Georgia Tech 27, Duke 0

[wilson]

I just got word that I have a ticket to the game in Atlanta. I'll be sporting blue and rooting like hell for the Devils. Anyone else going?

[UncleBill]

I'll be there. The Atlanta Alums are hosting a tailgate (BYOB for legal reasons) at the YMCA/Elementary school on Luckie St just south of North Ave. And Duke is hosting a shindig the night before somewhere.

[wilson]

I'll be there. The Atlanta Alums are hosting a tailgate (BYOB for legal reasons) at the YMCA/Elementary school on Luckie St just south of North Ave. And Duke is hosting a shindig the night before somewhere.

Nice! Good to know...ATLANTA MAFIA, UNITE?

[dukeberto]

I know a lot of the young alumni in Atlanta (there are about 25 of us that just graduated) will be at the Tailgate and making our way to the game... Let's stop GTech's "Perfect" Option, just like we creamed Navy's

[Acymetric]

I'll be making the trip down from Durham, I encourage everyone else to try and do the same!

[Channing]

I'll be there. The Atlanta Alums are hosting a tailgate (BYOB for legal reasons) at the YMCA/Elementary school on Luckie St just south of North Ave. And Duke is hosting a shindig the night before somewhere.

Is this an iron duke thing? Is there an Atlanta Alums email list I can get on? Do I need to RSVP anywhere?

[UncleBill]

It is a Duke Club of Atlanta thing. You can RSVP here.

http://dukealumni.com/__page/10184340.100.0.aspx

You can get on mailing lists by updating your e-mail at the Duke Alumni office in Durham, I think you can do it here:

http://www.dukealumni.com/__page/10036878.100.12.aspx?vid=162

I think the Iron Dukes are having an event Friday night before the game.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I just worked out the trip with my dad, so we'll be there for the game. Very excited to cheer on the Devils in their first away game! GO DUKE!! If anyone sees a tall long haired hippie with a Duke blue and white "cat and the hat" hat and Duke football tshirt, tap me on the shoulder.

[gadzooks]

I'll be there. The Atlanta Alums are hosting a tailgate (BYOB for legal reasons) at the YMCA/Elementary school on Luckie St just south of North Ave. And Duke is hosting a shindig the night before somewhere.*ahem*

I'll be there, too. :D

[dukeberto]

Does anyone have any further information on the Iron Dukes event on Friday night? Where it's at/what time? I remember getting something in the mail about it, but don't remember where I put it?

[UncleBill]

Fox Sports Grill in Atlantic Station, from what I recall. Don't know the time, but my guess is 7-ish.

[GADevilFan]

Good luck to the players, coaching staff, and fellow fans Saturday in Atlanta. Just as they have all been so far (and will remain all season)... it's a "game of the year" type contest. First road game, best opponent so far. It won't be easy, but I know the coaching staff will have the players preapred and ready.

Weather should be awesome.... and the gas situation seems to be getting gradually better in Atlanta.

Tailgating at Tech sucks..... stop by the Varsity instead. If you have never been.... it's an experience.

Go get 'em Devils.

[Acymetric]

Time to head out, I'll be starting the 6 hour drive in a few hours. If you pass a blue Saturn with a Duke flag its probably me (unless it cuts you off or something. In that case definitely someone else. Really).

GO DUKE!

[killerleft]

Man, I'd love to go! Can't, but I'll be watching at noon! This would be a huge win if we can pull it off.

Go Duke!!

[PumpkinFunk]

I think the biggest key will be keeping the defensive pressure on Shaw - as a freshman QB, he might not be prepared for that sort of pressure. I'm gonna be down there, so I'm hoping it's a good one.

[watzone]

News and Observer on the Tech game.
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/duke/football/story/1241156.html

[Atldukie79]

I look forward to this game! I managed to pick up a couple of prime Tech seaon tickets and then...swapped them at the Tech ticket office for lousy corner seats so I can sit with the Duke fans near the DUMB.

Perfect forecast, great theater...and time for a Duke win in Atlanta!

[RainingThrees]

Go Duke!! This season is already a success but our team still has the potential to win a few more. Lets beat Tech!!!!

[devildeac]

1Q ends 0-0. I think our D is gonna spend a LONG time on the field today so the conditioning will be severely tested. GT fumbled twice on their 1st drive and they recovered the 1st (bad C-QB exchange). Can't count on TO all day however.

PJ burning timeouts at a Gillen-like pace with 2 so far:D.

[devildeac]

GT moving at will again but stopped at the Duke 30 on 4th and 3.

[RainingThrees]

Duke ball on our own 29. Can we get anybody to run the ball?

[DevilAlumna]

Thanks for the updates, DD!

I think something's wrong with BB's web site - snrub.com forwards me to some strange URL....

[devildeac]

Duke 3 and out and a short punt gives GT the ball back at about their own 40.

[devildeac]

sorry-arse officiating on that play as the GT receiver pushed Wright away, cleared space and made the catch for a long gain to our 21.

he then fumbled but it went OOB so GT still driving

[Indoor66]

Radio: http://www.wsfl.com/

[devildeac]

questiion for those more knowledgeable about FB rules than me: Has PJ taught his GT players the "fine art" of the chop block as his Navy teams did for so many years?

[devildeac]

GT with a 20 yd FG after we held on 3rd and 1 with an incompletion in the end zone. The old saying here is the defense is bending without breaking. GT must have about 200 total yds and only 3 points. We have about 40 yards so far and, of course, nada on the board. Time for a long end of the half drive to put some points on the board.

[Lavabe]

Love that Duke stopped GT and held them to a FG after a 3rd and goal.

What's the status with Wright on defense?

LGD!!
Lavabe

[vabluedevil]

Radio: http://www.wsfl.com/
Thanks Indoor!

[GrantIsMyHero]

Eron has a hurting ankle...running game not going anywhere...d'oh!

[YmoBeThere]

Never to late to get another browser devildeac...at least metaphorically.

[devildeac]

this time 6 and out for a thus far inept offense. GT fair catches a mediocre punt at their 30 with about 2:30 to go. Big series here for our D.

[devildeac]

Big time stop by the D to force a GT punt with 1:06 to go,

BUT WAIT, roughing the kicker gives GT 1st and 10 at midfield but they go 4 and out as the half expires with GT leading 3-0.

[devildeac]

Never to late to get another browser devildeac...at least metaphorically.

You're right, but for now, it's more fun (and post-productive) to update the game on the EK forum:D.

[YmoBeThere]

Ahh, priorities. Understood!

[devildeac]

Ahh, priorities. Understood!

We are fortunate enough to have the U-in HD, I think, so the best of both worlds, unless you can be at WW watching a home game with the Brunchgate faithfuls:D.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Big time stop by the D to force a GT punt with 1:06 to go,

BUT WAIT, roughing the kicker gives GT 1st and 10 at midfield but they go 4 and out as the half expires with GT leading 3-0.

Bob Harris described how that play developed. The Duke player slipped and ended up touching the GT player who then gave what Bob called a real performance. (Made me think of ole Bones McKinney's School of Drama.)

[devildeac]

Bob Harris described how that play developed. The Duke player slipped and ended up touching the GT player who then gave what Bob called a real performance. (Made me think of ole Bones McKinney's School of Drama.)

That's probably a pretty fair description, even from Bob Harris;).

[devildeac]

Hope our d is still fresh as Cut described them at the half in another game.

GT with 215 yds to our 49
GT with 19:30 to 10:30 for us with time of possession.

they are averaging 5.2 yds/play and we have 2.2.

They start with the ball for the 3Q.

[YmoBeThere]

And they are moving...

[devildeac]

roughing the passer against us-good call? I missed it.
GT goes for it 4th and inches and has illegal procedure and punts to our 25 yard line.

Hope the staff made some of their fine adjustments during the break and we start moving the ball.

[devildeac]

3 and out again for the O with a kinda short punt giving GT good field positon at their own 40. LGD!

[devildeac]

Crap-they've got 3rd and long and an interference call against us for a GT 1st down at our 13. Why can't we defend Thomas who has 7 catches for 109 so far today? Has he missed any?

[YmoBeThere]

10-0?

