Ouch.
Good thing we have developed some depth over the last few years. We have some good players that have opportunities to step up.
Go Duke!
Duke vs. Virginia
October 6, 2012
PROBABLE
David Helton (leg)
QUESTIONABLE
CB Lee Butler (lower body)
QB Sean Renfree (arm)
DT Jamal Wallace (lower body)
OUT
CB Jared Boyd (leg)
S Brandon Braxton (upper body)
LB Kelby Brown (leg)
NG Jamal Bruce (foot)
TE Braxton Deaver (leg)
DE Justin Foxx (hand)
S Chris Tavarez (leg)
OUT FOR SEASON
TE Jack Farrell (leg)
WR Blair Holliday
DE Allen Jackson (shoulder)
S Corbin McCarthy (shoulder)
S Taylor Sowell (leg)
Ouch.
Good thing we have developed some depth over the last few years. We have some good players that have opportunities to step up.
Go Duke!
is another way of still saying that we know nothing. Cut's still playing games here I think - Renfree could already be considered almost certain to play or not even close, and Virginia has no clue.
I just wish I had a clue.
<devildeac> anyone playing drinking games by now?
7:49:36<Wander> drink every qb run?
7:49:38<loran16> umm, drink every time asack rushes?
7:49:38<wolfybeard> @devildeac: drink when Asack runs a keeper
7:49:39 PM<CB&B> any time zack runs, drink
Carolina Delenda Est
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
The other variable here is Connette. He's been banged up more than a bit. If Renfree can't go, then Duke may not want to play Connette at non-QB positions any more than necessary.
The real disappointment for me is the presence of Braxton on the out list ... he's been a great run-defender from safety. Actually, our pass coverage may improve a bit if that means Foster is in the starting secondary, but we lost against the run.
The other disappointment is the slow recovery of Jamal Bruce ... a month ago I was hearing optimistic stuff about how he'd be back by the end of the September. Now, no hint that he's even close to coming back.
As for Connette ... good to see he's not on the list at all this week after being questionable a week ago. I agree with Jim -- while Connette can help a lot of places, he's most valuable as a short-yardage quarterback.
I would have to think that given that questionable is not out, and that it is a later start time, and that Cut has said Renfree has been at least out on the practice field and not in the training room every waking second, that unless he gets worse he will play. This is a huge game for Duke and Renfree is in his senior season so unless, as Cut says, he is not safe to play or would hurt the team by playing, I'd be willing to bet he plays. Though I'm not a betting man and have never really been that optimistic; so perhaps its a sign.
It's hard for me to think of a parallel for what Duke has gone through this season at the safety position. Cash's appeal to play this season was denied. Sowell-out for the season. McCarthy-out for the season. Tavarez-out for a long time, maybe out for the season. Campbell leaves the team. Byas misses the first three games after surgery. Young-Wiseman was hurt early. Now Braxton.
Duke is down to four healthy, recruited safeties with college experience. Two of them--Canty and Byas--are playing at a high level. But I'm not sure either Young-Wiseman or Norman should be starters and one of them has to be. Rider and Bristow are walk-ons, valuable practice players but most walk-ons are walk-ons for a reason.
Assuming Butler plays, Duke has five healthy corners, Butler, Cockrell, Foster, Burton and Patterson. Keep in mind, Duke likes to use three safeties and two corners. So, I would expect to see some corners playing safety Saturday. There just aren't enough safeties.
Duke has switched to three corners in obvious passing situations. Foster did tell us Tuesday that he's been practicing at safety and feels like he can fill in there. But he's awfully slight for a safety.
FWIW, Duke has two recruited freshmen DBs who haven't played yet, safety Michael Westray and corner Devon Edwards. You would hate to burn a redshirt this deep into the season but you also would hate to lose a chance to get to a bowl game.
And please, please, please keep Connette as far away from safety as possible. The risk/reward ratio seems way skewed towards risk.
According to the Herald-Sun, Boone did get the majority of reps in practice this week:
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_s...-for-Saturday?
So, I suspect that Renfree's injuries are indeed serious enough that this is a true game-time decision. My guess is that Renfree starts.
Cutcliffe does a great job of revealing basically nothing when it comes to injuries. I guess he prefers keeping our opponents guessing. But I do expect Renfree to start for some reason...
Any word on Renfree for today? Anthony Boone's very solid performances notwithstanding, I think playing without Renfree would be a serious blow to our chances.
While we're in this thread, it didn't look like anyone who played this game had to leave with injury, did it? Another great bonus if true.
I know guys like Canty and Butler were basically play injured and still need to recover, but hopefully today was a step in the right direction injury-wise as well.
I don't see how anyone could call it any other way.
Boone had a very good game, yes, but he was "only" 18-31...and was very close to picks on a couple occasions along with several overthrown balls. No doubt he is going to take the reigns for the next two years, and his 4 TD performance was great, but he still has work to do to become near the level of renfree, who has yet to have a game this year with a <70% completion rate...
either way, great experience for boone, this team will be in good hands when renfree steps aside
April 1
If not mentioned already, UVa was 4/16 on 3rd down conversions and 0/3 on fourth down attempts.
Very impressive.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.