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Lar77
10-22-2012, 09:42 AM
Austin Rivers' 3 at the Dean Dome

or

Renfree to Crowder on 4th and 2 for the win

Either way the silence on Franklin Street was deafening:D

CameronBornAndBred
10-22-2012, 09:50 AM
Austin Rivers' 3 at the Dean Dome

or

Renfree to Crowder on 4th and 2 for the win

Either way the silence on Franklin Street was deafening:D

The Pass. Thrown from a 5th year senior on his very last chance to beat Carolina to a guy that will be able to share that moment with future recruits.

Devil in the Blue Dress
10-22-2012, 09:57 AM
The Pass. Thrown from a 5th year senior on his very last chance to beat Carolina to a guy that will be able to share that moment with future recruits.
And the recruits watching the play happen may get caught up in the excitement and choose Duke much as Kenny Dennard did.

Mike Corey
10-22-2012, 10:13 AM
Satisfying? I can't choose. So both. And satisfying is underselling it.

Two sensational, gut-wrenching, heart-palpitating, hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing, holy-pottymouth-did-that-just-happen, there-is-justice-in-the-sports-universe kind of wins in less than 12 months?! OVER OUR ARCH-RIVAL!?

That's more than satisfying. Pancakes at Elmo's are satisfying. A big beer at Sati's is satisfying. This was Devine's.

I love being a Duke fan.

Wander
10-22-2012, 10:36 AM
Both plays were completely awesome. Unless you're just not a football fan, I think you have to give the tiebreaker to the touchdown catch, though.

Rivers' shot was awesome x 100 and easily the highlight of the season, but it didn't end up meaning much in the larger picture since we didn't win the ACC and either collapsed/were exposed down the stretch. If Duke had lost to Indiana in the Final Four, that would take away a little bit from Laettner's shot, right? On the other hand, even if the football team doesn't win another game, the pass is still going to go down as one of the most important plays in Duke history for making us bowl eligible.

I guess the counterargument would be that the basketball play came in the biggest rivalry of the sport, but I'd still go with the catch due to larger context.

devildeac
10-22-2012, 10:44 AM
As I posted in another thread: Austin who?

Jamison Crowder is my new hero. Sean Renfree earns a huge +, too.

The AR shot won a huge game.

The catch won a huge game AND brought home the bell AND makes us bowl eligible. And helps change the FB culture at Duke.

It was still a great shot:D.

Devil in the Blue Dress
10-22-2012, 11:01 AM
Who has such monumental choices? Duke! Nobody else!:cool:

DukeSean
10-22-2012, 11:03 AM
Would you like a million dollars in $10's or $20's? That's how I feel about the two plays.

roywhite
10-22-2012, 11:10 AM
Both are absolute all-timers. We'll see and hear about them for many years to come, and even more so when Duke and UNC play. Probably slight edge to the football play because of it's overall importance.

I'm sorry we don't have quite the super-slo replay of Jamison Crowder that we did of Austin. Crowder really went up high, made the tough catch, and then got rocked by two defenders and flipped upside down. Stil held on to the ball!

One of my goals in life has been to out-live mention of the 8-points-17 seconds debacle with Peahead Davis hitting the 35-ft bankshot to send the game into overtime. Of course, it helped when Billy Packer retired, because it was a sure thing he would mention it during every Duke -- UNC game telecast. And now, Austin Rivers shot and Renfree to Crowder have created the new standard! Bravo.

sagegrouse
10-22-2012, 11:28 AM
As it turned out, Austin's shot was by far the highlight of what was in some ways a disappointing hoops season. (I will never say that 27 wins is a bad season.) If Duke had won the ACCs or made the FF, it might have not looked so important.

Similarly, I'd like to see how the football season ends up. I think we have the talent to compete with anyone, so this may just be one outstanding play in a completely remarkable season.

sagegrouse

jimsumner
10-22-2012, 12:10 PM
Different academic years. No reason to choose.

Then again, that puts Crowder's catch in the mix with all the hoops highlights to come in 2013.

75Crazie
10-22-2012, 12:23 PM
One of my goals in life has been to out-live mention of the 8-points-17 seconds debacle with Peahead Davis hitting the 35-ft bankshot to send the game into overtime. Of course, it helped when Billy Packer retired, because it was a sure thing he would mention it during every Duke -- UNC game telecast.
Oh no, not just every Duke-UNC game ... every single flippin' college game where a similar kind of advantage existed. To this day, I still cringe when I hear or think of the phrase "I remember a game ...".