[Clipsfan]

It's almost the end of the 3rd quarter and Duke has less than 50 yards of offense. Is GT's defense just that good?

[devildeac]

Horrific performance by the O so far-another 3 and out. I didn't think the GT D was this good as some folks were talking about a 60 point game on the over/under.

[grossbus]

it is going to get ugly now. defense is gassed. offense can't stay on the field.

it will not be close at the end.

[PSurprise]

Wow, are we getting our butts handed to us like ESPN gamecast says we are?

[devildeac]

Lousy punt, good GT field position, then about a 30 yd run by Dwyer deep into our territory. This one is real close to being over:(

[devildeac]

Wow, are we getting our butts handed to us like ESPN gamecast says we are?

yes by yardage and possession in the 1st half but only down 0-3. If they score here, it will be 0-13 or 0-17 and we have shown almost zero ability to move the ball.

[DownEastDevil]

There's only so much you can expect from the defense. The offense has done absouloutly nothing. I think it's time for a QB change and a change of pace, what can it hurt at this point.

[devildeac]

now down 0-17 with GT smelling the kill, I think. Do we score at all? Do they hang another 2-3 TD's on us this Q with our d on empty?

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Dear O line,

Sorry you couldn't make it to the game today. Hope to see you next week,

Sincerely,

DCDFD (posting during the game in hopes I will be made to look foolish by an amazing 4th quarter comeback :D)

P.S. Congrats to the D. They played an absolutely superb 3 quarters until it they just wore out. I'm really proud of their effort against a very good GTech team.

[Gunnar Kaufman]

Our defense showed a ton of heart on that drive, getting the 3-and-out.

Our offense needs to show a little respect to its teammates and move it downfield a bit...

[devildeac]

finally, a few seconds of protection for Thad and he overthrows a wide open Riley at about the GT 10 which would have been an easy TD. ARRGGGHHH!!!!

[YmoBeThere]

Asack would have completed that pass... :D

[devildeac]

TV mentioned Lewis and Asack-did I miss an appearance by Zack?

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

TV mentioned Lewis and Asack-did I miss an appearance by Zack?

Yup. One series. These 3-and-outs go by quickly. Don't blink.

[devildeac]

Like I said earlier, why can't we cover Thomas who will surely be ACC POY with about 10 catches for probably over 200 yds.

[YmoBeThere]

Player of the Year or Player of the Week? I'm struggling for material in this PW'ing frenzy...

[devildeac]

Player of the Year or Player of the Week? I'm struggling for material in this PW'ing frenzy...

POW-Sorry

[YmoBeThere]

No problem...:D

Another post down but no ground gained.

[devildeac]

Player of the Year or Player of the Week? I'm struggling for material in this PW'ing frenzy...

You keep setting me up with all those great assists:o;)

[YmoBeThere]

No problem...:D

Another post down but no ground gained.

Maybe I'm like Duke's offense today...

[YmoBeThere]

You keep setting me up with all those great assists:o;)

I just threw an assist to myself...I'm ashamed:eek:

[devildeac]

I think that last TD will send a lot of folks searching for another channel, the OFF button and out for some errands or yard work on this otherwise gorgeous day here in the Triangle:(.

[YmoBeThere]

Sunny but a tepid 61F here in the Boston area. 15 degrees warmer and I would running around outside...

[devildeac]

Maybe I'm like Duke's offense today...

they may be (-) for the 2nd half-at least you're keeping it close:o;)

[devildeac]

well, we do have a bye next week to work on some of our, uhh, offensive woes:(

[devildeac]

Sunny but a tepid 61F here in the Boston area. 15 degrees warmer and I would running around outside...

At that temp, you should be out running in a t-shirt and shorts

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Nobody said this rebuilding effort would be for the faint of heart..... or the weak will.

[YmoBeThere]

Yes, I should...but instead I was editing my signature picture.

[devildeac]

Oh my, we actually forced another GT punt

[YmoBeThere]

I shouldn't have let snrubchat distract me from the game...

[YmoBeThere]

Asack wouldn't have thrown that interception...

[devildeac]

more misery-another poorly thrown pass, off Huffman's fingertips (catchable) and GT returns the pick to about our 10 yd line. If only Thad were 2-4 inches taller:rolleyes:

[devildeac]

I shouldn't have let snrubchat distract me from the game...

I could not link so you see what I've been doing...(wow, do my fingers hurt:o)

[devildeac]

my eyes hurt, too, from watching this 2nd half:(

[YmoBeThere]

Well, we have next Saturday to regroup...oh, he just asked for a blue out. The Black Out certainly didn't work for Georgia last weekend.

[DukePA]

this is all my fault. I should have had a few mimosas this morning instead of hot tea :(

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

my eyes hurt, too, from watching this 2nd half:(
It's certainly disappointing.... but the season's not over. GT's got a great defensive unit..... perhaps underestimated by some pundits.

As our coaches tell the players when they end up on the ground: GET UP!!!! GET UP!!!!

[YmoBeThere]

this is all my fault. I should have had a few mimosas this morning instead of hot tea :(

Yes, don't pass on the alcohol in the morning next time. :D

[footballfan2]

as I noted during the Navy game, Duke's O-Line is terrible. Navy was essentially able to stop the run and put pressure on Lewis with on three Defensive line men.

I listened to the bulk of this game. Duke still has a lot of areas to improve on. I think now people will understand why i stressed patience with this team and predicted only 1-2 more won games.

[devildeac]

Hmm, discuss here or start a new thread: Is GT THAT good or have we just been exposed?

[YmoBeThere]

Hmm, discuss here or start a new thread: Is GT THAT good or have we just been exposed?

Ignore the fact that we have been exposed?

[footballfan2]

Hmm, discuss here or start a new thread: Is GT THAT good or have we just been exposed?

Georgia Tech is an "average" team.

[devildeac]

as I noted during the Navy game, Duke's O-Line is terrible. Navy was essentially able to stop the run and put pressure on Lewis with on three Defensive line men.

I listened to the bulk of this game. Duke still has a lot of areas to improve on. I think now people will understand why i stressed patience with this team and predicted only 1-2 more won games.

That's really a bad omen then, as I thought we have a lot of upperclassmen on the O-line that have played together for a couple years or more:(

[PSurprise]

I guess this our proverbial one-step back game. Maybe next game we can take two steps forward...

[devildeac]

Georgia Tech is an "average" team.

How "average" compared to some of our future opponents like clemson, vt and miami?

[Wander]

I think GT is a little better than average, though not by a lot. I still say there's no way we go winless the rest of the year, but you're right, we can't be a legitimately good team with an offensive line like this.

[footballfan2]

How "average" compared to some of our future opponents like clemson, vt and miami?

Clemson, Virginia Tech, UNC, Miami, and Vanderbilt are better than Georgia Tech or at least just as good. I think the only team that is worse is NC State. I think we beat NC State and hopefully steal one from Clemson.

[devildeac]

Clemson, Virginia Tech, UNC, Miami, and Vanderbilt are better than Georgia Tech or at least just as good. I think the only team that is worse is NC State. I think we beat NC State and hopefully steal one from Clemson.

in death valley? I'm kinda doubting that after this afternoon but I haven't looked closely at the tiggers either.

[grossbus]

like i said, it got ugly. i agree with the assessment about our O line. they could neither run nor pass block today. the D was willing and able, but made some key penalties. didn't matter though in the long run as our offense was not going to score.

the team has made progress and is better, but maybe some of that bowl talk was a little premature. i would be happy to beat carolina this year.

[sandinmyshoes]

That was a clunker. But it somehow does not seem as discouraging as clunkers from past seasons. A little dose of reality, as in where we actually stand compared to our optimism, does not erase the progress the program has actually made.

[footballfan2]

nothing has changed in my mind. Cutcliffe is doing a great job. Duke should win 1-2 more games this year. He needs to finish recruiting strong. I would have to look at the roster and see how many key seniors we lose. If a lot we might be a little worse next year, but overall we are heading in the right direction.

I went over to the Devil's Den and they are whining about Cutcliffe and how this loss is the fault of the coaches. They are fools. Duke still needs to upgrade a lot of talent.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

nothing has changed in my mind. Cutcliffe is doing a great job. Duke should win 1-2 more games this year. He needs to finish recruiting strong. I would have to look at the roster and see how many key seniors we lose. If a lot we might be a little worse next year, but overall we are heading in the right direction.

