Duke Football 2009

[formerdukeathlete]

I am extremely confident about the long-term prospect for the Duke program under Cutcliffe ... I am less enthusiastic about next season.

As for my long-term optimism, let me say that's based on the commitment of the university to a winning football program (finally, after a quarter century of neglect) and -- to me -- the obvious experience and competence that Cutcliffe and his staff brings. When you look at the background of the assistants and the non-coaching staffers he hired, it's light years from what we had. I think it's significant that he kept his staff intact after last season (when's the last time that happened?).

One comment about recruiting. From the beginning, Cutcliffe and his staff have been distainful of the "star" system and the internet recruiting rankings. From his experience at Ol Miss, where he sent several "two star" recruits to the NFL, he's made it clear that he'd rather trust his own judgment in recruits. We'll see who is right, but I suggest that an interesting test will be Walt Canty, a two-star recruit from South Carolina who kicked major butt in the Shrine Bowl practices (and was defensive MVP in the game) and had at least one national writer calling him one of the national sleepers of the year.

Also, interesting that a recent story out of Miami suggests that the 'Canes are now saying their recruiting was too influenced by the internet "star" system and they are going to rely less on rivals and scout and more on their own judgement. I would also point out that Jim Grobe at Wake built his program from an ACC laughingstock (we used to have company at the bottom of the standings) into a consistent ACC contender without ever once having a recruiting class rated in the top half of the ACC.

All that said, I think it will take time for Cutcliffe to get Duke out of the lower reaches of the ACC (it took Grobe five years). Plus, I don't like this year's schedule. The two FCS opponents don't offer much chance to shine and Army is almost a now-win situation. I'm sure Cut will get a win or two in the ACC -- I hope Duke wins at least five overall to show progress over next year.

But keep in mind, Cut and his staff are rebuilding the offensive line, restructuring the secondary, trying to rebuilt the linebacking corps and looking for a playmaker at wide receiver. It's going to be tough.

All that said, there are only nine seniors on this year's roster. The three most important things I'll be looking for this season will be (1) for Renfree to establish himself as a successor to Thad Lewis; (2) for somebody on the defensive line to step up and establish himself as a successor to Oghabaase; and (3) for at least two young linebackers to emerge.

If those things happen, Duke will be in position to make a major leap in 2010. But I don't expect to see a major improvement this season.

re your three most important things -

1. Renfree can go in and do the job, we all pretty much think, and there is a small chance he may win the starting job, but dont rule out Schroeder. This time of year the best inkling is reading interviews of players about what they are up to, as the workouts are informal and un-observed. Thad pointed out that Schroeder was throwing well.

2. Our D-line should be strong this season, upper tier in conference. nobody else on the roster has the raw ability of VO, who was what the 6th ranked nationally d-lineman when he was recruited in the 05 class? VO was a better student, and this relates to your comments about recruiting. Roof landed VO with about 1100 SATs and good grades over Miami and other top programs because he was a better student. We want to replace VO with a commensurate talent?, somewhere among the top prospects nationally is another kid who is willing to consider a top academic school among the many choices. VO will play in the NFL for years. This type of thing also helps the program, as well as being well represented by a smart young man. Cut, it seems is reorienting his recruiting a bit more toward targeting better students. As this goes, with the success we expect, the talent levels will improve.

3. We have a number of good linebackers in the pipeline. Not worried about that as being a hole.

[Jim3k]

Who will fall to Duke in '09?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Thanks much Jim, Heather is fun to read. She had Thad and Vince in the top half of her top 30. I'm looking forward to the press' pre-season guesses, I'm thinking it's becoming more uncomfortable for them to not keep us at the bottom of the heap anymore.

[Bob Green]

I'm going to expand past the thread topic of "Duke Football 2009" and ask, with Coach Cutcliffe revitalizing Duke Football, what out of conference teams would you desire to see become regular opponents? Personally, I would love to see us play South Carolina every year.