BlueDevilCorvette!
10-22-2012, 12:28 PM
I would have to say Austin Rivers game winning shot at the buzzer because it literally gave me a few weeks to walk around saying "ONIONS" to all the UNC fans! However, Duke beating UNC in football was great but realistically had Duke lost the game, I would probably already be over it by now. (Go Duke!)

Devil in the Blue Dress
10-22-2012, 01:23 PM
We Are Duke! Excellence is our middle name! We don't have to choose!;)

Olympic Fan
10-22-2012, 01:28 PM
As great as Austin's shot was, it didn't change anything -- Duke was a basketball superpower before the shot and would have remained one had he missed.

That's not to knock it -- it was an awesome moment and is one reason that I'll always remember Austin fondly.

The Renfree-to-Crowder pass could be a transformative play for the program. It puts me in mind of a play from the 1989 Duke-Clemson game. You have to understand the circumstances in 1989. Duke was 1-3 and coming off a 21-point loss at Virginia. Clemson was the league's dominent power, winning something like six of the previous eight ACC titles (including 1988). They were undefeated and No. 7 in the nation. They came into Wade on a rainy day with a small crowd (22,000 ... about a third of them wearing Orange). Clemson dominated the first half. They led 14-0 at the break, but it should have been more ... maybe much more.

Finally, after the two teams exchanged turnovers in the second half, Duke mounted a drive in the third quarter. As Duke got close, QB Billy Ray floated a little swing pass out to TB Randy Cuthbert. He picked up a couple of yards, but was hit by a mob of Clemson defenders just inside the five.

But then the strangest thing happened. The pile of players atop Cuthbert started to move. Duke tackle Chris Port joined the scrum, pushing toward the Clemson goalline. It was like it was happening in slow motion -- Cuthbert wouldn't go down and he wouldn't stop driving forward. Cuthbert carried the whole Clemson team with him into the end zone.

I'll never forget the electricity that flowed through Wade Stadium at that moment. It was transforming -- Duke not only rallied to beat Clemson 21-17 that afternoon, but the Devils won their final seven games to earn a shar of the ACC title. I'll always believe that the Cuthbert surge led to that and it would have led to the transforation of the Duke football gream if Spurrier hadn't left after the season (he actually took the Florida job before the bowl game). We still might have gone forward, but Tom Butters -- who made so many great decisions as AD -- made a bad one by appointing Barry Wilson to replace Spurrier.

I think the Renfree-to-Crowder play could be a similar moment. Unlike the Cuthbert play, which seemed to be a slow motion, this one was over in a blink of an eye. You had to see it on replay to appreciate how great the catch was as Crowder was sandwiched high and low by two defenders and flipped on his head. How did he hold onto the ball?

But it did more than stick a dagger in UNC hearts -- if that was all it did, I'd rate the Rivers' shot first because their fans (like ours) care more about basketball than football). But even if there's no carryover, this play mde Duke bowl eligible and that's significant for a program without a bowl since 1994. I think it will do more than that. I think it will motivate Duke students to come to the games with some regularity. I think it will convince at least a few wavering recruits to come to Duke. I think it will give this team the confidence to withstand the next bad break. Maybe ... just maybe ... it will help Duke get to the ACC title game in Charlotte.

It was a great moment ... greater than Austin's great moment in Chapel Hill.

blazindw
10-22-2012, 01:58 PM
Would you like a million dollars in $10's or $20's? That's how I feel about the two plays.

Haha, exactly how I feel! And, in case you were wondering, the answer to that question is clearly: "Yes."

Reilly
10-22-2012, 03:49 PM
Crowder's catch, by far.

For all the reasons OlyFan lists ... for stopping a 1-for-22 skid against our arch rival ... for stopping a 17-season-bowl-eligibility drought ... for stopping an 8-game losing skid to our arch rival ... because Renfree (a top 10 QB) came to Duke and suffered an ACL and suffered two straight 3-win seasons and kept on plugging ... because Crowder has rebounded from involvement with the July 4 accident with Blair (watch Cut's press conference Saturday night available at Goduke.com, where he almost tears up talking about the "beautiful" actions of Blair's mother toward Crowder) ....