I went over to the Devil's Den and they are whining about Cutcliffe and how this loss is the fault of the coaches. They are fools. Duke still needs to upgrade a lot of talent.

It's easy to blame the coaches. Some people thrive on whining dissent. Fair weather fans? Probably

[6th Man]

Anyone blaming the coaches doesn't know anything about football. GT is bigger, faster, stronger than Duke. We don't have those kind of athletes yet, but they will come in time. 2 weeks to regroup and prepare for the Canes. The progress made this year is astounding, but we started from nothing. Still a ways to go, but I have no doubt Coach Cut will get us there. I suspect practices next week will be intense to say the least. Defense kept us there, but they played 80-90% of the game. Lewis was really off today. Even though the O-line was unable to protect, he threw some bad balls. Lewis seems to be either hot or cold. Not much in between. He can be spectacular at times. I'm sure he will be ready to bounce back.

[loran16]

Tactics wise, i can see the reason why some jump to attack cut already...i can't see a team trying to win rushing on first AND second downs down 17 in the 4th quarter if they're trying to win.

Still, the odds of winning at that point were so low, that i guess Cut was just really testing out what he's got and trying to make improvements.

This loss is entirely on the O. The D did a great job, but any D will eventually wear down after this.

Thad had some issues this game, as he did last game. He once again continued his trend this year of never hitting that deep pass, the one try to riley was AGAIN way over his head. That's like 0/8 so far or something. Moreover, some drops by our receivers were just awful.

Running game was non existant, and the O line had massive problems. Still, those saying GT is simply average overlook one bit: ON Defense their front four is one of, if not the top in the ACC, with several NFL pros going to come from their ranks (especially johnson).

We have a much better chance vs Miami (and we're at home). If our D's as good as it was today against the Canes, we should have a shot. Odds are Cut's gonna spend a lot of time with the Passing game in practice the next two weeks.

[formerdukeathlete]

Anyone blaming the coaches doesn't know anything about football. GT is bigger, faster, stronger than Duke. We don't have those kind of athletes yet, but they will come in time. 2 weeks to regroup and prepare for the Canes. The progress made this year is astounding, but we started from nothing. Still a ways to go, but I have no doubt Coach Cut will get us there. I suspect practices next week will be intense to say the least. Defense kept us there, but they played 80-90% of the game. Lewis was really off today. Even though the O-line was unable to protect, he threw some bad balls. Lewis seems to be either hot or cold. Not much in between. He can be spectacular at times. I'm sure he will be ready to bounce back.

I hope you are right about the athletes coming. However, Cut has obtained commitments from a lot of kids who are way on the short, small side for d-1a ball. A lot of 5'9" kids. It needs to get better, but will not as long as we play as unenlightened and un-well-coached as we did today.

To say that today's offensive weakness is the fault of the o-line suggests not knowing much about football.

Lewis could not see down the field, and when he could he was off target most of the time.

Ga Tech's true freshman qb can play.

Time to burn the shirt and let our stellar true freshman play.

Renfree has the potential to be a top flight qb. He is 3 inches taller than Lewis, a lot faster, and probably has a more accurate arm.

If Cut wants to fall in the trap of Roof and continue to suffer with hot and cold qb play, sacks, fumbled snaps, based on hope for eventual "potential", which seems to show mostly against smaller opponents, and blame the mishaps on o-line play, Duke may become a dead end for him as a head coach.

I have to think Cut will be taking a close look at the film and some changes at qb may be on the way.

[loran16]

I have to think Cut will be taking a close look at the film and some changes at qb may be on the way.

Nope. Not happening. Asack is a worse option than Thad, and Renfree is redshirting.

We will likely see Renfree competing for the job next year though.

[formerdukeathlete]

Nope. Not happening. Asack is a worse option than Thad, and Renfree is redshirting.

We will likely see Renfree competing for the job next year though.

That, what you underlined is a fairly commonly held view. However, Asack out-played Lewis last spring and in a fair number of scrmmages in fall camp. Against bigger teams, Asack may be the better option. Cut will have to decide how much he is willing to hold his powder dry and lose. IMO, Lewis will never display the kind of consistency with which a rational coach will bet his future. And, Renfree is already the better qb, IMO. I see more Asack and maybe Renfree soon. Time will tell.

[davekay1971]

That, what you underlined is a fairly commonly held view. However, Asack out-played Lewis last spring and in a fair number of scrmmages in fall camp. Against bigger teams, Asack may be the better option. Cut will have to decide how much he is willing to hold his powder dry and lose. IMO, Lewis will never display the kind of consistency with which a rational coach will bet his future. And, Renfree is already the better qb, IMO. I see more Asack and maybe Renfree soon. Time will tell.

Are you a troll, or did Lewis kick your dog? Lewis is Duke's quarterback. To any rational eye he's improved every year. Here's the breakdown of your commentary:

"Cut will have to decide how much he is willing ot hold his powder dry (ie: play Lewis) and lose."

So if he plays Lewis, Duke loses, while if he plays Asack, Duke wins? Would Duke have won this game is Asack played? Are you even going to begin to insinuate this?

"IMO, Lewis will never display the kind of consistency with which a rational coach will bet his future."

I don't think Cut's future at Duke is based on how Lewis performs. Cut's already got years to work with at Duke, no matter how Lewis, or the team, performs for the rest of this year.

"I see more Asack and maybe Renfree soon."

Which is why you're posting here and not coaching Duke.

Duke lost today because Ga Tech's defense was too fast and athletic for offense to get anything going. Our defense played well but got worn down. Lewis had no time, no running game to back him up, no room to run on his own, and no receivers open downfield. I'm sure, as a FormerDukeAthlete, you understand this, but a offense in football depends on the performance of all 11 guys. Lewis wasn't the reason the offense didn't get it done today.

[Gunnar Kaufman]

The problem is not Lewis...or Asack, for that matter. (And Lewis is markedly better. Period.)

The problem is our O-Line. We simply didn't have the personnel to deal with that defensive front. And in the few times when we had the chance to make things happen, we had dropped passes, errant passes, or untimely penalties.

GT was the better team. No doubt about it. Now we have to go to school on this loss and be better as a result.

[Acymetric]

Clemson, Virginia Tech, UNC, Miami, and Vanderbilt are better than Georgia Tech or at least just as good. I think the only team that is worse is NC State. I think we beat NC State and hopefully steal one from Clemson.

I don't really think that is true. Vandy and Clemson sure. UNC and Miami? Probably not. Virginia Tech? Sure they beat GT, but GT shot themselves in the foot with a number of turnovers, which is something that they seem to be working out of the offense. If they played again, I think GT would win that game. I'll predict that GT will be in the conference championship game (this is contingent on VT losing twice, which I think can happen).

As to not blaming the coaches, I think that they do bear a bit of responsibility, as there are two options. They gave up on the win halfway though the 3rd quarter, or they just did a bad job play calling. Someone else already mentioned, we were not in a position to be running on 1st and 2nd at all this game. Our QB performance is tied to this. How many of those bad passes came on 3rd and long? Completely unfair to Thad (and Asack when he was in) and also completely the fault of the coaching. If you can't move the ball on the ground (we couldn't) you have to give the passing game a chance on the early downs.

I'm sure the coaches are going to use this bye week to make some good adjustments, and I think that we'll see a much better game when Miami comes to town. Important not to overlook that this was our first road game, and we have several freshman playing key roles. I think we still would have lost with better play calling, but we might have gotten some points on the board at least. Credit the defense though, they were better than I expected, and they played hard despite being on the field the whole game. Also, can we please get some decent officials? I've been underwhelmed with this game, the Virginia game, and the Northwestern game. Seriously. Get the calls right.

Oh, and quit this silly QB debate. I'm pretty sure our coach wants to win more than we do, and he didn't recruit either player so he has no vested interest in one playing over the other. He will play the guy that gives us our best shot.

Well, time for the long drive back to Durham...be sure to be out in blue in two weeks!

[Wander]

Time will tell.

Time has already told. It's quite clear.

