Duke football notes, 10-07-14

[jimsumner]

David Cutcliffe says the virus has been contained. Impacted 8-10 players, who were "not drastically ill." Duke sanitized everything.

The week off helped heal lots of bumps and bruises. Cut says the team "came back healthier." Jamison Crowder says the team had more energy in today's practices. Everybody's legs were back.

Crowder admitted that he's trying to get his confidence back after the Miami game.

Cut blamed Matt Skura's snap problems on miscommunications with Anthony Boone. Laken Tomlinson speculated that the hostile crowd may have contributed to Skura's woes but Cutcliffe downplayed that. Duke prepares for road games with recordings of loud fans. Really loud.

Cut added that one bad snap in a lifetime is "too many."

The extra week has given Duke extra time to simulate GT's triple-option attack in practice. Nico Pierre, Robert Collins and Quay Chambers all ran the scout-team offense.

One thing Duke can't simulate in practice is Tech's cutting and chopping at the line of scrimmage. Duke did actually allow some chopping in one of the practices but carefully controlled.

Cut said Tech quarterback Justin Thomas had "great hands, great speed, doesn't get confused, very poised."

Cut didn't duck questions about Duke's recent lack of success against Georgia Tech, calling it "no fun. It certainly bothers me. If you don't like it, do something about it."

Anthony Boone? Went home this weekend and chilled out. Says Duke will not abandon the deep-passing game. "Deep balls are low-percentage throws. They're kind of hit-or-miss. . . . We're going to keep throwing the deep ball. I've got to give my guys a chance to catch it every time. That's what it comes down to."

True freshman linebacker Zavier Carmichael says he faced a few triple-option teams in high school but nothing like Georgia Tech. "Their O-line gets up in your face quick and cuts you if they get a chance. You have to have an awareness of where you are. I'm working on keying on the right guy. With all the motion back and forth, you can lose your eyes and miss your key.

Getting Tech off the field. "Everybody has a job. You can't do each other's jobs. You've got to do yours and trust your teammates to do theirs."

[FerryFor50]

I got hand/foot/mouth from my 1 year old (who got it from daycare).

First hand account - it sucks. They don't mention the blisters that cover your hands and feet that take a week to stop hurting and then another week or two to peel and disappear.

Glad to hear it got contained.

[budwom]

I'm not sure I'd refer to them as Matt Skura's snap problems. Two of them hit Boone directly in the hands. I'd call them Skura-Boone problems.

[devildeac]

Tech cuts and chops at the line of scrimmage?!?!? "I’m shocked, shocked to find that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is going on in here!"

[jimsumner]

I'm not sure I'd refer to them as Matt Skura's snap problems. Two of them hit Boone directly in the hands. I'd call them Skura-Boone problems.

I recall some short hops.

[devildeac]

I recall some short hops.

Funny, when Jim mentions short hops, the only things I can think of are duketaylor's farming and brewing exploits and Brian Zoubek's measured vertical (kidding, kidding).

[-bdbd]

Tech cuts and chops at the line of scrimmage?!?!? "I’m shocked, shocked to find that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is going on in here!"

"... Here are your winnings sir..."

[uh_no]

Funny, when Jim mentions short hops, the only things I can think of are duketaylor's farming and brewing exploits and Brian Zoubek's measured vertical (kidding, kidding).

the only thing I can think of when "short hops" is mentioned is me playing basketball

[devildeac]

the only thing I can think of when "short hops" is mentioned is me playing basketball

I suffer from the same affliction. My vertical is best measured with a micrometer. Speed is also not one of my better attributes as my 40 yard dash time is best measured with a sundial.

Ok, I've got a real question now. Every time we play GT, the reference is made to their "cutting and chopping." I understand this rule was most likely instituted to prevent severe leg injuries to the defensive players. So, what exactly constitutes legal and illegal blocking in their schemes/teaching/execution as taught/coached by Paul Johnson? And, considering we complain about it so much, why do officials not penalize it much more frequently?

[ricks68]

Funny, when Jim mentions short hops, the only things I can think of are duketaylor's farming and brewing exploits and Brian Zoubek's measured vertical (kidding, kidding).

Funny thing, I'm walking along across the street from Pritchard Park today in Asheville, and coming at me is a slender guy with a "Z" shirt. So, I walk up to him and tell him that I know what that shirt stands for. He said that he didn't think that anyone outside of Duke would know what it was all about. Turns out that his daughter, while at Duke, was one of the people that designed the shirt and got it together for sale. He said that it had to be approved by Duke, and since the proceeds were going to a charity, etc., it would be O.K. He explained a lot of other interesting things about it, but no need to get into that on this thread. It was just kinda cool to see that "Z" coming at us on a beautiful sunny day. (Couldn't enjoy it even more over a brew at One World down the street, however, since it wasn't yet 4:00.)

ricks

[Jim3k]

It was just kinda cool to see that "Z" coming at us on a beautiful sunny day. (Couldn't enjoy it even more over a brew at One World down the street, however, since it wasn't yet 4:00.)

ricks

Hmmph. Must've been 4 pm somewhere.

[ricks68]

Hmmph. Must've been 4 pm somewhere.

Just not at One World Brewing, and I preferred that one over the other 17 breweries in town at the time.

ricks