Duke Football Previews

[whereinthehellami]

Its that time of year again. Football previews are popping up like summer thunderstorms. Here is one from Techsideline on Duke's team (http://www.techsideline.com/news_archive/showArticle-3831.php) for next year. They also have a Clemson and BC preview up for you football fans.

[Highlander]

Not a lot of new info, but Cutcliffe's enthusiasm is being noticed.

http://www.charlotte.com/sports/story/731688.html

[Bluedawg]

Its that time of year again. Football previews are popping up like summer thunderstorms. Here is one from Techsideline on Duke's team (http://www.techsideline.com/news_archive/showArticle-3831.php) for next year. They also have a Clemson and BC preview up for you football fans.

I liked his comment on Thad:


Thad Lewis is the best quarterback you've never heard of. Last season he threw for 2,430 yards and 21 touchdowns, with just 10 interceptions. And he was only a true sophomore.

I hope he can start getting some credit.

[whereinthehellami]

Here is the College Football News preview (http://cfn.scout.com/2/748951.html) of Duke. They mention the possiblity of Duke winning 3 games and the UVA game as Duke's best chance to get an ACC win.

[formerdukeathlete]

Here is the College Football News preview (http://cfn.scout.com/2/748951.html) of Duke. They mention the possiblity of Duke winning 3 games and the UVA game as Duke's best chance to get an ACC win.

both of the reviews kind of miss. For example the one linked above - on the one hand talks about Cut's offensive schemes, no-huddle, hurry up, and then on the other talks about how our o-line needs to give Lewis a tick or two longer to find Eron Riley, which is incongruous. A click or two longer suggests throwing deep to Eron, which surely will happen some, but Cut's offense will have mostly short passes, many more than last year, so that Lewis does not need as much time. It is a pretty common misnomer to say that the o-line was terrible last year and that this was the (main or only) reason for the sacks, forced throws, fumbles. With the throw discipline of say a Spurrier coached team, whereby qbs get rid of the ball quickly, our o-line would have looked a lot better last year.

[whereinthehellami]

both of the reviews kind of miss. For example the one linked above - on the one hand talks about Cut's offensive schemes, no-huddle, hurry up, and then on the other talks about how our o-line needs to give Lewis a tick or two longer to find Eron Riley, which is incongruous. A click or two longer suggests throwing deep to Eron, which surely will happen some, but Cut's offense will have mostly short passes, many more than last year, so that Lewis does not need as much time. It is a pretty common misnomer to say that the o-line was terrible last year and that this was the (main or only) reason for the sacks, forced throws, fumbles. With the throw discipline of say a Spurrier coached team, whereby qbs get rid of the ball quickly, our o-line would have looked a lot better last year.

That is true to some extent but when your line is that bad it allows the defense to crowd the line and jump the short passes. When the defense can get away with only rushing 4 and wreaking havoc your offense is going to struggle.

[OldPhiKap]

It doesn't matter what type of offense you run -- if the other team controls the line of scrimmage you are fighting an uphill battle.

Having said that, if we could kick field goals the last two years we would be in a less miserable postion than we are. Cut said that was going to be a priority and I look forward to improvement in that area over the next few years.

[RepoMan]

I agree. There is really no excuse to have a miserable special teams unit. Last year was mind-numbing. If we can turn that around and improve overall discipline, we can start moving in the right direction. Combine that with Coach Cut's impressive recruiting. Throw in a solid portion of better and more creative coaching. Add a dash of better facilities. And, brother, we are on the way to respectability.

[formerdukeathlete]

It doesn't matter what type of offense you run -- if the other team controls the line of scrimmage you are fighting an uphill battle.

Having said that, if we could kick field goals the last two years we would be in a less miserable postion than we are. Cut said that was going to be a priority and I look forward to improvement in that area over the next few years.

Actually, what Cut proposes, in his form of no-huddle, hurry-up, is both more challenging and yet easier on o-lineman. It is more challanging because there are more plays for our o-lineman to learn. On the other side of the coin - the mandate is to get rid of the ball more quickly. This means the o-lineman hold for shorter periods of time. The mandate is shorter pass routes, including throwing to tight ends, H backs, backs in general. These short routes pull linebackers away from the line, as they need to hold back to cover these short routes. Since fewer folks can then stack the line, pushing linebackers back, the pass frees up the running game. The hardest thing for o-linemen to support is an offense predominated by long pass plays, which was last season. Qbs of teams with the best o-lines in the pros - the Giants, the Patriots, get rid of the ball quickly on pass plays. We have some pretty talented and intelligent o-lineman. With quicker pass routes, a multitude of plays, you will have a good chance to notice how well these guys can play.

[skitelz]

Having said that, if we could kick field goals the last two years we would be in a less miserable postion than we are. Cut said that was going to be a priority and I look forward to improvement in that area over the next few years.

Hopefully, that new freshman kicker Cut bagged will help. According to scout, Paul Asack is the 15th best kicker in the country.

[OldPhiKap]

Actually, what Cut proposes, in his form of no-huddle, hurry-up, is both more challenging and yet easier on o-lineman. It is more challanging because there are more plays for our o-lineman to learn. On the other side of the coin - the mandate is to get rid of the ball more quickly. This means the o-lineman hold for shorter periods of time. The mandate is shorter pass routes, including throwing to tight ends, H backs, backs in general. These short routes pull linebackers away from the line, as they need to hold back to cover these short routes. Since fewer folks can then stack the line, pushing linebackers back, the pass frees up the running game. The hardest thing for o-linemen to support is an offense predominated by long pass plays, which was last season. Qbs of teams with the best o-lines in the pros - the Giants, the Patriots, get rid of the ball quickly on pass plays. We have some pretty talented and intelligent o-lineman. With quicker pass routes, a multitude of plays, you will have a good chance to notice how well these guys can play.