[Acymetric]

Oh, did anyone hear any of Cut's post game comments? I'm curious what they were.

[footballfan2]

I don't really think that is true. Vandy and Clemson sure. UNC and Miami? Probably not. Virginia Tech? Sure they beat GT, but GT shot themselves in the foot with a number of turnovers, which is something that they seem to be working out of the offense. If they played again, I think GT would win that game. I'll predict that GT will be in the conference championship game (this is contingent on VT losing twice, which I think can happen).



You don't watch a lot of football do you?

[buddy]

Oh, did anyone hear any of Cut's post game comments? I'm curious what they were.
Basically said Duke was its own worst enemy. The offense has to be better. The coaches have to be better. Took the blame primarily on himself for the poor offensive showing. Said he thought the players played hard the whole game. Which if I translate right means he has a severe talent deficiency, and couldn't come up with a game plan to close the gap.

Let's remember these are the same guys who were 1-11 last year. We have some talented freshmen, but not enough to turn this shipwreck around in one year. Our O line is small but slow. Part of the coach's job is to compensate for a lack of talent with an appropriate game plan. That said, we have two more victories than last year, and one more victory than the previous three seasons. Winning is an acquired skill--unfortunately we don't have enough winners on our team (and by that I mean players with the experience of winning). I'll still be in my seat in two weeks for the 'Canes. It is a winnable game, if we give it a focused effort.

[CLT Devil]

Look on the bright side - people are posting on this board and are angry after a Duke loss...that in itself is a bright spot!

Lewis is the QB, no question about it. There were a lot of off passes, but there were a few dropped as well, such as the one to Riley on our first posession that would have given us a first down. Bottom line is our D did a great job, with the exception of the secondary and them covering one receiver. When the offense can't get a first down of course they are going to wear down. Tech won the battle in the trenches when we had the ball and that was the story of the game. Lewis didn't have much time to drop back or roll out.

I thought if we could hang on early we'd be in the game, but that was mostly from a defensive standpoint. Our offense was pretty bad today, lots to work on and not many bright spots other than our D. Tough loss.

[loran16]

Incidentally, anyone watching FSU-Miami? I'd consider GT's D to be a lot better than miami's considering this game.

I think we have a shot at miami, espcially cuz its at home.

[RelativeWays]

You do realize that GTs only loss was the 3 point defeat to VT, in a game the Yellow Jackets pretty much gave away. I don't know why anyone here would think we just got blown out by some scrub team. GT is real good, they have better athletes and they are one of the few teams in the ACC this year I think Duke doesn't match up well against (the other is Clemson). We have a better chance against Miami and Vandy than people think and its really hard to fear Wake when they lost to a team we beat. Defensively Duke played pretty good for 3 quarters but if you can't keep your offense on the field, the D is going to run out of gas eventually. Miami has had trouble with Duke the last two games, it would not surprise me if we find a way to pull it out on the 18th. Keep faith kids, Duke will improve.

[sandinmyshoes]

You do realize that GTs only loss was the 3 point defeat to VT, in a game the Yellow Jackets pretty much gave away. I don't know why anyone here would think we just got blown out by some scrub team. GT is real good, they have better athletes and they are one of the few teams in the ACC this year I think Duke doesn't match up well against (the other is Clemson). We have a better chance against Miami and Vandy than people think and its really hard to fear Wake when they lost to a team we beat. Defensively Duke played pretty good for 3 quarters but if you can't keep your offense on the field, the D is going to run out of gas eventually. Miami has had trouble with Duke the last two games, it would not surprise me if we find a way to pull it out on the 18th. Keep faith kids, Duke will improve.


The problem is that we all look at the games with bias. GT beats us, so we say their only loss was by 3 to VT in a game where the Jackets shot themselves in the foot. But when we're looking ahead at our schedule, say UNC, we say they stink we can take them! Even though they lost by the same amount to that same VT team while not only shooting themselves in the foot but losing their starting QB.

Not to single out your post, but when we get into comparing results and scores there are a lot of factors at play besides the actual scores themselves!

What I love about this season is that while we could lose out, we actually have a realistic possibility of winning more than we lose from here on out. Even if the odds don't favor that, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

That's one sign of how much better the team is this year regardless of the eventual record.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

"We will never, NEVER go away!"
........D. Cutcliffe

[RelativeWays]

The problem is that we all look at the games with bias. GT beats us, so we say their only loss was by 3 to VT in a game where the Jackets shot themselves in the foot. But when we're looking ahead at our schedule, say UNC, we say they stink we can take them! Even though they lost by the same amount to that same VT team while not only shooting themselves in the foot but losing their starting QB.

Not to single out your post, but when we get into comparing results and scores there are a lot of factors at play besides the actual scores themselves!

What I love about this season is that while we could lose out, we actually have a realistic possibility of winning more than we lose from here on out. Even if the odds don't favor that, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

That's one sign of how much better the team is this year regardless of the eventual record.

I'm not using scores to compare which teams we're better than or which we aren't, if I was, I could logically argue we're better than Florida ( Duke > Navy > Wake > Ole Miss > UF). What I am addressing is this notion that we were beaten by an average team, and there has been nothing I've seen from GT that would make me consider them average. The other teams that were listed earlier, UNC, Miami, Vandy, Clemson, name one team they beat that GT couldn't. Anyone? Anyone?

I believe all games are decided by matchups. I thought early on this year that GT would be one of our definite losses because they are more athletic than Duke is ready for right now. I think Clemson poses the same problem. We don't have a counter to take away that edge. Wake, Vandy, State even VT don't quite pose the same match up problems that a GT or Clemson does, Duke has a better to win one of those games. Miami has athletes but they are really inexperienced and they haven't quite gelled the way GT has so far.

[grossbus]

"To say that today's offensive weakness is the fault of the o-line suggests not knowing much about football."

yeah, right. when our tackles are getting pushed back and knocked over on running plays, it is a problem.

[formerdukeathlete]

Are you a troll, or did Lewis kick your dog? Lewis is Duke's quarterback. To any rational eye he's improved every year. Here's the breakdown of your commentary:

"Cut will have to decide how much he is willing ot hold his powder dry (ie: play Lewis) and lose."

So if he plays Lewis, Duke loses, while if he plays Asack, Duke wins? Would Duke have won this game is Asack played? Are you even going to begin to insinuate this?

"IMO, Lewis will never display the kind of consistency with which a rational coach will bet his future."

I don't think Cut's future at Duke is based on how Lewis performs. Cut's already got years to work with at Duke, no matter how Lewis, or the team, performs for the rest of this year.

"I see more Asack and maybe Renfree soon."

Which is why you're posting here and not coaching Duke.

Duke lost today because Ga Tech's defense was too fast and athletic for offense to get anything going. Our defense played well but got worn down. Lewis had no time, no running game to back him up, no room to run on his own, and no receivers open downfield. I'm sure, as a FormerDukeAthlete, you understand this, but a offense in football depends on the performance of all 11 guys. Lewis wasn't the reason the offense didn't get it done today.

Lewis "is Duke's quarterback" you say. He is automatically our qb this season and next, and no one can challenge? Today, Lewis was off target, missed open receivers, was sacked with a touch, and fumbled a snap on his own, without pressure. He missed open receivers many times because he could not see them, not because he did not have enough time. That should give the coaches something to think about. That should open the position.

27 to zip, not a point.

Yes, I agree, this was not all Lewis' fault. We were outcoached today, imo.

[devildeac]

OK, DBR armchair QB unite. Let's go back 1 week. The coaching staff has just watched the whippin' we laid upon the 'hoos and starts to review the GT roster and film and realizes that they are:

1. Meaner (maybe:rolleyes:)
2. Stronger
3. Faster
4. Taller (just for the heck of it here:rolleyes:)

than we are on the O and D lines. What would you do in the next 4-5 practices you have to prepare for that and (try to) compensate for our weaknesses?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I just finished watching the game on DVR (~7 pm). I had a golf tournament today and I played about as well as Duke's offense, which is to say terribly. I'm very disappointed in both performances. Fortunately, tomorrow is a different day, and in my case, literally since it is a 2-day tournament. I've read only the posts above from 81 and newer, since most everything before that was before or during the game, and not germane to my discussion.

