2017 Football Season

[chrishoke]

The other concern; Army is playing very well against not so great competition, WF and GA Tech appear significantly better Duke. We need to win one of these to avoid an 8-game losing streak with a very healthy team. I doubt we’ll be favored in any of the 3.

That significantly better GT team got beat yesterday by the lowly Virginia Cavs. Hope springs eternal.

[budwom]

The-coaches-are-way-better-at-coaching straw man never gets old ... apparently.

Of course the coaching staff has more expertise, and of course message board posters would make poor replacements for said coaching staff. But while I would make a terrible football coach, I am observant enough to recognize when I am seeing the same problems week after week after week.

Like you, I also give our coaching staff a far better chance of figuring out solutions than me. However, if the coaches has any solutions, I'd expect changes to appear before the fourth consecutive week of offensive futility with the same core issues.

I'd like nothing better than the staff to prove me wrong, because I really like Cutcliffe and very much appreciate what he's done for our program. I'll gladly eat crow if things turn around. I just don't see that happening.

As a very faithful Duke football fan, I strongly agree. I am afraid that our assistant coaching inexperience is really hurting us this year at a number of key positions, e.g. offensive coordinator, offensive line, wide receiver, and special teams.
Assistant coaches are extremely important. For example, Cut's hiring of Ben Albert for the defensive line has paid huge dividends. I greatly admire Cut's loyalty to his staff and the fact that he likes to promote from within, but if you watch all the games (especially in person where you can see the whole field) it's pretty clear that we've had major, enduring problems that show no sign of improvement.

[Devil549]

If Duke wins 2 of next 3 and goes bowling we will look back and "say we had a bad OCT"..... of course we know now we had a bad OCT😎

IMO game that will surprise me the most that we win will be WF.

I HOPE WE GO BOWLING...don't care if it is with 5 or 6 wins!!!!!

[budwom]

If Duke wins 2 of next 3 and goes bowling we will look back and "say we had a bad OCT".... of course we know now we had a bad OCT😎

IMO game that will surprise me the most that we win will be WF.

I HOPE WE GO BOWLING...don't care if it is with 5 or 6 wins!!!!!

if we win two of the next three, I'll come and wax your car. But I do hope it happens

[szstark]

I'd agree with this as well, except that every other lower-half ACC team has shown some spark, some sign that their team is trying to rally. UNC played Miami down to the wire. Syracuse upset Clemson. Etc. Meanwhile, Duke comes out with a similar game plan and intensity level week after week. For our defense, that's a good thing. For our offense, it's the definition of insanity.

Maybe the coaches are finally going to try something different, or the bye-week break will help for the lights to simultaneously going to come on for about half a dozen offensive players. However, for all his good qualities, Cutcliffe can be extremely stubborn about his vision for the team, to the point where I do not expect to see any noticeable strategic changes. Meanwhile, we have an OL that cannot pass-block, WRs that cannot create separation, and an OC that is apparently allergic to run play-calls. That does not bode well for the remaining games.

If the OL can’t pass block and the WRs can’t get separation, isn’t the answer fairly obvious? I know, l know - I sound like one of those DBR geniuses who know more than the coaches, but this one doesn’t strike me as being up there with brain surgery.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I'd like to point out that most prognosticators pegged Duke between fourth and sixth in the division. Barring several surprises, that us exactly where we will finish.

[sagegrouse]

Fourth quarter -- Miami leads 31-28 but the Wahoos have the ball. This game could upset the national apple cart.

[YmoBeThere]

All is not lost...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

All is not lost...

You mean it’s not “over”? LGD GTHc!

[devildeac]

You mean it’s not “over”? LGD GTHc!

It's only over when you stop calling the plays from your mid-field seat...