[wolfpackdevil]

I'm going to expand past the thread topic of "Duke Football 2009" and ask, with Coach Cutcliffe revitalizing Duke Football, what out of conference teams would you desire to see become regular opponents? Personally, I would love to see us play South Carolina every year.

I think playing South Carolina every year would be great!

East Carolina is another team I would like to see Duke play. It's a great stadium in greenville. And I would happily make the trip and have a long tailgate there every other year.

Also, I like that Duke is playing Stanford in the 2010 and 2011 season. A battle of good coaches, and very smart schools. I think it's also good for the team to make a long travel like that, to be ready for a travel like the ones we make to Tallahassee, BC, and Miami.


And if your gonna have one FCS opponent every year. I think it should be NCCU. It will draw a HUGE crowd, and they'll get tons of publicity for it. And an easy W.

[gep]

I'm going to expand past the thread topic of "Duke Football 2009" and ask, with Coach Cutcliffe revitalizing Duke Football, what out of conference teams would you desire to see become regular opponents? Personally, I would love to see us play South Carolina every year.

How about Notre Dame?

[Bob Green]

Also, I like that Duke is playing Stanford in the 2010 and 2011 season.

This site says we play Stanford in 2011 and 2012.

[Bob Green]

How about Notre Dame?

Notre Dame would be a great opponent, but that match-up doesn't have a realistic chance of happening.

[4decadedukie]

Northwestern: (a) Big 10 (or is it 11?) university; (b) recent football history with Duke; (c) excellent (almost Duke-like) academics; and (d) an opportunity for Midwest alumni and fans to see the Blue Devils every second year.

[Duke of Nashville]

Vanderbilt- Last years game was great : )

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

South Carolina used to be a regular on Duke's schedule. I used to dread beginning the season with them because the Gamecocks often seemed to beat down our team physically and psychologically. The games were more frequently away than at home because the athletic department made more money playing in Columbia than at home. What was billed as the final game between the two schools was an old fashioned "barn burner" played in Columbia.

In addition to the SEC schools already mentioned, I'd add Alabama. Over the years Duke's had some good games against Alabama. There's also the coaching connection between the two schools over the years.

[RazzyBailey31]

We just added Baylor in 2017 and 2018. Smart move I think. Recruiting hot bed and a winnable game against a BCS school.


http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/conte...wacbuduke.html

[airowe]

I wonder how Duke's recruiting haul for '09 stacks up with NC and State's after both programs have suffered detractions from this year's class.

I don't have a link since I'm posting from my Blackberry but I heard on 99.9 this afternoon that 7 out of 29 2009 recruits will not be enrolling at UNC this year.

[formerdukeathlete]

I think playing South Carolina every year would be great!

East Carolina is another team I would like to see Duke play. It's a great stadium in greenville. And I would happily make the trip and have a long tailgate there every other year.

Also, I like that Duke is playing Stanford in the 2010 and 2011 season. A battle of good coaches, and very smart schools. I think it's also good for the team to make a long travel like that, to be ready for a travel like the ones we make to Tallahassee, BC, and Miami.


And if your gonna have one FCS opponent every year. I think it should be NCCU. It will draw a HUGE crowd, and they'll get tons of publicity for it. And an easy W.

I am with Dr. Bob Green on the South Carolina idea. We might have a good chance of scheduling home-home series with them, particularly if we are able to expand Wade in seating capacity anytime soon. The South Carolina game ought to draw well in Durham, which helps in the financial arrangements if we have the sufficient number of fans in the stands. i have to think K. White is keenly aware of this. South Carolina may not expand our recruiting footprint, but it would be an intense rivalry. South Carolina might see benefit in playing Duke from the perspective of raising the academic profile in their recruiting.

East Carolina draws well. But i like South Carolina for the tradition, plus national attention in playing another SEC team.

From a recruiting footprint perspective, playing Pitt, UConn, Syracuse, Rutgers helps in the all important northeast, middle atlantic corridor.