The offense was almost nonexistent, yet listening to the announcers they said at the very beginning of the game that GT's defensive front four is as good as is in the conference, and not many in the country are better. That proved to be very true. As noted above (many times) the O-line couldn't handle them in either run blocking nor pass protection. Lewis didn't get the job done and Asack only ran two series, a 3 and out to start the fourth quarter and then the last series resulting in a tipped interception. Asack didn't get much of a chance, but Lewis is the much better quarterback at this point - he's close to "getting it" as the OC said last week and Asack isn't. I hope Lewis and company can regroup during the next two weeks; I sure hope that Renfree can redshirt this year even if he is the better quarterback (sorry FDA). Of course, I think the tone of the day offensively was set in the very first series when Lewis threw a pass over the middle to Eron Riley that would have been a 15 yard gain for a first down, but Riley dropped the pass, and he should have caught it. Was his hand bothering him on that play? Don't know. But if we had completed that pass, I think our entire day offensively would have turned out differently, but we'll never know.

I think our defense played a fabulous game. Absolutely FABULOUS! OK, it wasn't perfect - and except for the 88 yard pass in the fourth quarter when Glenn Williams got beat, there were no really long plays for TDs. #21 had a great day rushing, gaining over 100 yards in the first half. Yet we trailed only 3 - 0, and I'll take giving up only 3 points in the first half for every game left on our schedule for the rest of eternity (and that's 2 weeks in a row!) We didn't beat ourselves, we bent but didn't break, we got a key fumble recovery, we stopped the run time after time after time, many times for no gain or losses. Vince Oghobaase, Mike Tauiliili, Vinnie Rey and Marcus Jones all had excellent games. We only trailed 10 -0 after three quarters (yeah, I know GT scored on the first play of the 4th quarter, but still, if our offense had done anything, we're still in the game). And our special teams - punt and kickoff coverage was outstanding. Our defense played almost the entire game and were still fresh at the end. Kudos and a game ball to the defense. The only thing they didn't do was get a couple of interceptions and return them for touchdowns, which surely would have helped.


Tough loss. But not devastating. Time to regroup and get back to what we did right the first 5 weeks, and we've got 2 weeks to do it. I have faith in Coach Cut and his team of coaches, why wouldn't everyone from what we've seen since August 30th?

Beat Miami!

[Wander]

You don't watch a lot of football do you?

What was so unreasonable about what that guy said? I don't know why you think UNC and Miami are better than GT.

[6th Man]

I know the O-Line was bad, and it appeared our gameplan was not doing anything, but we just don't have the talent yet. I love what this team has done and I love Coach Cut, but this thing is going to take some time. We have seen remarkable improvement. I think this was a really off game for Duke's offense. We need to recruit SPEED.

I have been to all 4 Duke home games and watched the entirety of today's game. We have got to be able to complete a deep ball. I think we are 0 for whatever on the year. I am starting to lean to former Duke athlete's assesment on Lewis. He is too short possibly to see over the line. I know the O-Line couldn't hold up, but when he did get time, his passes were way off and not put in catchable spots. That pass to Riley should be a TD on the BCS level of college football 75% of the time at a minimum. Those balls are overthrown everytime. He doesn't really have the speed to break away either. He's totally feast or famine. He may be guns blazing against the Canes I hope. He's due.

On another note....I liked Jackson at the end at RB. He has some explosiveness. Watching Miami and Florida State it makes you realize how slow we are. I sound like I am hating on these guys and I don't want to. I am very proud of the groundwork they are making for the program. My point is that we have improved dramatically, but have a ways to go with talent to get where we would all love to be. But for the first time ever....or since Spurrier, I believe we will do it. I finally believe thanks to Coach Cut.

[Acymetric]

A lot has been said about not completing the long passes...wasn't that basically our only good play last year? I only saw the UNC game, so I'm not really sure, but I thought we basically lived off of deep passes to Riley. Am I wrong about that? Like I said I didn't see most games so I may be wrong. It just seems strange. Thoughts?

[DevilDad]

Guys, One thing coach Cut has given us all is hope. Of course this was the toughest team we have faced thus far. When my son was a freshman you could count the students in the stands at WW on your fingers and toes. Not trying to be pollyanna, but this is a program on the rise! Today was a speed-bump. I know it's been pounded into the ground but "think Wake Forest"......

[footballfan2]

What was so unreasonable about what that guy said? I don't know why you think UNC and Miami are better than GT.

Sure it's unreasonable. I can see saying that Miami is not as good as Georgia Tech, but UNC is playing very well and will be ranked in the top 25 very soon. Miami's defense is suspect but let's keep things in perspective... they have 3 losses but all to legit top #25 teams.

[Acymetric]

Sure it's unreasonable. I can see saying that Miami is not as good as Georgia Tech, but UNC is playing very well and will be ranked in the top 25 very soon. Miami's defense is suspect but let's keep things in perspective... they have 3 losses but all to legit top #25 teams.

What I said isn't unreasonable, it's debatable. And so is what you said. Guess what other team fits your description of UNC. Give up? Georgia Tech. If they aren't ranked this week, they certainly will be if they win their next game. You can't tell me that UNC, Miami, and VT are head and shoulders above GT to the point that its "unreasonable" to suggest that Georgia Tech might be better. Georgia Tech will be one of the four toughest teams we play, the other three being Virginia Tech, Vandy, and Clemson.

[jv001]

nothing has changed in my mind. Cutcliffe is doing a great job. Duke should win 1-2 more games this year. He needs to finish recruiting strong. I would have to look at the roster and see how many key seniors we lose. If a lot we might be a little worse next year, but overall we are heading in the right direction.

I went over to the Devil's Den and they are whining about Cutcliffe and how this loss is the fault of the coaches. They are fools. Duke still needs to upgrade a lot of talent.

Those 3 wins spoiled some folks, but those folks don't know much about football. Duke's football program had reached rock bottom and Coach Cut comes along and we win 3 out of our first 4 games. Let's face it, GT is a better team right now. We need to begin redshirting our freshman like Wake does. The 5th year seniors will make a difference. But this year and probably next we just couldn't redshirt many guys. Coach Cut will bring in more and more good players and then we will go to the next level with our program. I just hope Tenn. does not come calling. Go Duke!

[RelativeWays]

Right now, UVa is beating Maryland 21-0 and I don't think anyone could have ever predicted that. Duke laid an egg in Atl, the best they can do is learn from what they did wrong offensively this game and improve on what was a pretty solid defensive effort on an explosive offense. There is nothing to indicate or guarantee that the Duke O will play this bad in two weeks, or if they'll play even worse. I surely can't say whether or not Duke will beat Miami in two weeks, but we're certainly capable of doing so.

[devilirium]

Now 31-0 UVA....Acymetric isn't far off....GT was missing Josh Nesbitt who adds another dimension to that offense. UNC is a pretty good team, but they're not better than Tech. They will struggle against Tech, because they force you to go 1 on 1 with their wideouts. The zone that Carolina is employing against UConn and others won't work against Tech. Also, keep in mind that Johnson had an extra week to prepare for Duke. Generally, that favors the more talented team.

Yeah, Lewis had a poor day, but that O line got mauled...it's pretty clear that Roof did a good job of recruiting the D line, but the O line is just not good. We have better coaching---no procedure penalties, offsides, etc---but the talent on that O line is not even good. I wouldn't be surprised if Cowart or Holt supplants one of the seniors, we are well conditioned but just too light to be effective.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Just got back from the game, had a great trip except for watching the second half. The loss of this game lands squarely on the coaches, who for whatever reason changed their gameplan from the past. All we saw (excluding the first quarter and the 4th, after it was too late) was 2 running plays followed by a pass (either rushed because the defense of course expected it, or it would be too short to make 1st down anyways). Horrible play calling. The defense was on the field forever. They handled it great by the way. They were so wore down by the end of the 3rd quarter they could do little to stop Tech, but they never gave up the fight. I wish the coaches had given the offense the opportunity to play, it was like watching a skipping record do the same thing over and over.
The game was fun anyways, we sat with all the players' families, they showed great support and were a joy to watch and listen to.
We can really use this offweek to get healthy and hopefully the coaches watch the same game on tape that we watched on the field and question themselves. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

[devilirium]

"Renfree has the potential to be a top flight qb. He is 3 inches taller than Lewis, a lot faster, and probably has a more accurate arm. "

Not a wise move. That's the kind of thinking that has gotten Duke in trouble. Burning a shirt and letting that kid get killed behind that O line isn't the best way to handle this problem. Take your lumps and redshirt the kid. Lewis isn't going to have the eye popping stats that he had last year, but he's still hitting close to 60% of his throws and is 2-1 on TD/INT ratio.