Also, we didn't "deserve" to win the hoops game the way we "deserved" to win the football game based on our play and execution throughout. Carolina dominated the hoops game, then some wild things happened (Zeller scores for us!), and we escaped w/ an improbable win. With football, we out-muscled them all-night, then an improbable thing happens against us (Cockrell cannot corral the fumble; bounces to Gio) and it was like "here we go again" for the 1000xth time for a Duke football fan ... and yet it wasn't "here we go again", it was "here we go."

I want to know what the "word phrase" was that Cut and the team came up with to say to overcome adversity.

Billy Dat
10-22-2012, 03:51 PM
For those who haven't seen it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC-F-Vxf36g

As the program continues to improve, better TV coverage will lead to better views of incredible plays like this. I guess it says something about the play that you can tell what a great catch it was even from this horrendous angle.

As an alum, I can't claim to be anything more than a bandwagon fan of this team, but even with a limited perspective, I think this trumps Rivers by a wide margin. The biggest play in 23 years has to mean something.

Reilly
10-22-2012, 04:22 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMvDGS_4ig&feature=player_embedded

Greg_Newton
10-22-2012, 04:25 PM
Both probably maxed out my endorphin and adrenaline output at the time, as both game-winners were improbable, do-or-die moments in emotionally charged rivalry games that I had already conceded in my mind. The difference was that The Catch had more staying power for me - I was basically drunk from the euphoria for the rest of the night, to the point that I had a hard time falling asleep hours later. And of course, it had much more tangible meaning and effect on the program than did The Shot.

That said, this is kind of like asking me to choose between Kate Upton and Marissa Miller. Neither deserves second place. :)

JNort
10-22-2012, 07:03 PM
Duke and Unc care more about basketball for one. The other is because Unc won't care to much that we bet them because they have done it to us numerous times in a row now and will say "it's about time they won" where as their basketball team was "unstoppable" except for maybe UK

Devil in the Blue Dress
10-22-2012, 09:51 PM
Duke and Unc care more about basketball for one. The other is because Unc won't care to much that we bet them because they have done it to us numerous times in a row now and will say "it's about time they won" where as their basketball team was "unstoppable" except for maybe UK
I have to disagree about Carolina not caring. When the interviews during the week before Saturday's game all seem to include statements bout not wanting to be defeated by Duke because it would be embarrassing, in a perverse way they did/do care.

For years, the folks in Chapel Hill have claimed that Duke has had such a poor football team that we weren't even their rivals any more. When people talk that arrogantly, they do, in fact, care. They're just whistling in the dark!

killerleft
10-22-2012, 11:13 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMvDGS_4ig&feature=player_embedded

Great view of the catch! The reaction of big guy Laken Tomlinson (77) just about says it all. This win was HUGE, and that play completely kills the Austin Rivers bucket, which was totally awesome! Superlatives abound. "I'd like 'exclamation points' for two thousand, Alex!!"

And, obviously, the Dancing Devils are awesomer than any comparable group of Chapaheeyan cheerers. C'mon!

Mike Corey
10-22-2012, 11:44 PM
2890

Edouble
10-23-2012, 12:50 AM
Great view of the catch! The reaction of big guy Laken Tomlinson (77) just about says it all. This win was HUGE, and that play completely kills the Austin Rivers bucket, which was totally awesome!

Not for me. I'll take Rivers' play. I hate football, and I bleed Duke blue, so it's not really even a question.

gep
10-23-2012, 01:13 AM
When Austin hit that shot, I thought that was just awesome. I jumped all over the place with the win.

But, the touchdown catch meant so much more... to Duke Football, Duke fans, and Duke athletics. As others have said, "program-changing" moment. I've struggled through a lot of the Duke football struggles... this was the best thing I've seen. And, I'm a Duke basketball fan through-and-through... but enjoy football too. But with the long losing streak, the struggles, etc... I was behind Coach Cut all the way. And now... WOW

Greg_Newton
10-23-2012, 01:15 AM
I want to know what the "word phrase" was that Cut and the team came up with to say to overcome adversity.

It was apparently "Light it up." Someone mentioned it in one of the postgame interviews.

Reilly
10-23-2012, 07:18 AM
Thanks. I watched those interviews after posing my question. If I'm recalling correctly, it may have been during Snead's interview (Crowder, Snead, Canty interviews are up on Goduke.com).

I like that Cut has the team thinking positively.

LIGHT IT UP!

cspan37421
10-23-2012, 08:01 AM
The TD pass clearly means more in terms of being a "season-changer" than Rivers' shot. It also was a streak-breaker.