Thanks, fda. I assume Cut's emphasis on conditioning will also be a positive factor here.

You may be able to address this -- my thought over the last few years is that we have starters who are able to compete in the ACC. The biggest difference between us and some of the powerhouses is that they can go two or three deep at most positions (excluding QB) and they can circulate them in and out while our main guys get worn down. Am I way off on that? (I would not be surprised if I am). Perhaps again conditioning will help solve some of that problem.

[formerdukeathlete]

Thanks, fda. I assume Cut's emphasis on conditioning will also be a positive factor here.

You may be able to address this -- my thought over the last few years is that we have starters who are able to compete in the ACC. The biggest difference between us and some of the powerhouses is that they can go two or three deep at most positions (excluding QB) and they can circulate them in and out while our main guys get worn down. Am I way off on that? (I would not be surprised if I am). Perhaps again conditioning will help solve some of that problem.

With the no-huddle, hurry-up conditioning is very helpful, no doubt.

If we get into a rhythm offensively, so that with each pass play our qbs take x amount of time, a shorter amount of time than last year, to throw, our o-line guys ought to stay fresher, stronger longer. Also, if we back up the linebackers with short routes, our guys ought not to be pounded as often (like what tended to happen last season with the emphasis on long passing routes) by linebackers. We will be running more reps on offense (hopefully, with first downs), but stress per rep should be less, and the physical exertion more varied - throwing the running plays in there.

Yes, conditiioning is key, and I think we are pretty good 2 deep in the o-line this year.

[OldPhiKap]

With the no-huddle, hurry-up conditioning is very helpful, no doubt.

If we get into a rhythm offensively, so that with each pass play our qbs take x amount of time, a shorter amount of time than last year, to throw, our o-line guys ought to stay fresher, stronger longer. Also, if we back up the linebackers with short routes, our guys ought not to be pounded as often (like what tended to happen last season with the emphasis on long passing routes) by linebackers. We will be running more reps on offense (hopefully, with first downs), but stress per rep should be less, and the physical exertion more varied - throwing the running plays in there.

Yes, conditiioning is key, and I think we are pretty good 2 deep in the o-line this year.

Thanks. -- OPK

[accsecblog]

Here is the College Football News preview (http://cfn.scout.com/2/748951.html) of Duke. They mention the possiblity of Duke winning 3 games and the UVA game as Duke's best chance to get an ACC win.

followed closely by NC State. I also think UNC will be a close game too. First time poster, long time lurker.

It may be a rough go for Duke in the first season under Cutcliffe but it was definitely a good move in the long. Improvement will be definitely be seen in year two.

My Duke Preview (http://accsec.blogspot.com/2008/07/david-cutcliffe-era-begins-at-duke.html)
http://accsec.blogspot.com/2008/07/david-cutcliffe-era-begins-at-duke.html

[OldPhiKap]

followed closely by NC State. I also think UNC will be a close game too. First time poster, long time lurker.

It may be a rough go for Duke in the first season under Cutcliffe but it was definitely a good move in the long. Improvement will be definitely be seen in year two.

My Duke Preview (http://accsec.blogspot.com/2008/07/david-cutcliffe-era-begins-at-duke.html)
http://accsec.blogspot.com/2008/07/david-cutcliffe-era-begins-at-duke.html

Interesting blog sites, and thanks for the info. The best measuring stick for me about where our program has been: I am a Duke grad but live in Georgia; I know more about SEC football and UGa/USC than about the ACC football teams. I think that's about to change, although it will be a tough road.

Your call of 3 wins may well be true, although I think our improved conditioning and attitude will take us further than that. But a dose of reality is not a bad thing either.

I hope you will join the conversation again as the season progresses.

-- OPK

[Tennessee&DukeFan414]

Duke should beat James Madison, Northwestern, and will have a good chance against the Wahoos, Commodores, and GT is going to be attrocius. Couple that with Miami (FL) having a brand new quarterback and playing tons of freshman and Duke might get 3-5 Wins out of that bunch. Navy will be a tough game, last 4 games against Navy, DUke is 0-4 losing 12-27, 21-28, 13-38, and 43-46 plus they return Kaheeaka-Enhada. VaTech, UNC, Clemson, Wake, NC State, Miami 9just because of the sheer athletes they have) are the only major disadvantage games I see.

[GopherBlue]

Your call of 3 wins may well be true, although I think our improved conditioning and attitude will take us further than that. But a dose of reality is not a bad thing either.
-- OPK

3 wins this year would be a purposeful step in the right direction. I am as excited about the future of Duke football as anyone, but I don't think it would benefit the program to have inflated expectation and fall short. After all, there have been no major talent upgrades (on the field) in the past year. Good coaching, conditioning, and attitude/excitement is a great start, but it will take a few years for this extreme make-over, Duke football edition to generate major returns.

IMO, the expectation meter should be something like this ...
0 wins = same old Duke football we've come to know and tolerate
1 win = hey, it's better than no wins, but ... when does basketball start?
2 wins = baby steps
3 wins = :)
4 wins = what's that I see at the end of the tunnel? Hopefully it's not an oncoming train.
5 wins = Cutcliffe Field at Wallace Wade has a nice ring to it
6+ wins = I think my Cutcliffe cool-aid was spiked (can I have some more?)

[PumpkinFunk]

Your call of 3 wins may well be true, although I think our improved conditioning and attitude will take us further than that. But a dose of reality is not a bad thing either.

I'm expecting more, because of the weakness of the Coastal Division, we have a lot more possibilities.