Also, the incoming skill players are on the short side...the linemen are in the 6'2 -6'4' range...I think Cut has a handle on this situation. :O)

[dukeballer2294]

From what i saw in the game was basically one thing, we couldnt get rhythm on offense. We could not run which would lead to 3-long. Second they ate up the clock on offense and when we did stop them we would commit a big penalty. Bottom Line we all said the schedule got much tougher starting this week and we said that 3-4 wins would be good. I still think we will get 4-5 and a bowl bid is not far off. But I dont think we should get upset after this as we are still rebuilding and have done exceptional so far.

[formerdukeathlete]

"Renfree has the potential to be a top flight qb. He is 3 inches taller than Lewis, a lot faster, and probably has a more accurate arm. "

Not a wise move. That's the kind of thinking that has gotten Duke in trouble. Burning a shirt and letting that kid get killed behind that O line isn't the best way to handle this problem. Take your lumps and redshirt the kid. Lewis isn't going to have the eye popping stats that he had last year, but he's still hitting close to 60% of his throws and is 2-1 on TD/INT ratio.

Also, the incoming skill players are on the short side...the linemen are in the 6'2 -6'4' range...I think Cut has a handle on this situation. :O)

Part of the reasons our o-line gets beaten up is that our qb cannot see the open early, certainly he has trouble seeing the guys on shorter routes over the middle within a second and a half of the snap. Renfree is a whole other story. So is Asack for that matter. If you can hit guys over the middle, quickly after the snap, this pulls the linebackers off, releaves pressure, and opens up the running game.

Jaybo Shaw, who appeared to be only slightly taller than Lewis, running the option, got the ball over and out to where it needed to be, with the Ga Tech o-line holding no longer than Duke's on many of these plays. As a true freshman he was more poised and accurate against a fairly formidable Duke D line and LB corps.

I have to think that the coaches will consider shaking things up. It may not be out of the question that we will start Asack, give him more than one series. In fact, give him the first quarter, and see how our offensive linemen do with a much taller and quicker quarterback. I think you will find that they will look like they are doing a better job.

Watching the game, I could not help but think what would Butch Davis do in such a game?, given his quick qb substitutions in the Miami - UNC game. I suggest that other coaches would have benched Lewis in the Ga Tech game, due to the specific problems he was having, and given Asack more pt, because he was less likely to have the same type of problems. In fact, I would go further, I think under the circumstances (our freshman is already better in practice), most coaches consider burning the shirt if Renfree were were ok with it.

We have to have qb play at the kind of level displayed by Jaybo Shaw, and no matter how folks point to this game or that, the pattern of the collapse of qb play in big games, against quality d-1a opponents, continues. Renfree's play will exceed Shaw's level. The future is now. 27 to 0 is absolutely pathetic, and most of the fault lies with qb play and coaching. Time to shake things up, imo.

[Jumbo]

To say that today's offensive weakness is the fault of the o-line suggests not knowing much about football.

Funny, I would say the exact opposite thing -- to look beyond the offensive line in pinpointing the offense's problems yesterday reveals little football knowledge. Here's a little hint: When you have nowhere to run and no time to pass, the other team is domnating up front. And this shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Georgia Tech has a terrrific defensive line. No offense can function without holding its own at the line of scrimmage. Duke certainly doesn't have that luxury. Now, there were a few occasions where Duke had enough time to make a play. The receivers didn't help by dropping at least five passes. And Lewis made a few bad throws as well, including missing Riley on what should have been a touchdown.

But people who don't know much about football routinely call for the backup quarterback. In fact, that's generally why people who complain about similar things in sports (or life in general) are said to be suffering from "backup QB syndrome." You've got it bad, my friend.

Lewis has been a good QB for Duke and will continue to produce. The team needs to grow around him and in two years, I'm sure Renfree will be able to jump in and play well. But David Cutcliffe has led the worst team in D-I to a 3-2 record. Questioning him -- especially on the subject of quarterbacks, where he has forgotten more than either of us has ever known -- at this point is beyond silly. Please give up this line of argument. You're not convincing anyone and just undermining your own credibility.

[footballfan2]

College football is won at the line of scrimmage. It's really that simple. If you have a dominating O-line... an average QB can be made to look like a great QB. If you have a dominating 4 man rush Defensive line... you're secondary looks like a group of all-stars.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Duke's O-line is suspect. I could clearly see it when Duke played Navy. Several people here said our O-line played well that game. Wrong. Lewis played well that game. I noted that Duke had trouble defending against Navy's three man d-line. Now people want to burn Renfree's redshirt? Bad move. What is a freshman going to do?

As for Gerogia Tech and UNC. Sorry, but UNC is clearly the superior team in my opinion. I think they showed that last night by laying the wood against a top #24 UConn team. People want to say that Georgia Tech has injuries. What team doesn't? Last time I checked UNC lost their starting QB. I'm still not convinced that Georgia Tech is even better than Miami. Ignore the stats and records. Watch the games.

[RelativeWays]

Is formerdukeathlete really Zack Asack's dad? That would explain things. In the two years I've watched Asack and Lewis, nothing I've seen has even given me the suggestion that Zack Asack is the better option of the two. Considering that both Lewis and Asack are juniors with one more year to go, burning up Renfree's redshirt year is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.

[Wander]

Ignore the stats and records. Watch the games.

I don't know why you keep saying this. All my comments are based off of watching games, and to be honest I don't even know any stats for these teams beyond vague things like GT gets a lot of sacks.

The truth is the top four of our division is a total crapshoot. If I had to guess, I'd say it goes: VT, UNC, Georgia Tech, then Miami. But it's completely unclear and very debatable. Actually, you can add a bunch of teams from the other division in that mix too. The ACC is just filled with "kind of good" teams.

And yeah, our O-line sucks. The ceiling is probably 6 wins until we recruit better guys there (do we have any next year?). I still think 5 wins is the most realistic guess for this season - NC State and one upset.

[formerdukeathlete]

Funny, I would say the exact opposite thing -- to look beyond the offensive line in pinpointing the offense's problems yesterday reveals little football knowledge. Here's a little hint: When you have nowhere to run and no time to pass, the other team is domnating up front. And this shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Georgia Tech has a terrrific defensive line. No offense can function without holding its own at the line of scrimmage. Duke certainly doesn't have that luxury. Now, there were a few occasions where Duke had enough time to make a play. The receivers didn't help by dropping at least five passes. And Lewis made a few bad throws as well, including missing Riley on what should have been a touchdown.

But people who don't know much about football routinely call for the backup quarterback. In fact, that's generally why people who complain about similar things in sports (or life in general) are said to be suffering from "backup QB syndrome." You've got it bad, my friend.

Lewis has been a good QB for Duke and will continue to produce. The team needs to grow around him and in two years, I'm sure Renfree will be able to jump in and play well. But David Cutcliffe has led the worst team in D-I to a 3-2 record. Questioning him -- especially on the subject of quarterbacks, where he has forgotten more than either of us has ever known -- at this point is beyond silly. Please give up this line of argument. You're not convincing anyone and just undermining your own credibility.

I would refer you to my prior post in which I explained why our o-line was so beaten up during the game. It relates to Lewis' inability to see and hit open receivers quickly over the middle, which would pull defenders off the line, and opens up the running game. Short, quick passes up the middle, and the o-line looks a lot better. You disagree with this?

In Asack's one series, one pass, before the end of the game, he was back in the pocket, got rid of the ball in about 2 seconds over the middle to try to hit Eron Riley. And, guess what, our o-line looked fine and GT was no where near, not even close to Asack.

Yes, I have read before you explain that Lewis is going to be the starting qb this year and next, and that Renfree will not be a real factor until Lewis graduates.

