FB: FSU 48, Duke 7

[DukeSean]

Duke at FSU on ESPNU at 3:30pm.

Duke opens as 26.5 point underdogs.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Duke at FSU on ESPNU at 3:30pm.

Duke opens as 26.5 point underdogs.

I'm not a gambler, but that's a tempting bet. (I think) Duke hasn't been too kind to the bookies this season. :cool:

[loran16]

Duke at FSU on ESPNU at 3:30pm.

Duke opens as 26.5 point underdogs.

Probably fair. FSU is the best team we've played this year, and again, it's on the road. For reference, Stanford is ranked 14 in the Sagarin computer rankings...FSU is ranked 9. Duke's better than it was against Stanford by now, but it lost to Stanford by 37, and I don't think we've narrowed the gap that much.

But we should give it our all, (and please don't get hurt).

[DukeSean]

Probably fair. FSU is the best team we've played this year, and again, it's on the road. For reference, Stanford is ranked 14 in the Sagarin computer rankings...FSU is ranked 9. Duke's better than it was against Stanford by now, but it lost to Stanford by 37, and I don't think we've narrowed the gap that much.

But we should give it our all, (and please don't get hurt).

I definitely think we'll play better against FSU than we did against Stanford. Traveling cross-country and playing a night game on Pacific time probably had a lot to do with the result.

I'm not delusional to think we have a good chance at winning this game. It's more than likely gonna end up close to that betting line. But if we can play a full four quarters, stay healthy, keep it close, then I will be happy. A lot of additional respect and confidence can be earned on Saturday.

[bob blue devil]

I'm not a gambler, but that's a tempting bet. (I think) Duke hasn't been too kind to the bookies this season. :cool:

ditto. That line really surprises me - I would've guessed teens.

FSU's past 5:
Miami 33-20 (+13)
BC 51-7 (+44)
NC State 16-17 (-1)
South Florida 30-17 (+13)
Clemson 49-37 (+12)
(Granted they won the prior 3 by an average of 58).

Duke is obviously better than BC and South Florida, and it would be hard to argue we're not competitive with NC State and Miami.

We're in a great position Saturday - basically no downside.

[loran16]

ditto. That line really surprises me - I would've guessed teens.

FSU's past 5:
Miami 33-20 (+13)
BC 51-7 (+44)
NC State 16-17 (-1)
South Florida 30-17 (+13)
Clemson 49-37 (+12)
(Granted they won the prior 3 by an average of 58).

Duke is obviously better than BC and South Florida, and it would be hard to argue we're not competitive with NC State and Miami.

We're in a great position Saturday - basically no downside.

The big difference: Miami, NC State, and South Florida were on the ROAD.

In Home games, FSU has won by 44, 12, and 52 , with the 12 only being Clemson (who you know, is pretty good themselves). (The other home games were against 1-AA competition and don't count).

[DukeSean]

FSU games this year against the spread, closing pregame Vegas line for FSU in brackets (not including Murray St. or Savannah St.):

WF 0 @ FSU 52 [-27.5] win
Clemson 37 @ FSU 49 [-14.5]
FSU 30 @ USF 17 [-16.5]
FSU 16 @ NCSU 17 [-17]
BC 7 @ FSU 51 [-29] win
FSU 33 @ Miami 20 [-21]

Duke games this year against the spread, line for Duke in brackets:

FIU 26 @ Duke 46 [-3] win
Duke 13 @ Stanford [16.5]
NCCU 17 @ Duke 54 [-35] win
Memphis 14 @ Duke 38 [-22] win
Duke 34 @ WF 27 [2.5] win
UVA 17 @ Duke 42 [even] win
Duke 20 @ VT 41 [9.5]
UNC 30 @ Duke 33 [10.5] win

Duke's been good against the spread this year. FSU, not so much.

[bob blue devil]

The big difference: Miami, NC State, and South Florida were on the ROAD.

In Home games, FSU has won by 44, 12, and 52 , with the 12 only being Clemson (who you know, is pretty good themselves). (The other home games were against 1-AA competition and don't count).

good catch; rookie mistake by me. that home field advantage is worth ~3 points, so add ~6 to the away results if you want to make them "home field equivalent".

coincidentally, emotional letdown is apparently a documented factor for gambling lines as well and is particularly problematic for away teams coming off of big wins. do we know any teams going on the road this week after a big win?

[CameronBornAndBred]

FSU's leading rusher Chris Thompson is out for the season.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Game time for Clemson is 7 pm! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif I know, wrong thread!

WooHoo! We can go to Tilly's wedding and reception AND get back for the game!

Tailgate, wedding, reception, beat Clemson! Yup, I love it! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif

[DukeSean]

FSU's leading rusher Chris Thompson is out for the season.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc

Big loss for FSU, and sad for Thompson considering what he's been through, but they have more than capable RBs waiting in the stable. Wilder was a 5-star, Freeman a 4-star coming out of high school. Wilder's averaged 6.0ypc, Freeman 7.0ypc this season. Big challenge ahead for our D-line and LBs

[andrewrorex]

Something interesting I read on twitter today is that Jimbo Fisher is 0-2 in homecoming games. This is their homecoming.

I don't think we win, but most of the time you schedule teams with our "past" for homecoming, so if he's lost before on homecoming, why not stop the trend now.

It would be interesting to see who those teams were for homecoming.

[Greg_Newton]

Game time for Clemson is 7 pm! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif I know, wrong thread!

WooHoo! We can go to Tilly's wedding and reception AND get back for the game!