@Wake, @GT, Miami, Carolina, State, and UVA are all winnable games by all measures. Wake, we've played closer than we should have given the disparity in everything. GT is rebuilding and if the Paul Johnson offense is failing (i.e, creamed by BC, VT, and Miss St the weeks before our game), it could come out well. Miami is a young, less-experienced team who we've played closer than we should have. Carolina, throw out all the stats and everything else. And see last year. State is predicted 5th/6th in the Atlantic, and it's a home game. And UVA is going to have a massive drop with all of their issues this year. And out of the ACC, Vandy is just a big question mark.

Add those to first 3 games, and honestly, we could start off on a 5-0 run (4-0 is my best guess, but if we somehow pull of the GT upset and then a Miami upset... Vandy is certainly weaker than Miami, and Wake, well... they're Wake). We haven't seen a Duke team start a season with confidence in a long time, and given that Clemson and VT, the only games I would consider absolute losses (barring a miracle), are #10 and #11, there could be a lot to cheer about in Wally Wade come November 29th. I'm not predicting anything close to a 10-2 season, but I think 7-5 isn't unreasonable given our schedule. Mind you, anything over 3 (the number we would've had last year without the Navy and Carolina debacles) would more than satisfy me, but saying we're not a possible bowl team is crazy, given the total weakness of our division. We have the talent. We have the coach. We have the most favorable schedule we will get for a while, with relatively easy OOC games against BCS teams (Vandy and NW being at/near the bottoms of their conferences, Navy in serious rebuilding, and JMU being I-AA, even a good I-AA, with less depth than a I-A has).

[Jarhead]

3 wins this year would be a purposeful step in the right direction. I am as excited about the future of Duke football as anyone, but I don't think it would benefit the program to have inflated expectation and fall short. After all, there have been no major talent upgrades (on the field) in the past year. Good coaching, conditioning, and attitude/excitement is a great start, but it will take a few years for this extreme make-over, Duke football edition to generate major returns.

IMO, the expectation meter should be something like this ...
0 wins = same old Duke football we've come to know and tolerate
1 win = hey, it's better than no wins, but ... when does basketball start?
2 wins = baby steps
3 wins = :)
4 wins = what's that I see at the end of the tunnel? Hopefully it's not an oncoming train.
5 wins = Cutcliffe Field at Wallace Wade has a nice ring to it
6+ wins = I think my Cutcliffe cool-aid was spiked (can I have some more?)
That chart of yours may be right on the mark. My expectations are slightly higher, though, because I see some on field improvement accruing just by having a more competent coaching staff. Plus this -- the less than talented team of last year can't help but improve based solely on the improved conditioning of the players. I am eager to get the season going. I just love the way Cut's first full recruiting class is building, and it will be nice to be joined by the Manning brothers in the fan base.

[OldPhiKap]

I didn't mean to spark a debate on the number of wins. I think we really have to take this game by game and see what happens. It's hard for me to pick a number and say I'll be satisfied with X but not with Y.

James Madison is one of the better D-II teams in the country. Let's start there and work our way down the schedule.

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14400&ATCLID=1511878

[rockymtn devil]

I didn't mean to spark a debate on the number of wins. I think we really have to take this game by game and see what happens. It's hard for me to pick a number and say I'll be satisfied with X but not with Y.

James Madison is one of the better D-II teams in the country. Let's start there and work our way down the schedule.

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14400&ATCLID=1511878

I think JMU is 1-AA. At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, Duke can count 1-AA wins towards bowl eligibility. I don't think you can do that for DII wins.

As has been discussed in this thread, I think we'll be surprised to see how much on-paper improvement comes from better kicking and conditioning. At Ohio State, "Tressel Ball" has come to mean great defense, reliable FG kicking to ensure points on most possessions, and great punting to win the field position battle. Duke has been the antithesis of this for years. Improvement in the kicking game will be very noticeable.

[accsecblog]

This would be the year to get GT. GT lost a lot of players off last season and still has kinks to work out in the new offense. Better to play them earlier rather than later.

This is the year to beat them. I think they made a great hire in Paul Johnson. His offense will work.

The ACC & SEC Blog
http://accsec.blogspot.com

My Duke articles
http://accsec.blogspot.com/search/label/Duke

[Atldukie79]

As a fan of AppState and a life long Duke fan...I can tell you with certainty that App State would have creamed Duke last year..and App State struggled to beat JMU last year. Don't look past them. They are for real. Having said that, I tink we can/should beat JMU, but they may not be our easiest opponent.

[OldPhiKap]

As a fan of AppState and a life long Duke fan...I can tell you with certainty that App State would have creamed Duke last year..and App State struggled to beat JMU last year. Don't look past them. They are for real. Having said that, I tink we can/should beat JMU, but they may not be our easiest opponent.

Whoever scheduled that game should be shot.

[sagegrouse]

I think JMU is 1-AA. At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, Duke can count 1-AA wins towards bowl eligibility. I don't think you can do that for DII wins.



Uhhh, just in case you think there is a shred of rationality in the NCAA, Div I-AA has been renamed something like the "Division I Football Championship Subdivision" (FCS, for short).

sagegrouse

[formerdukeathlete]

That chart of yours may be right on the mark. My expectations are slightly higher, though, because I see some on field improvement accruing just by having a more competent coaching staff. Plus this -- the less than talented team of last year can't help but improve based solely on the improved conditioning of the players. I am eager to get the season going. I just love the way Cut's first full recruiting class is building, and it will be nice to be joined by the Manning brothers in the fan base.

Me thinks you will be enjoying your 50 yard line seats this fall.

http://duke.rivals.com/commitlist.asp

And, it is a good thing....with commitments from 9 kids so far from NC, 3 more from SC, 1 from Richmond, 1 from DC, 4 from GA, and really only 3 not within easy driving distance, we are building are a fairly local fan base, and attendance will be up, up, up with success on the field.

34k seating capacity soon could seem a bit restrained, small for the Blue Devils....This may not be lost on Dr. Kevin White.