Based on reading internet chatter, more and more folks seem to be questioning this expectation. Lets say, I think it happens - we see another qb start this season. You say, no way. We shall see.

[Gunnar Kaufman]

Based on reading internet chatter, more and more folks seem to be questioning this expectation. Lets say, I think it happens - we see another qb start this season. You say, no way. We shall see.

If you can convince anonymous internet chatterboxes, surely you can swing the Duke coaching staff into seeing things your way.

[devilirium]

Tech was rushing 3 and dropping 8 at that point against backups, so of course Zack had time to throw..Lewis experienced the same thing in the 4th qtr....Can Zack read a defense? That's what I've always wondered. Why is it that the QB draws are always called for him? It's not merely because he's a better runner. If there isn't a quick swing pass or slant available, then Zack is tucking the ball and running...sometimes to good effect. I don't think that it's an accident that his offensive package hasn't changed from Coach Roof to Coach Cutcliffe. He doesn't have a Division 1 arm. Ray Charles could see that. He's a good teammate and an adequate backup, though.

[Bob Green]

As for Gerogia Tech and UNC. Sorry, but UNC is clearly the superior team in my opinion.....I'm still not convinced that Georgia Tech is even better than Miami. Ignore the stats and records. Watch the games.

The Sagarin rankings have GT at #11 the highest ranking for any ACC team. Duke checks in at #43, which is higher than five ACC schools: Miami #54, Clemson #55, Maryland #60, Virginia #64, and NC State #99.

Jeff Sagarin is convinced GT is better than Miami.

[footballfan2]

The Sagarin rankings have GT at #11 the highest ranking for any ACC team. Duke checks in at #43, which is higher than five ACC schools: Miami #54, Clemson #55, Maryland #60, Virginia #64, and NC State #99.

Jeff Sagarin is convinced GT is better than Miami.

Well to have Duke above Clemson, Miami, and Maryland (I assume these were before the weekend results) just shows you how "good" these Sagarin ratings are. Not very.

[Bob Green]

Well to have Duke above Clemson, Miami, and Maryland (I assume these were before the weekend results) just shows you how "good" these Sagarin ratings are. Not very.

You assume wrong. The rankings are through games played on October 4th.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt08.htm

[CameronBornAndBred]

Well to have Duke above Clemson, Miami, and Maryland (I assume these were before the weekend results) just shows you how "good" these Sagarin ratings are. Not very.

Given that Duke beat up Va. and Va. beat up Md., it makes sense that they are ahead. Even if they were prior to this weekend, I would have put Duke ahead of Md. I'm surprised about Clemson and Miami however.

[formerdukeathlete]

Tech was rushing 3 and dropping 8 at that point against backups, so of course Zack had time to throw..Lewis experienced the same thing in the 4th qtr....Can Zack read a defense? That's what I've always wondered. Why is it that the QB draws are always called for him? It's not merely because he's a better runner. If there isn't a quick swing pass or slant available, then Zack is tucking the ball and running...sometimes to good effect. I don't think that it's an accident that his offensive package hasn't changed from Coach Roof to Coach Cutcliffe. He doesn't have a Division 1 arm. Ray Charles could see that. He's a good teammate and an adequate backup, though.

The play I referred to was Zack's series in the 2nd quarter. On his one pass play Tech was rushing 6. When he got in at the end of the game again, maybe there were rushing 3, I do not recall. And, I would suggest to you that getting the ball quickly over the middle is crucial to relieving pressure from the pass rush, and Zack and Thad are not equal in this ability. Particularly against taller teams, Zack's ability is superior.

Regarding Zack's ability to read defenses, you are aware that Zack was Freshman All American honorable mention? That he outplayed Thad in the Spring Game and in half of the fall camp scrimmages? When Zack was a freshman he was 26-43-1 for 328 yards versus a big opponent in Clemson, http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22666&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=210920

I am not saying its a shoe in that Zack replaces Thad as the starter, while I think he is the better qb against the big boys. I think it is equally possible that Renfree comes in.

[devilirium]

I don't discount that Zack has had his moments. I believe that he had a pretty good game against the Naval Academy as well. Thad's coming out party was a big game vs Wake Forest (who finished first that year). Had Jomar Wright hauled in a wide open pass for a TD or Surgan made that FG, that they would've defeated the eventual first place Deacs. I believe that Zack never came close to defeating someone like that. In fact, he was taken out of the game and Schneider was inserted to lob a long ball against Navy. With regard to Asack's HS credentials, I'm also aware that "The U" wanted him....as a safety....Lewis was rated a top 10 dual QB threat the year after. Your response doesn't really answer the question. Lots of All-American QB's developed out of running systems (Mike Dunn was a top 5 QB in the country at Hampton, VA, and he was a terrific QB for Duke, but came from a "running" system).
I'm not sure what the pecking order for other schools wanting either Lewis or Asack, but no matter.

Hey, let's face it. Neither of these QB's are worldbeaters. But, you've got a coach that knows QB's. He's coached 'em for a long time. My take on yesterday's game is this: Asack came in and didn't do anything appreciably better than Lewis. If I recall, he didn't get a first down on either series (feel free to correct me, but we just weren't doing anything). I'm not sure what happened since that Clemson game, but Asack hasn't thrown a ball downfield more than 10 yards. There must be a reason for it. So, if I'm a defensive coordinator, and I know that Asack is apt to run the ball around the end or up the middle, then it just makes Duke easier to defend.

The point stands that it doesn't make sense to burn a redshirt on a QB like Renfree. Not behind that O line. I've seen the tape, and he's talented as a runner and thrower.

With regard to yesterday, Cut said that Lewis (who was 15-28) could've done a better job, but he also said that Riley and Kelly missed too many days of practice to be effective. I certainly agree that Lewis needs more consistency on the long ball---it frustrates me that he hasn't hit Riley or any other wideout on the deep ball like he did last year--but we know that he's a proven commodity in that area. Asack hasn't proven it, or he would be starting.

[Gunnar Kaufman]

I am not saying its a shoe in that Zack replaces Thad as the starter, while I think he is the better qb against the big boys. I think it is equally possible that Renfree comes in.

Based on what? Gut feeling?

[Jumbo]

I would refer you to my prior post in which I explained why our o-line was so beaten up during the game. It relates to Lewis' inability to see and hit open receivers quickly over the middle, which would pull defenders off the line, and opens up the running game. Short, quick passes up the middle, and the o-line looks a lot better. You disagree with this?

I absolutely disagree with this. Duke tried short passes early, and a number were dropped. In fact, Lewis was hitting on short passes fairly well early. Problem was, from the first carry of the game, Duke couldn't run on Tech. And Tech didn't even have to stack the box. Tech stopped the run without eight in the box, which enabled them to take away the short passing game, regardless of who was in at QB, Lewis, Asack or Brian Zoubek. Tech never had to stack the line (you claim Duke could've got them off the line with short passing) because the Jackets didn't need to against Duke's O-line. And maybe you missed the constant pressure Tech applied rushing four guys against Duke's five. There was nothing open underneath over the middle. Nothing. You can keep using this height thing all you want. It's a red herring. Everyone who has read your posts can see you've had it out for Lewis since the beginning, that you have a soft spot for Asack, and then none of this analysis is based on logic. Shocking.


In Asack's one series, one pass, before the end of the game, he was back in the pocket, got rid of the ball in about 2 seconds over the middle to try to hit Eron Riley. And, guess what, our o-line looked fine and GT was no where near, not even close to Asack.
Uh, Asack threw one pass that was nowhere near anyone and was much more a panicked throw than some sort of great, quick release.


The play I referred to was Zack's series in the 2nd quarter. On his one pass play Tech was rushing 6. When he got in at the end of the game again, maybe there were rushing 3, I do not recall. And, I would suggest to you that getting the ball quickly over the middle is crucial to relieving pressure from the pass rush, and Zack and Thad are not equal in this ability. Particularly against taller teams, Zack's ability is superior.

Now you're just making stuff up. Asack didn't enter the game until the fourth quarter. You can look it up (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1596670)instead of lying.