[peloton]

DITBD, was that "last game" against USC down in Columbia a Duke victory? My future wife and I drove down for a Duke game at USC and I'll never forget it. We won the game basically at the end of the 4th quarter I believe. Aside from the Duke fans who made the trip down, the crowd was absolutely stunned and in a state of shock (and that may have included a few Blue Devil fans also.) I pretty much left Columbia on a high from the euphoria.

I would make more trips down to Columbia if we played the Gamecocks on a regular basis. That was my only trip to a game there but I remember Williams-Brice being a pretty nice stadium. All this talk of football is getting me revved up for some Duke football...I'm ready for September!

Le Peloton

[Bluedog]

We just added Baylor in 2017 and 2018. Smart move I think. Recruiting hot bed and a winnable game against a BCS school.


http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/conte...wacbuduke.html

2017?!?! I didn't realize they even try to schedule games so far in advance. Who knows what Baylor or Duke is going to be like at that time. I hope and believe we'll be greatly improved, though.

[johnb]

2017?!?! I didn't realize they even try to schedule games so far in advance. Who knows what Baylor or Duke is going to be like at that time. I hope and believe we'll be greatly improved, though.

We have several guys in the pipeline who should be ready for the Baylor series.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

DITBD, was that "last game" against USC down in Columbia a Duke victory? My future wife and I drove down for a Duke game at USC and I'll never forget it. We won the game basically at the end of the 4th quarter I believe. Aside from the Duke fans who made the trip down, the crowd was absolutely stunned and in a state of shock (and that may have included a few Blue Devil fans also.) I pretty much left Columbia on a high from the euphoria.

I would make more trips down to Columbia if we played the Gamecocks on a regular basis. That was my only trip to a game there but I remember Williams-Brice being a pretty nice stadium. All this talk of football is getting me revved up for some Duke football...I'm ready for September!

Le Peloton

Checking my Duke Football yearbook, we are 24-17-3 against them all time, with the last game being in 1991, a loss. We last beat them in Columbia in 1982. Previous to that, we beat them in 1974 in Columbia and I was there for that game. In fact, a brother in the SC chapter of my fraternity still owes me a "skin" that we bet on the game. (A skin is an animal hyde with the appropriate fraternity nomenclature and game results on it - bragging rights, if you will. Back then, it cost a couple of hundred $ to have one made, don't know what they would cost today.)

Looking deeper into the records, we beat them regularly until 1978. Since then, we've lost 9 out of the last 10 to them, which makes our record against them through 1978 23-8-3; not shabby at all!

[OldPhiKap]

DITBD, was that "last game" against USC down in Columbia a Duke victory? My future wife and I drove down for a Duke game at USC and I'll never forget it. We won the game basically at the end of the 4th quarter I believe. Aside from the Duke fans who made the trip down, the crowd was absolutely stunned and in a state of shock (and that may have included a few Blue Devil fans also.) I pretty much left Columbia on a high from the euphoria.

I would make more trips down to Columbia if we played the Gamecocks on a regular basis. That was my only trip to a game there but I remember Williams-Brice being a pretty nice stadium. All this talk of football is getting me revved up for some Duke football...I'm ready for September!

Le Peloton

I seem to remember that we tied it in the 4th on two straight possessions (20-20, maybe?).

I would love to see us renew with SC but after Spurrier moves on.

-- Le Brakeaway.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I seem to remember that we tied it in the 4th on two straight possessions (20-20, maybe?).

I would love to see us renew with SC but after Spurrier moves on.

-- Le Brakeaway.

Good memory, OldPhiKap! For 1991 South Carolina game, the State's headline could have read, "Duke Beats SC 24-24."

The historic contest ended in a tie after Duke played a Herculean game before a crowd of 71,200, only a small number of whom were cheering for Duke!

Getting out of Williams-Brice Stadium was a challenge because the parties had begun in the refurbished railroad cars assembled along George Rogers Blvd. Traffic was directed well away from Columbia making it difficult to get to our hotel which was actually near the stadium.