[rockymtn devil]

Uhhh, just in case you think there is a shred of rationality in the NCAA, Div I-AA has been renamed something like the "Division I Football Championship Subdivision" (FCS, for short).

sagegrouse

I refuse to use the phrases "Football Championship Subdivision" and "Football Bowl Subdivision". They are, and always will be, 1-A and 1-AA.

[OldPhiKap]

They should call them the "Computer-generated Championship Division" and the "Determined it on the field Championship Division."

[chrishoke]

They should call them the "Computer-generated Championship Division" and the "Determined it on the field Championship Division."

Yes - Beautiful.

Man am I ready for the season to start!

[whereinthehellami]

I've to caught the fever and have actually watched College Football News on ESPN...hangs head in shame.

[Defenserules]

I know what I am about to say will sound like blashphemy but I am not convinced that App. State would have killed us last year. My reasoning: App St. lost to Georgia Southern and only beat JMU by a single point. JMU in turn lost 4 games last year and were soundly defeated by UNC. Duke lost a lot of game last year but they also lost a lot of close games including one to UNC in OT, in which Duke pretty much had the upper hand for most of the game. Based on these very weak transiative properties, I would have expected Duke to keep the App. St. game just as close as JMU did. I could be way off base, but if JMU was three touchdowns worse than UNC and only 1 point worse than App. St. and Duke was essentially even with UNC in regulation it seems a fair point to say that we would have played close with App. St.

Again, I am not downplaying what App. St. has done but it was only two years ago that they traveled to Raleigh and were soundly defeated by a pretty bad NC State squad.

That's my two cents.

PS - I hope that Duke realizes that it should and can be JMU this year and treats them similar to the way they were treated by UNC. You should always respect your opponent and a one point win would be fine with me, but if Cutcliffe can pull off a bigger victory it will show me that this Duke team is really progressing at a good clip.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

According to goduke.com it's 29 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes and 40 seconds until the Dawn of a New Day!

[devilish]

When do they begin?

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

When do they begin?
August 4

[chrishoke]

Will there be anby open practices?

[Newton_14]

I know what I am about to say will sound like blashphemy but I am not convinced that App. State would have killed us last year. My reasoning: App St. lost to Georgia Southern and only beat JMU by a single point. JMU in turn lost 4 games last year and were soundly defeated by UNC. Duke lost a lot of game last year but they also lost a lot of close games including one to UNC in OT, in which Duke pretty much had the upper hand for most of the game. Based on these very weak transiative properties, I would have expected Duke to keep the App. St. game just as close as JMU did. I could be way off base, but if JMU was three touchdowns worse than UNC and only 1 point worse than App. St. and Duke was essentially even with UNC in regulation it seems a fair point to say that we would have played close with App. St.

Again, I am not downplaying what App. St. has done but it was only two years ago that they traveled to Raleigh and were soundly defeated by a pretty bad NC State squad.

That's my two cents.

PS - I hope that Duke realizes that it should and can be JMU this year and treats them similar to the way they were treated by UNC. You should always respect your opponent and a one point win would be fine with me, but if Cutcliffe can pull off a bigger victory it will show me that this Duke team is really progressing at a good clip.


I agree 100%. I would certainly not assume ASU would have "creamed Duke" last year for much of the same reasons listed above. Yes, ASU won in the Big House, and I was pulling like heck for them, but Michigan got killed the very next week as well, took ASU for granted (did not watch any film on ASU), and ASU struggled in some of their conf games. Duke was in quite a few games last year and if not for kicking game miscue's and conservative play calling in the 2nd Half of some of the losses, could have easily won 2 to 4 more games.

I would think ASU would have been favored, but I do not feel it would have been a certain win for them, nor a blow-out win. But this falls into the "We will never know" category...

The important thing is JMU as they are on the schedule for real! I believe Cut will have the guys prepared and ready, and will not allow them to overlook the opponent!

[Bluedog]

I know what I am about to say will sound like blashphemy but I am not convinced that App. State would have killed us last year. My reasoning: App St. lost to Georgia Southern and only beat JMU by a single point. JMU in turn lost 4 games last year and were soundly defeated by UNC. Duke lost a lot of game last year but they also lost a lot of close games including one to UNC in OT, in which Duke pretty much had the upper hand for most of the game. Based on these very weak transiative properties, I would have expected Duke to keep the App. St. game just as close as JMU did. I could be way off base, but if JMU was three touchdowns worse than UNC and only 1 point worse than App. St. and Duke was essentially even with UNC in regulation it seems a fair point to say that we would have played close with App. St.

Again, I am not downplaying what App. St. has done but it was only two years ago that they traveled to Raleigh and were soundly defeated by a pretty bad NC State squad.

That's my two cents.

PS - I hope that Duke realizes that it should and can be JMU this year and treats them similar to the way they were treated by UNC. You should always respect your opponent and a one point win would be fine with me, but if Cutcliffe can pull off a bigger victory it will show me that this Duke team is really progressing at a good clip.

The transitive property can be used in any way you want to prove a point. Yes, I can think of opponents Duke played well that would have a decent shot of beating App St (or did in fact beat them). Alternatively, I can use the transitive property to convey the idea that App St would kill Duke. For example, App St beat Michigan who CRUSHED Notre Dame 38-0 who destroyed Duke 28-7. This suggests that App St would be a 49-point favorite against us last year. ;) And your transitive property didn't even include a Duke win so it's incredibly weak.

Obviously, this isn't the case that App St would be that large of a favorite. I don't think the transitive property should ever be used. Personally, I think App St would have been a 10-point favorite against us or so. JMU is definitely NOT a cupcake on our schedule, and we should be ready to play our best. I do think we should win, but we also said that last yr vs. Uconn in our first game and we lost 45-14. There's something called learned hopelessness that us Duke football fans have had to endure the past several years.....although Cutcliffe is turning that around and fast! And I'm (realistically) optimistic for the season.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

What sort of festivities will you plan for the opening game on August 30?

