Too early for them to drag their butts out of bed? That's been talked about ad infinitum in years past, in fact I'm surprised there isn't a code in either section 4 or 7 of the HPR on that (I know because I just looked.) Those students that were their were great, so kudos to you!

The Iron Dukes turned out pretty well, and only those who left because of the sun/temperature left before the end of the game. The group that wasn't there was the general public/casual fan, although the military appreciation ticket giveaway did help. And many thanks to those who served. Glad to have you in Wallace Wade anytime, even if you were rooting for Navy!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

A little more about the game. Great effort and just SUPER adjustments made at halftime to stop the big gainer runs on the option. Cut mentioned it during his post game interview with AD (Anthony Dilwig). If it wasn't for the two big plays for touchdowns (other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play), the defense was almost fabulous the entire game.

The running game was nonexistent, which surprised me. Navy was playing a wide defensive front most of the time, and you'd think we could have blocked them effectively for 5 yard gainers all day long, but we didn't. The passing game, especially those to Eron Riley, was worth the price of admission. Rafael Chestnut made a couple of nice catches and subsequent runs for first downs. Austin Kelly had a nice early catch.

Got more work to do on special teams - long snapping, catching punts (Leon Wright only muffed one punt, and he's done a nice job for two years catching punts, so perhaps we can let him slide one time; I withdraw my criticism), but the coverage on both punts and kickoffs was good to very good. Our run defense and tackling in general has been excellent. Tauiliili, Rey, Oghobaase, pretty much everyone. Our linebackers are becoming NFL draft choices!

Overall, a very satisfying day in WW! I look forward to playing Virginia in two weeks!

[Indoor66]

IMO, the heat at day games has always been a problem at Duke Football games. I have left many games because of the sun and heat. I was excited about lights at WW, but found them rarely used. I hope Duke starts to schedule home games at night. It is a much more pleasant experience. Additionally, I think it would help attendance by casual fans as it would not interrupt Saturday daytime activities (kid's activities, golf, etc.)

[devildeac]

IMO, the heat at day games has always been a problem at Duke Football games. I have left many games because of the sun and heat. I was excited about lights at WW, but found them rarely used. I hope Duke starts to schedule home games at night. It is a much more pleasant experience. Additionally, I think it would help attendance by casual fans as it would not interrupt Saturday daytime activities (kid's activities, golf, etc.)

My guess is that the noon start today was TV "dictated" by ESPN-U. It was blistering out there and having the prior 2 games at night were quite an enjoyable change from all those noon/1PM starts in prior years (decades?).

[loran16]

The student section wasn't nearly as full as it has been for the first two games. Too early for them to drag their butts out of bed? That's been talked about ad infinitum in years past, in fact I'm surprised there isn't a code in either section 4 or 7 of the HPR on that (I know because I just looked.) Those students that were their were great, so kudos to you!

The heat + the earlyness probably had something to do with it, plus i think the northwestern loss hurt a bit...work is starting to pick up for students, so with duke having lost last week, i dont think they were willing to show up as they did previously.

I did though (First row, section 23 Represent!), and will be there again against UVA.

[RelativeWays]

Now that I have a kid, nights are out until she's older. Late afternoon might be better, October games arent too bad for heat, but the sun is still an issue.

I wonder if Navy sailed home safely...

[jimsumner]

"Unfortunately, that's the only game scheduled for TV this year...Hopefully, we'll be dominating though and they will put more games on TV "

Lots of TV slots haven't been assigned yet.

The noon start was a function of being on TV. The sad reality is that you can't be on the tube and dictate the game time. It's an either/or. Ironically, it was much cooler on the two earlier Saturdays, when Duke played at 7.

And don't get me started on the students. I was a student once and it never once even remotely occurred to me to sleep in on a home football weekend. This team has worked its rear ends off, made great strides, and deserves a full house. Two weeks until Virginia and a chance to end a conference losing streak that has gone on too long. Be there or be square.

[CameronBornAndBred]

The game was great, and I am feeling crispy, the heat was brutal. I read the Navy QB left before halftime due to heat exhauston. Great win for our guys, overcoming an ugly first half and playing like the team they can be. 3 games in and we have a winning record..woohooo!

Sat behind half the bball team, I was tempted to ask which was hotter, today in Wade or Cameron for an ACC matchup.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

...must be up there smiling down on this. I bet he and Max Crowder are high fiving!

The Devil really stoked the hellfire in WW today. I felt the beginning of a shivvery chill in the second half and decided that discretion was the better part of valor and went out to find some shade and water. In that short period I missed a Duke touchdown, one of our terrific third down stops and a fumble recovery! It just doesn't pay to even blink! Something exciting happens every other minute.