[formerdukeathlete]

I absolutely disagree with this. Duke tried short passes early, and a number were dropped. In fact, Lewis was hitting on short passes fairly well early. Problem was, from the first carry of the game, Duke couldn't run on Tech. And Tech didn't even have to stack the box. Tech stopped the run without eight in the box, which enabled them to take away the short passing game, regardless of who was in at QB, Lewis, Asack or Brian Zoubek. Tech never had to stack the line (you claim Duke could've got them off the line with short passing) because the Jackets didn't need to against Duke's O-line. And maybe you missed the constant pressure Tech applied rushing four guys against Duke's five. There was nothing open underneath over the middle. Nothing. You can keep using this height thing all you want. It's a red herring. Everyone who has read your posts can see you've had it out for Lewis since the beginning, that you have a soft spot for Asack, and then none of this analysis is based on logic. Shocking.


Uh, Asack threw one pass that was nowhere near anyone and was much more a panicked throw than some sort of great, quick release.



Now you're just making stuff up. Asack didn't enter the game until the fourth quarter. You can look it up (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=1596670)instead of lying.

Yep, it was the very first Duke series of the 4th quarter in which Asack threw the pass, when the o-line held quite well. Then after 3 more Lewis series, at the very end of the game, Asack came in and ran a couple of running plays and time ran out as Duke got a first down.

Lewis was 3 and done 6 times during the game. Asack once.

"There was nothing open underneath over the middle. Nothing. You can keep using this height thing all you want. It's a red herring."

I disagree here. And, this is where the height issue comes into play. Lewis cant get it to a tight end on a 4 yard route straight up the middle as easily as Asack. When you can hit these, linebackers get pushed back, which opens up the running game. You might say we had to hold the tight end for pass blocking. These routes take a second and a half, two seconds. You have to be able to see the tight end early. The Steelers do this well, with Ben R. at 6'5", 2 tight ends at 6'5" and one at 6'7".

You will find, I think, that we wont have the same criticisms of our offensive line, that there will be more short passes right up the middle, if either Asack or Renfree becomes our starting qb this season.

[RelativeWays]

I do think one of the things Duke needs to improve on is the running game. We were pretty dreadful last year and even if we had Boyette now, I'm not sure how much better we'd be. Everyone is going to play the pass against us so the sooner we can establish a consistent run threat, the better chance we'll have to win some of these games.

[Inonehand]

Yep, it was the very first Duke series of the 4th quarter in which Asack threw the pass, when the o-line held quite well. Then after 3 more Lewis series, at the very end of the game, Asack came in and ran a couple of running plays and time ran out as Duke got a first down.

Lewis was 3 and done 6 times during the game. Asack once.

"There was nothing open underneath over the middle. Nothing. You can keep using this height thing all you want. It's a red herring."

I disagree here. And, this is where the height issue comes into play. Lewis cant get it to a tight end on a 4 yard route straight up the middle as easily as Asack. When you can hit these, linebackers get pushed back, which opens up the running game. You might say we had to hold the tight end for pass blocking. These routes take a second and a half, two seconds. You have to be able to see the tight end early. The Steelers do this well, with Ben R. at 6'5", 2 tight ends at 6'5" and one at 6'7".

You will find, I think, that we wont have the same criticisms of our offensive line, that there will be more short passes right up the middle, if either Asack or Renfree becomes our starting qb this season.

Check out the Big 12 and see if quarterbacks need to be 6'5". I will admit that Thad has struggled much more this year than I expected. Even winning, he has not looked comfortable. Way too rushed. I really don't think his height has anything to do with it. That said, I am pretty comfortable in Coach Cut's decision making.

[killerleft]

Funny, I would say the exact opposite thing -- to look beyond the offensive line in pinpointing the offense's problems yesterday reveals little football knowledge. Here's a little hint: When you have nowhere to run and no time to pass, the other team is domnating up front. And this shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Georgia Tech has a terrrific defensive line. No offense can function without holding its own at the line of scrimmage. Duke certainly doesn't have that luxury. Now, there were a few occasions where Duke had enough time to make a play. The receivers didn't help by dropping at least five passes. And Lewis made a few bad throws as well, including missing Riley on what should have been a touchdown.

But people who don't know much about football routinely call for the backup quarterback. In fact, that's generally why people who complain about similar things in sports (or life in general) are said to be suffering from "backup QB syndrome." You've got it bad, my friend.

Lewis has been a good QB for Duke and will continue to produce. The team needs to grow around him and in two years, I'm sure Renfree will be able to jump in and play well. But David Cutcliffe has led the worst team in D-I to a 3-2 record. Questioning him -- especially on the subject of quarterbacks, where he has forgotten more than either of us has ever known -- at this point is beyond silly. Please give up this line of argument. You're not convincing anyone and just undermining your own credibility.

Thank you, Jumbo! You saved me from saying that in a much more negative fashion. The o-line just couldn't do it this week. Here's to some improvement for Miami and beyond.

[RepoMan]

We have to have qb play at the kind of level displayed by Jaybo Shaw, and no matter how folks point to this game or that, the pattern of the collapse of qb play in big games, against quality d-1a opponents, continues. Renfree's play will exceed Shaw's level. The future is now. 27 to 0 is absolutely pathetic, and most of the fault lies with qb play and coaching. Time to shake things up, imo.

FDA: You have a lot of great insights about football--Duke football in particular. But criticizing Cut based on his use of quarterbacks through 5 games of the season (the most successful 5 games Duke has had in years) hurts your credibility.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

FDA: You have a lot of great insights about football--Duke football in particular. But criticizing Cut based on his use of quarterbacks through 5 games of the season (the most successful 5 games Duke has had in years) hurts your credibility.
As I've read various comments made by different people participating in this conversation, I've wondered "If Coach Cutcliffe isn't good enough, who is?"

Over the years I've noticed that sometimes folks react to the lack of success (business, children, marriage) by turning against the very thing they say the support or love. We're rebuilding a fine, old tradition which was left to slide too far, too long. In the big picture, the direction for the development of the football program is changing for the better. Let's keep our eyes on the prize, not the stumbles along the way.

Go Duke!

[Devilsfan]

The future isn't now it's the future, the next two-four years. Cut will get us there. We just need more and better horses in the race. Our guys are tops when it comes to character. Wins will come with more ACC caliber players. This will take a little time imo. So far I love what I see from our team. Fewer miscues more intensity, ect. Cut is a great coach imo.

[devilirium]

^ David Glenn made that same comment today, and he may have been kind in saying that Duke has about a half dozen stars (he named Riley, Rey, and Tauliili before continuing with his point) on their team with a number of solid players.

As I recall, Cut has said that he's aiming for 5-6 studs per year with a number of solid players--at least that was his take on recruiting Duke in the initial stages.

What needs to happen is the continued development of unsung guys like Lederman, (Brian) Moore, Bondeson, etc. along with some good health to guys like Marcus Lind and Brandon King, who Duke desperately misses as a blocker this year.

[jv001]

Unless we run the football effectively, we will be in trouble with most of the teams left on our schedule. The offensive line, full back and wide receivers need to do a better job of blocking. The receivers have dropped several balls and that can't be blamed on Lewis. Coach Cut knows a QB when he sees one and I trust his judgement. Support the team..Go Duke.

[Classof06]

I haven't read the other posts but I was at the GT game Saturday and I'll give my thoughts:

- Duke's defense easily played well enough for Duke to be competitive in this game. They tackled better than any Duke team I've ever seen and really kept a potent GT offense in check for 2.5 quarters. Hell, the game was 3-0 at halftime. And when your defense spends 39 of 60 minutes on the field in Atlanta in early October (easily in the 80s), the final score isn't a product of the defense.

- The most annoying part of the game was that Duke had forced GT into a three-and-out to start the 2nd half until that "roughing the passer" penalty gave GT new life. Given the way the offense had performed up until that point, that was the beginning of the end for Duke.

- It's easy to overreact to the final score but it wasn't as bad as it looked (from a defensive perspective) and it's important to remember that this was Duke's first road game of the year. They'll get better on the road, people. No need to panic.

- As bad as the offense was, a lot of their mistakes are correctable, IMO. Missed blocking assignments and dropped passes killed many of our drives (especially in the 1st half) but they're things that can be fixed.