DBR cheering practice (Texas A&M does this) to brush up on football cheers?
Handouts with the words to our school songs?
Tailgate party?
Gathering at the flagpole at the north end of the stadium?

Your experience running for AD makes you the perfect guy to organize what we need to prepare for the football season!

[hughgs]

The transitive property can be used in any way you want to prove a point. Yes, I can think of opponents Duke played well that would have a decent shot of beating App St (or did in fact beat them). Alternatively, I can use the transitive property to convey the idea that App St would kill Duke. For example, App St beat Michigan who CRUSHED Notre Dame 38-0 who destroyed Duke 28-7. This suggests that App St would be a 49-point favorite against us last year. ;) And your transitive property didn't even include a Duke win so it's incredibly weak.

Obviously, this isn't the case that App St would be that large of a favorite. I don't think the transitive property should ever be used. Personally, I think App St would have been a 10-point favorite against us or so. JMU is definitely NOT a cupcake on our schedule, and we should be ready to play our best. I do think we should win, but we also said that last yr vs. Uconn in our first game and we lost 45-14. There's something called learned hopelessness that us Duke football fans have had to endure the past several years.....although Cutcliffe is turning that around and fast! And I'm (realistically) optimistic for the season.

Rather than rely on the infamous transitive property why not look at the hypothetical game n terms of the teams. What did App State bring to the game and how would Duke have countered? And vice versa.

App State was a fast team. They were built on speed. Could Duke have countered that? Duke would have, arguably, brought bigger players, but would that have been enough to beat App State's speed? If I recall correctly, UD brought a much bigger line-up to the I-AA championship game and look what that got them.

[Edouble]

And your transitive property didn't even include a Duke win so it's incredibly weak.


Transitive property arguments can be good or bad, depending. In Defenserules' defense, it is difficult to compose a transitive property argument that includes a Duke win, for obvious reasons.

[Tennessee&DukeFan414]

App State would have beat Duke about 55-20 or somewhere in that neighborhood. Duke would not stop them last year or this year for that matter. When Appalachian State goes down to Baton Rouge in about 4 weeks and hangs close with the Tigers that will be impressive. LSU's QB situation will make that game A LOT closer than it should be.

[Wander]

We would have lost by approx five million points last year to ASU. Actually, 55-20 sounds fairly reasonable as a final score guess.

This year though... get on the national championship train!

[sagegrouse]

(Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is a late-breaking development.)

Ex-Blue Devil football players involved in monumental voting miscalculation for Board seats at Yahoo:

"More than 200 million votes were incorrectly tallied to support incumbents."

Chairman of the Board Roy Bostock received 200 million votes that were not awarded to him and fellow Dukie Gary Wilson received 100 million. Both were class of 1962 and members of the victorious Cotton Bowl team of the previous year. Bostock was Dean of the Fuqua School IIRC and Wilson was the former Chairman at Northwest Airlines (where Bostock was also on the Board).

While others swear that Bostock was a player who saw a lot of action, I remember him in jersey and no shoulder pads, keeping track of the substitutions under the arcane and bizarre substitution rules of the era. Bostock clearly had the most brainpower of anyone on the sidelines, in uniform or not. (Sorry, Coach Murray; sorry, Coach Parker.)

sagegrouse

[sagegrouse]

(Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is a late-breaking development.)

Ex-Blue Devil football players involved in monumental voting miscalculation for Board seats at Yahoo:

"More than 200 million votes were incorrectly tallied to support incumbents."

Chairman of the Board Roy Bostock received 200 million votes that were not awarded to him and fellow Dukie Gary Wilson received 100 million. Both were class of 1962 and members of the victorious Cotton Bowl team of the previous year. Bostock was Dean of the Fuqua School IIRC and Wilson was the former Chairman at Northwest Airlines (where Bostock was also on the Board).

While others swear that Bostock was a player who saw a lot of action, I remember him in jersey and no shoulder pads, keeping track of the substitutions under the arcane and bizarre substitution rules of the era. Bostock clearly had the most brainpower of anyone on the sidelines, in uniform or not. (Sorry, Coach Murray; sorry, Coach Parker.)

sagegrouse

[Uncle Drew]

I guess in a way, just seeing a thread on football on the DBR boards signifies hope. And I will be the first to say since being hired Coach Cut has said all the right things and done things that will improve the program if not immediately then over time. That being said I have to caution fans to have a wait and see yet positive attitude.

I remember Coach A taking over and getting Coach B's senior players then winning more games the next year and even making a bowl apperance. People jumped on the Coach B bandwagon only to have their hopes dashed over the next few seasons. Those were years when the previous coach had done a really good job in recruiting, particularly in a single year. While I don't think Duke is devoid of talent by any means, by position they are behind most teams in Division 1.

I love seeing us getting recruits in key positions, but as stated in one of the previews you can have great quarterbacks and running backs. But if you have a less than stellar offensive line giving the QB time to throw and making holes for the backs to run progress will be extremely slow. Quick slants and even trick plays designed by Cut should make a difference and keep oposing defenses on their toes. But by God, if the Duke offense can't move the ball, the defense will be playing 75% of the game like they did last year. We have a good defense, one of the most underappreciated in quite a while, but they wore down in games all year having to play so much of he game.

Special teams MUST be addressed and I don't care if they have to get the chick who sued Duke for cutting her from the football team to kick, if she can boot it, suit her up. Hopefully recuiting will play a major role in that department. I don't mean to sound sarcastic, but where other than Duke is a kicker traditionally going to get more opportunities to play?