That said, it was "just" a short floater of a pass. The timing was great and Crowder went way up to get it, and all kudos to him and Renfree for connecting. But Rivers' shot was more impressive to me and more thrilling.

First, it was a more difficult play - a long jumper - 3 pointer - over 7 foot Tyler Zeller, with no time left (we had a 4th down but not exactly the same). Second, while both were come-from-behind victories, the game situations were rather different. Duke dominated Carolina in the FB game and then gave up a long drive and a fluke fumble-recovery touchdown to fall behind. So the TD pass rescued us from a sad collapse in a game we expected to win and just could not quite hold out defensively on that last (full) Carolina drive. On the other hand, the basketball game was one in which an early lead evaporated before halftime, and we were down 10 much of the 2nd half, only to come back fully by the end. So the expected outcome for the basketball game looked bleak, and thus the comeback brought us way up to a positive, yet improbable, result. In football the expected outcome appeared to be slipping away and we just clawed back to even-keel. That's why Rivers' shot was more thrilling to me - it was more an uplifting experience because of the context.

But the Renfree-Crowder TD was a season-changer, perhaps in the long run a program-changer (we'll see). So most satisfying: Rivers' shot. Most important: Renfree's throw+Crowder's catch.

devildeac
10-23-2012, 08:37 AM
2890

Best. Photoshop. Ever.

Well played, Mr. Corey.

Mike Corey
10-23-2012, 08:55 AM
I must add that such is the product of the estimable Ben Swain (@thedevilwolf), who created it for his column here (http://www.accsports.com/articles/2012102213749/accross-the-web-october-23.php).

I did not know that at the time I posted it last night, but he gets all the credit for that awesomeness.

Researchc
10-23-2012, 06:30 PM
2890

I am so glad people have extra time on their hands to create works-of-art! Well done, Mr. Corey, well done.....

For me personally, it would have to be-Renfree to Crowder on 4th and 2 for the win. I was born in Durham and moved to TN when I was 12. I was a die-hard Duke basketball fan from the time the doctor smacked my butt. I didn't start to enjoy football until I moved to TN. Since Duke's football team has been "lacking" in the past, I reluctantly became a University of TN football fan. But the orange just never felt right to me. I moved back in the area last year for a new job. When Rivers hit that beautiful shot over the outstretched arm of Zeller, I am sure I woke up a few of my neighbors. On Saturday when Renfree zipped that TD pass to make Duke bowl eligible for the first time since I was in high school, I had the same exact feeling as the River’s shot. Consider my butt slapped again...

Having witnessed so many miracle shots, I immediately assume that it is going in the hoop. For the football team, years of close calls and what ifs were changed on Saturday. I respect the football fans that have remained loyal through all of the years of futility. Thanks to Coach Cutcliffe for changing the culture and mentality of the team. He deserves national coach of the year consideration for that alone.

BTW-I refuse to consider myself a bandwagon fan because I have loved Duke all of my life. GTHC!

elvis14
10-23-2012, 08:02 PM
Did you hear? They renamed the Dean Dump "3 Rivers Stadium"

One if by land
Two if by sea
Three if by Rivers

Chapel Hill: A. Rivers runs through it.

I know we are all excited about the football game Saturday night (whoo hooo) and I love the thought of winning the game and being bowl eligible (thanks Coach Cut). But the question isn't the most important game, it's the most satisfying PLAY. For me, it's Rivers 3 point DAGGER over Tyler Zeller to beat UNCheats IN THEIR HOUSE. I don't know how many times I backed up the DVR to watch the horrible Tar Heel fans go from elation to confusion to pure unadulterated despair! You just can't beat that. It was such a beautiful thing.

Acymetric
10-23-2012, 09:43 PM
Did you hear? They renamed the Dean Dump "3 Rivers Stadium"

One if by land
Two if by sea
Three if by Rivers

Chapel Hill: A. Riversruns through it.

I know we are all excited about the football game Saturday night (whoo hooo) and I love the thought of winning the game and being bowl eligible (thanks Coach Cut). But the question isn't the most important game, it's the most satisfying PLAY. For me, it's Rivers 3 point DAGGER over Tyler Zeller to beat UNCheats IN THEIR HOUSE. I don't know how many times I backed up the DVR to watch the horrible Tar Heel fans go from elation to confusion to pure unadulterated despair! You just can't beat that. It was such a beautiful thing.