It should be noted that the stands would have been much fuller had so many not had to take refuge under the trees around outside. I had lots of company out there during my brief cool down. Folks were there, they just weren't in the bleachers. Bless their hearts. More night games please!

Love, Ima

PS The new Devil brought his new attitude up into the stands among the crowd! Super! And the team went over to thank and celebrate with the students post game again. More super!

[BlueintheFace]

What a great weekend... HAIRSTON and THORNTON COMMIT aaaaand DUKE BEATS NAVY!!! I am ecstatic.

[SharkD]

Just got out of the shower after being at the game. IT was SCORCHING. They ran out of bottled water (I had 5 Dasanis, myself).

Turnout was much lower than games 1 and 2. I was in first row again, and the student section was still decent, but not as packed as in the JMU or NW games. And the non student seats were much less filled.

It was pretty frustrating that the concessions shacks ran out of water, but wouldn't provide cups of ice -- they said that the cups cost more than the soda. The coke vendors had water, but it was ambient temperature (a refreshing 90+ degree bottle of water -- mmmmm...)

Dr. Ed Mabry, who has sat next to me for many years, complained that the sun was giving him a headache midway through the second quarter, got up to leave and collapsed. Fans around him laid him out, everyone nearby passed water bottles over and we doused him in water and a couple of ice packs to cool him off. Emergency personnel took what seemed like forever to get there (midfield in the Iron Duke sections, full of big donors. You'd think they would hustle a bit more...). Ed recovered enough to walk up the stairs at halftime to receive further treatment. Ed, if you see this, I hope you're doing OK tonight.

We were sitting directly behind you, in Sec 27, Odd, row Y. My wife (5 months pregnant) was the nurse who hurdled three of four rows to make sure that Ed was breathing and had a pulse, when he first collapsed, ready to perform CPR, if need be.

Durham PD showed up within 30 seconds. The Duke EMTs showed up 7 minutes after Ed collapsed, without a stretcher. Considering that we were sitting in the shadow of Sports Med, (metaphorically; a literal shadow would have been a godsend) that was too long, and too little -- we're pretty sure that he collapsed again at the top of the bowl, while they were trying to get him into the Sports Med building.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

It was very hot; the sun

I was smart enough to put sun screen on my face, arms, ears and the back of my neck (no red-neck here!), like I do when I play golf. But I never put any on my legs - they don't burn when I play golf, even though I wears shorts 99% of the time. Today, sitting there for 3 hours, my thighs are very red and tender for the three or four inches above the knee where the shorts ride when sitting. OUCH!

[Acymetric]

Does anyone know what the national or conference records are for QB to WR touchdown connections and who owns them? Just curious. I don't think this is a very good sentance, I'm still a little off from all that heat, don't wanna think too much yet. Awesome game, I'll probably still be burnt when we play Virginia.

GO DUKE!

[devildeac]

Does anyone know what the national or conference records are for QB to WR touchdown connections and who owns them? Just curious. I don't think this is a very good sentance, I'm still a little off from all that heat, don't wanna think too much yet. Awesome game, I'll probably still be burnt when we play Virginia.

GO DUKE!

Jim Sumner warned us yesterday-90+ degrees, sun shining, noon start and that wonderful NC late summer humidity. I put my sunscreen on my ears and neck early and waited about 30 minutes in the blistering, unrelenting sun before applying to my arms and legs and am real glad I did. It was a bit messy but I only have a few slightly red and tender areas on the arms and legs from the broiling that occurred before I applied the protecting balm. It was truly worth it to sit out in the heat today to see the game the Devils played this afternoon.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

...must be up there smiling down on this. I bet he and Max Crowder are high fiving!

The Devil really stoked the hellfire in WW today. I felt the beginning of a shivvery chill in the second half and decided that discretion was the better part of valor and went out to find some shade and water. In that short period I missed a Duke touchdown, one of our terrific third down stops and a fumble recovery! It just doesn't pay to even blink! Something exciting happens every other minute.

It should be noted that the stands would have been much fuller had so many not had to take refuge under the trees around outside. I had lots of company out there during my brief cool down. Folks were there, they just weren't in the bleachers. Bless their hearts. More night games please!

Love, Ima

PS The new Devil brought his new attitude up into the stands among the crowd! Super! And the team went over to thank and celebrate with the students post game again. More super!

You're right! Surely Bill Murray, Eddie Cameron and Wallace Wade were looking down on today's game with big smiles....

The heat and humidity were terrible, but our team's conditioning and hard work paid off right down to managing the clock at the end. How long has it been since a Duke football team managed the clock to their own advantage????