Millionaire Butch Davis didn't turn the heels around in one season. We may have his equal or and even superior coach in Coach Cut, but I'm not expecting him to turn water to wine his first season. I am hoping for at least two non conference wins and one win against an ACC foe. That will be an improvement and the mark to many fans not only is there really hope, but a sign the program is on the right track. Sure I'd love to see 5 or even 6 wins, but I'll be satisfied with afew wins and a noticable improvement in all areas. Duke has been in close games over the last two seasons and couldn't get it done most of the time, I hope a winning mentality is rewarded with actual wins on the field.

To Coach Cut I say thanks for taking the job and instilling Cut Throat Ball. To the players I say keep busting your butts, grow as a team and good things will happen. There are still pleanty of Duke Football fans out there, and we're anxious to get behind you will all our support.

[OldPhiKap]

^ Very well said. Especially for 1 am.

[Inonehand]

(Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is a late-breaking development.)

Ex-Blue Devil football players involved in monumental voting miscalculation for Board seats at Yahoo:

"More than 200 million votes were incorrectly tallied to support incumbents."

Chairman of the Board Roy Bostock received 200 million votes that were not awarded to him and fellow Dukie Gary Wilson received 100 million. Both were class of 1962 and members of the victorious Cotton Bowl team of the previous year. Bostock was Dean of the Fuqua School IIRC and Wilson was the former Chairman at Northwest Airlines (where Bostock was also on the Board).

While others swear that Bostock was a player who saw a lot of action, I remember him in jersey and no shoulder pads, keeping track of the substitutions under the arcane and bizarre substitution rules of the era. Bostock clearly had the most brainpower of anyone on the sidelines, in uniform or not. (Sorry, Coach Murray; sorry, Coach Parker.)

sagegrouse

Yes, the numbers were incorrectly tallied; however, both former Dukies still received a majority of the votes needed to stay on the board at Yahoo.

[Tennessee&DukeFan414]

As an overall coach, there is no comparison: Butch >>>> Cut
As a Quarterbacks coach: Cut >>>> Butch
As a recruiter Cut is just a little notch below Butch because of those insane classes of Portis, McGahee, Gore, Johnson, Winslow, Shockey, McKinnie, Dorsey, Taylor, Buchanon, Reed, Rumph, Vilma, etc.
Many people in the know belive if Coach Cut was still at Tennessee, Terrelle Pryor would have been a Vol instead of a buckeye.
Even though many Duke fans may not want to hear this, North Carolina is a sleeping giant, their only variable is time. I am hopeful Duke and North Carolina can get a good rivalry going in football, which would be good for both schools obviously.

[sagegrouse]

Yes, the numbers were incorrectly tallied; however, both former Dukies still received a majority of the votes needed to stay on the board at Yahoo.

I neglected to mention the outcome in my rush to indulge in nostalgia about a winning football team (the ACC football champion three years in a row).

sagegrouse

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I guess in a way, just seeing a thread on football on the DBR boards signifies hope. And I will be the first to say since being hired Coach Cut has said all the right things and done things that will improve the program if not immediately then over time. That being said I have to caution fans to have a wait and see yet positive attitude.

I remember Coach A taking over and getting Coach B's senior players then winning more games the next year and even making a bowl apperance. People jumped on the Coach B bandwagon only to have their hopes dashed over the next few seasons. Those were years when the previous coach had done a really good job in recruiting, particularly in a single year. While I don't think Duke is devoid of talent by any means, by position they are behind most teams in Division 1.

I love seeing us getting recruits in key positions, but as stated in one of the previews you can have great quarterbacks and running backs. But if you have a less than stellar offensive line giving the QB time to throw and making holes for the backs to run progress will be extremely slow. Quick slants and even trick plays designed by Cut should make a difference and keep oposing defenses on their toes. But by God, if the Duke offense can't move the ball, the defense will be playing 75% of the game like they did last year. We have a good defense, one of the most underappreciated in quite a while, but they wore down in games all year having to play so much of he game.

Special teams MUST be addressed and I don't care if they have to get the chick who sued Duke for cutting her from the football team to kick, if she can boot it, suit her up. Hopefully recuiting will play a major role in that department. I don't mean to sound sarcastic, but where other than Duke is a kicker traditionally going to get more opportunities to play?

Millionaire Butch Davis didn't turn the heels around in one season. We may have his equal or and even superior coach in Coach Cut, but I'm not expecting him to turn water to wine his first season. I am hoping for at least two non conference wins and one win against an ACC foe. That will be an improvement and the mark to many fans not only is there really hope, but a sign the program is on the right track. Sure I'd love to see 5 or even 6 wins, but I'll be satisfied with afew wins and a noticable improvement in all areas. Duke has been in close games over the last two seasons and couldn't get it done most of the time, I hope a winning mentality is rewarded with actual wins on the field.

To Coach Cut I say thanks for taking the job and instilling Cut Throat Ball. To the players I say keep busting your butts, grow as a team and good things will happen. There are still pleanty of Duke Football fans out there, and we're anxious to get behind you will all our support.

Latta, I respect your cautious optimism, but hope the players aren't as cautious!

Certainly all you describe about the past is accurate regarding disappointing, and yes, embarrassing seasons despite coaching changes and modest improvements in recruiting. I see this season as different than any in memory. We have a coach and staff who know what success requires of them and the players. What really distinguishes this season from past attempts to succeed is that suitable resources are finally becoming available at the same time that we have a solid coaching staff. I believe that the quality of coaching staff and improved resources will get better results than our attempts in the past. I'm not holding back on my support or enthusiasm for the coaches and the team!

[Tennessee&DukeFan414]

Does anyone know of any upgrades like seating/locker rooms/etc. It would be nice to see Duke build a colliseum of sorts. That would help recruiting a lot. And maybe get Nike to design some awesome uni's like Oregon has, because a recruit who chose Oregon over Florida State said the reason he picked Oregon was because of the unis.

[Uncle Drew]

Latta, I respect your cautious optimism, but hope the players aren't as cautious!