You can. The only thing that trumps unc despair is Duke joy, and we got gobs and gobs of that when Crowder came down with a (very very tough) catch on the football equivalent of a last second shot. I can't comment to the despair of the unc fans on that play. After a few seconds of celebrating I turned to where a Carolina fan had literally been standing right next to me all game to see the look of disappointment on his face and he was GONE! I suppose one can infer ;).

burnspbesq
10-23-2012, 10:11 PM
The single most significant play by a Duke athlete so far in 2012? Easy.

Mollie Pathman's cross to set up the winning goal for the United States in the semifinals of the U-20 Women's World Cup.

elvis14
10-23-2012, 10:25 PM
You can. The only thing that trumps unc despair is Duke joy, and we got gobs and gobs of that when Crowder came down with a (very very tough) catch on the football equivalent of a last second shot. I can't comment to the despair of the unc fans on that play. After a few seconds of celebrating I turned to where a Carolina fan had literally been standing right next to me all game to see the look of disappointment on his face and he was GONE! I suppose one can infer ;).

Oh but there was so much Duke joy when Austin hit that 3. I didn't mention that because it's pretty much a given for both plays. And I'm in no way discounting the play on Saturday. I'm just comparing great moment to great moment and stating that for me that game ending shot was most satisfying.

gep
10-24-2012, 12:53 AM
Oh but there was so much Duke joy when Austin hit that 3. I didn't mention that because it's pretty much a given for both plays. And I'm in no way discounting the play on Saturday. I'm just comparing great moment to great moment and stating that for me that game ending shot was most satisfying.

I guess "satisfying" goes all over the place. I jumped all over the living room when Austin hit that 3... VERY satisfying... MOST satisfying, at the time. But Duke has beaten unc in the recent past... 82-50? So, for the football team, program, fans, etc... who have suffered through numerous years of heartbreak... that touchdown catch was ESPECIALLY satisfying.

sporthenry
10-24-2012, 02:25 AM
Both plays were completely awesome. Unless you're just not a football fan, I think you have to give the tiebreaker to the touchdown catch, though.

Rivers' shot was awesome x 100 and easily the highlight of the season, but it didn't end up meaning much in the larger picture since we didn't win the ACC and either collapsed/were exposed down the stretch. If Duke had lost to Indiana in the Final Four, that would take away a little bit from Laettner's shot, right? On the other hand, even if the football team doesn't win another game, the pass is still going to go down as one of the most important plays in Duke history for making us bowl eligible.

I guess the counterargument would be that the basketball play came in the biggest rivalry of the sport, but I'd still go with the catch due to larger context.

I would agree that the shot not leading to much else in the grand scheme of things makes it less important. Additionally, you have the recency of the catch so at the moment, I'll give it to the catch.

But we'll see how the test of time goes because Rivers shot will be shown for the rest of Duke/UNC basketball during all the lead ups and commercials on ESPN. That alone makes it worth it on top of everything that went wrong for UNC like Zeller tipping the ball in. But this catch could in someway become the visible turning point of a Duke football program. Of course if they lose out, get blown out in the bowl and don't go to a bowl for 10+ years, I guess the catch actually takes on added importance but I'll go back to AR because basketball rules the rivalry.

johnb
10-24-2012, 09:58 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMvDGS_4ig&feature=player_embedded


and a view that is framed by the Carolina player reaction.

Edouble
10-24-2012, 11:12 AM
I would agree that the shot not leading to much else in the grand scheme of things makes it less important.

Capel's shot was epic and we didn't even win the game... it was just a great moment in the rivalry, one that shows excited Devils and dejected 'Heels, and has been replayed now for 15+ years. Austin's shot was a game winner, at their place! Sometimes it doesn't matter if it leads to a Final Four. We'll being seeing a lot more of Austin's shot in future highlight reels than this football catch.

Devil in the Blue Dress
10-24-2012, 11:54 AM
While we discuss this embarrassment of riches, let's not become polarized over football vs basketball. I hope we are all celebrating any great accomplishments of the Duke family.

Duvall
10-24-2012, 12:01 PM
2012 isn't over yet.

CameronBornAndBred
10-24-2012, 12:58 PM
We'll being seeing a lot more of Austin's shot in future highlight reels than this football catch.
Only because there are not only 12 basketball games in a season. You will see Crowder's catch plenty, especially as the program picks up steam..and definitely every time we play Carolina.