Certainly all you describe about the past is accurate regarding disappointing, and yes, embarrassing seasons despite coaching changes and modest improvements in recruiting. I see this season as different than any in memory. We have a coach and staff who know what success requires of them and the players. What really distinguishes this season from past attempts to succeed is that suitable resources are finally becoming available at the same time that we have a solid coaching staff. I believe that the quality of coaching staff and improved resources will get better results than our attempts in the past. I'm not holding back on my support or enthusiasm for the coaches and the team!

DIBD, count me in as excited and optimistic. Believe me I haven't been this pumped about Duke football in a LONG time. The thing is I'm not so much optimistic about this upcoming season even though I am looking for improvement and expect as much. I think Cut's new prospective, training and schemes will show benefits on the field even as early as this coming season. Like I said this team is certainly not devoid of tallent and experience. As stated in my last post I think our defense in particular is VERY under rated. Combine that with inovations and development by Cut and the team should be much improved this season.

But DIBD, I have to say I am even more hopeful and optimstic beyond this upcoming season. I'm sure you remember Wilson and Goldsmith having success their first years. I don't see Cut as a one hit wonder and I think he is doing all the right things to rebuild a foundation that hasn't truly existed in my lifetime. Since Cut was hired I've almost gotten the feeling like Duke was awarded a new franchise, kind of like when the Carolina Panthers were announced. My dad was at THE Rose Bowl, I know Duke has a football history I LOVE seeing someone come in that wants to build the program up in all areas. I see good (if not great) players wanting to play for the guy, I see him standing up for the program not just around the conference but on the Duke campus. I see him making hires under him that will help each player become the best football player they can become. You and I are TOTALLY on the same page DIBD. I usually make it a point to see at least one Duke football game a year. This year I plan to see every home game and even an away game or two. I hope others reading DBR feel the same excitement and plan to do the same.

[CameronCrazy'11]

This is about how I estimate Duke's fans will react to football success next year:

0 wins - somewhat disappointed
1 win - eh, ok
2 wins - pretty solid
3 wins - great season!
4 wins - Amazing! Coach Cut is a genius!
5 wins - This is better than I ever would have dreamed!
6 wins - 20 ft solid gold statue of Coach Cutcliffe erected on the main quad

at any rate I think more students will actually go to the football game after tailgate, rather than just going back home.

[Uncle Drew]

Does anyone know of any upgrades like seating/locker rooms/etc. It would be nice to see Duke build a colliseum of sorts. That would help recruiting a lot. And maybe get Nike to design some awesome uni's like Oregon has, because a recruit who chose Oregon over Florida State said the reason he picked Oregon was because of the unis.

I'd like to see several improvements over the next decade to Wallace Wade, for the fans, Duke team and even the visting locker room. One thing I would like to see at the risk of being televised even less is a few night games. Most everyone remembers how high school night games seemed to add to the electricity in the air. And the few night games I have been to at Duke had that spark as well. Especially in August and early September a night game is a welcome change from heat stroke and sun burn. (Well I don't actually burn since I'm part Cherokee, but you get the point.) I don't know how it would affect turn out possitive or negative, especially people bringing their families. But I for one would like to see a couple games after dark in the next few years.


PS1: Someone needs to go around and make sure half the bulbs still work since they haven't been used in so long.

PS2: If a recruit actually picked one school over another due to liking their uniforms, thathas to be one of the craziest reasons for choosing a school I have ever heard of.

[whereinthehellami]

This is about how I estimate Duke's fans will react to football success next year:

0 wins - somewhat disappointed
1 win - eh, ok
2 wins - pretty solid
3 wins - great season!
4 wins - Amazing! Coach Cut is a genius!
5 wins - This is better than I ever would have dreamed!
6 wins - 20 ft solid gold statue of Coach Cutcliffe erected on the main quad


Remember that last year Roof was talking bowl game for this season. Duke has 17 players back (tied with UNC for most in the ACC). So I would bump your expectations up 2 spots (3 wins = eh, ok). Or you could use your estimates straight up for the ACC.

[rockymtn devil]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/acc

Heather Dinnich is the ACC blogger at ESPN.com and has been giving some great daily coverage of the league over the past few weeks. She has several entries on Duke today that are good, quick reads. The kicking and ground games are certainly question marks, but, attitude and dedication appear to be on track.

[Indoor66]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/acc

Heather Dinnich is the ACC blogger at ESPN.com and has been giving some great daily coverage of the league over the past few weeks. She has several entries on Duke today that are good, quick reads. The kicking and ground games are certainly question marks, but, attitude and dedication appear to be on track.

Heather Dinich is, IMO, one of the best writers at ESPN. She covers Duke quite favorably, both football and basketball. She writes with facts and not hate. I enjoy her blog and coverage about all of the ACC. I suggest going to her blog and sending her a complimentary note. She is the type of columnist and reporter we at DBR should support.

[throatybeard]

Add those to first 3 games, and honestly, we could start off on a 5-0 run (4-0 is my best guess, but if we somehow pull of the GT upset and then a Miami upset... Vandy is certainly weaker than Miami, and Wake, well... they're Wake)

Everyone else is up in arms about ASU being disrespected, but this is absurd, c'mon PumpkinFunk. Wake Forest has gone 11-3 and 9-4 the last two years. The won the freaking conference in 2006. We haven't beaten them since 1999.

Phil Steele, whose opinion I value very much, has us 5th in the division over UVA. He's got Wake T3 in the Atlantic with a recovering Maryland and above State and BC. AND the game is in Winston.

Could we win? Possibly. But we're in no position to condescend towards Wake Forest football.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm so looking forward to Wade being filled with blue. Even though this year is the first year I've bought season tickets for, I've been to every home game in the past that I could make it to, even if I had to drive the 3 or 4 hours from where I was living.
It's depressing to see the stadium filled with more opposing fans than our own, but I think those days are a thing of the past now. The players have always seemed to give the best of efforts, unfortunately we had some inane coaching. (Good people, but lousy decision makers). It's tough to go down to the tunnel and offer your thanks to a dejected team, especially after so many close games coming up empty. (The Miami loss stands out as a fine example).
This year will be a good year, and exciting to see unfold. Can you imagine how packed Wade will be for UNC if we have some wins under our belt!?

[PumpkinFunk]

Everyone else is up in arms about ASU being disrespected, but this is absurd, c'mon PumpkinFunk. Wake Forest has gone 11-3 and 9-4 the last two years. The won the freaking conference in 2006. We haven't beaten them since 1999.

Phil Steele, whose opinion I value very much, has us 5th in the division over UVA. He's got Wake T3 in the Atlantic with a recovering Maryland and above State and BC. AND the game is in Winston.

Could we win? Possibly. But we're in no position to condescend towards Wake Forest football.

Sorry for not making it clear. We have played Wake close, despite them being 11-3 and 9-4 the past two years. So it's a toss-up game. Based on the past few years, we'll be closer than people expect, yet again. I was not trying to condescend, but Wake and Miami are both teams which are supposed to be far better than us, who we play far closer than anyone can expect.

[TNTDevil]

Sorry for not making it clear. We have played Wake close, despite them being 11-3 and 9-4 the past two years. So it's a toss-up game. Based on the past few years, we'll be closer than people expect, yet again. I was not trying to condescend, but Wake and Miami are both teams which are supposed to be far better than us, who we play far closer than anyone can expect.Wake is a very good team. (Although they do fear my alma mater. ;))

One wonders though, if Duke had made that field goal two seasons ago...

[Scoring Point]

As noted previously by Throaty, the very well respected Phil Steels picks us 5th in the division - ahead of UVa - and to win "at least" 4 games

Sports Illustrated picks us to go 2-6 ACC, 4-8 overall, good for 5th in the Coastal, but ahead of Georgia Tech rather than UVa

[Scoring Point]

Even though many Duke fans may not want to hear this, North Carolina is a sleeping giant, their only variable is time. I am hopeful Duke and North Carolina can get a good rivalry going in football, which would be good for both schools obviously.[/I]

As someone who has followed ACC Football for nearly 30 years, I have heard the "Carolina is a sleeping giant" argument many times over. And I still scoff at the notion, mainly because there is so much competition for the HS football talent pool in the state, which is not really that deep to begin with. Moreover, I honestly - and respectfully - believe that the administration in Chapel Hill would never tolerate moving far enough along the axis of "student/athlete balance" to become a true powerhouse in football.

A perennial bowl team that occasionally contends for the ACC Championship, perhaps. But a true powerhouse with National Title aspirations? No way.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Posted this on another thread, so many football ones now (scary and exciting)

This is from GoDuke.com (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1556048)

Fox Sports Net will air its 2008 Duke College Football Preview show a total of eight times on SportsSouth and FSN South between August 19-24.

On SportsSouth, the preview show will air on the following dates:

August 19, 8 p.m.
August 20, 11 p.m.
August 21, 11 a.m. & 5 p.m.
August 23, 8 p.m.
On FSN South, the program will be shown on:

August 21, 8 p.m.
August 22, 1:30 p.m.
August 24, 1 p.m.

[jimsumner]

"As someone who has followed ACC Football for nearly 30 years, I have heard the "Carolina is a sleeping giant" argument many times over."

Long nap?

If Duke is good enough to go 2-6 in the ACC, then I think Duke can go 3-1 in non-conference play. 4-0 in the non-conference--hardly a sure thing but doable IMO--puts Duke in position to become bowl-eligible with a 2-6 conference mark. This is why this opening stretch is so important.

BTW, not saying Duke would get an invite at 6-6. Probably not. Hard to say if the Duke fan-base would travel well to a bowl game; the last forty-years-sample-size is pretty small. But the benefit of the doubt would go the other way, I suspect.

I think 6-6 is a ceiling for this year's team but who expected Goldsmith to start off 7-0? By the same token, who expected Steve Sloan to start off 0-7?

[rockymtn devil]

"As someone who has followed ACC Football for nearly 30 years, I have heard the "Carolina is a sleeping giant" argument many times over."

Long nap?

If Duke is good enough to go 2-6 in the ACC, then I think Duke can go 3-1 in non-conference play. 4-0 in the non-conference--hardly a sure thing but doable IMO--puts Duke in position to become bowl-eligible with a 2-6 conference mark. This is why this opening stretch is so important.

BTW, not saying Duke would get an invite at 6-6. Probably not. Hard to say if the Duke fan-base would travel well to a bowl game; the last forty-years-sample-size is pretty small. But the benefit of the doubt would go the other way, I suspect.

I think 6-6 is a ceiling for this year's team but who expected Goldsmith to start off 7-0? By the same token, who expected Steve Sloan to start off 0-7?

Not getting ahead of myself, but what is the ACC's bowl affiliation as it applies to borderline teams? In other words, do the lower-half ACC Bowls have an obligation to take a bowl eligible team from the ACC?

[jimsumner]

The ACC has tie-ins with nine bowl games.

[budwom]

Should we eke out the necessary six wins (possible, but a major stretch) the Congressional Bowl in Washington DC (new this year) would be a possibility, and that locale would probably be one where Duke could muster some fans.

One problem is that the likely opponent is Navy, and team we will have already played by then.

Given Cutcliffe's enthusiasm and aggressiveness, I'm sure Duke would make whatever commitment is necessary (e.g. buying a huge block of tickets) to get to a bowl, even if it meant losing money in the process.

First we have to win six games....if we do so, Cutcliffe would be well in the running for national coach of the year.