Tailgate, wedding, reception, beat Clemson! Yup, I love it! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/happy/bouncyblue.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif

Nice, that should be another fun evening at the Wade - should be a decent fan showing from both sides, and it's a game that (as fans) we don't need or expect to win, but we've got a better chance of giving them a game than we do @FSU, IMO. Plus, we tend to get along fairly well with Clemsonites - I went down there to watch CJ Spiller destroy us a few years ago, and everyone was really friendly. Plus, it's on ESPN2. Plus, night games are awesome.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Nice, that should be another fun evening at the Wade - should be a decent fan showing from both sides, and it's a game that (as fans) we don't need or expect to win, but we've got a better chance of giving them a game than we do @FSU, IMO. Plus, we tend to get along fairly well with Clemsonites - I went down there to watch CJ Spiller destroy us a few years ago, and everyone was really friendly. Plus, it's on ESPN2. Plus, night games are awesome.
I'm friendly too when my team is beating your team into week. ;)

[rtnorthrup]

FSU games this year against the spread, closing pregame Vegas line for FSU in brackets (not including Murray St. or Savannah St.):

WF 0 @ FSU 52 [-27.5] win
Clemson 37 @ FSU 49 [-14.5]
FSU 30 @ USF 17 [-16.5]
FSU 16 @ NCSU 17 [-17]
BC 7 @ FSU 51 [-29] win
FSU 33 @ Miami 20 [-21]

Duke games this year against the spread, line for Duke in brackets:

FIU 26 @ Duke 46 [-3] win
Duke 13 @ Stanford [16.5]
NCCU 17 @ Duke 54 [-35] win
Memphis 14 @ Duke 38 [-22] win
Duke 34 @ WF 27 [2.5] win
UVA 17 @ Duke 42 [even] win
Duke 20 @ VT 41 [9.5]
UNC 30 @ Duke 33 [10.5] win

Duke's been good against the spread this year. FSU, not so much.

Also, Duke hasn't done well on the road against good football teams. Not sure what to expect this weekend.

[-bdbd]

Something interesting I read on twitter today is that Jimbo Fisher is 0-2 in homecoming games. This is their homecoming.

I don't think we win, but most of the time you schedule teams with our "past" for homecoming, so if he's lost before on homecoming, why not stop the trend now.

It would be interesting to see who those teams were for homecoming.

I remember one season not very long ago where we played in, I think, 5 homecoming games, plus our own. Am guessing that those days are behind us now, as Coach Cut has built a program that has to be respected by the schedulers. :D

[devildeac]

ditto. That line really surprises me - I would've guessed teens.

FSU's past 5:
Miami 33-20 (+13)
BC 51-7 (+44)
NC State 16-17 (-1)
South Florida 30-17 (+13)
Clemson 49-37 (+12)
(Granted they won the prior 3 by an average of 58).

Duke is obviously better than BC and South Florida, and it would be hard to argue we're not competitive with NC State and Miami.

We're in a great position Saturday - basically no downside.

The two downsides are if we get any number of serious injuries and/or we lose big like we did to Stanford and Alabama. (pacing anxiously already)

[loran16]

Apparently coach cut said bin a radio interview that conner is Hirt and not practicing. Shouldn't surprise Anyone

[Billy Dat]

12 of the threads on Page 1 of the Elizabeth King Forum are currently focused on the football team. Can the DFR be far behind?

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

12 of the threads on Page 1 of the Elizabeth King Forum are currently focused on the football team. Can the DFR be far behind?

I love being able to meet my friends in an old, familiar place!

[OldPhiKap]

12 of the threads on Page 1 of the Elizabeth King Forum are currently focused on the football team. Can the DFR be far behind?

Maybe just change to Duke Sports Report. Works for me!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Maybe just change to Duke Sports Report. Works for me!

Good idea!:cool:

[Greg_Newton]

Also, Duke hasn't done well on the road against good football teams. Not sure what to expect this weekend.

Plus, FSU has been incredible at home. They were pretty dominant in the second half of that Clemson game, and beat BC and Wake by a combined 103-7 margin. They've only not looked terrifying on the road.

[devildeac]

Today's line is F$U by 28. If NSCU can beat them...

It's a shame Ozzie was not in Florida this weekend for his HS reunion. He could have done a drive-by of the game and stayed off probation;):rolleyes:.

[DukeSean]

Today's line is F$U by 28. If NSCU can beat them...

It's a shame Ozzie was not in Florida this weekend for his HS reunion. He could have done a drive-by of the game and stayed off probation;):rolleyes:.

If NSCU can beat them....in Raleigh, then we have a good chance of putting up a good fight in Tallahassee.

If we stay healthy, keep the score within 2 touchdowns, I would consider that a darn good fight.

[devildeac]

If NSCU can beat them....in Raleigh, then we have a good chance of putting up a good fight in Tallahassee.

If we stay healthy, keep the score within 2 touchdowns, I would consider that a darn good fight.

Especially considering the Deacs lost down there, 52-0:eek:.

[davekay1971]

This is a trap game for FSU and Duke's going to win.

Stop laughing.

Really, stop laughing.

I can wait...

Do you have control of yourself yet? OK, here it goes...

FSU just beat a big in-state rival and their next game is at VT. I don't care about records this year, there's no way the FSU players aren't looking at VT as one of their bigger games this year. And there's no way they're believing that Duke is as good as our record. They're going to be looking at the smackdowns we suffered from Stanford and VT, the two "real" teams we've played thus far. They're not going to be impressed at all by our win against a Wake team they dominated, a UVa team that is at the bottom of the league, or even much by our win against UNC. Nope. The FSU players, no matter what Jimbo Fisher tells them, will figure this is just a Duke team that's done ok against an easy schedule, a Duke team that should be an easy home W before they hit the road against a real team in VT.

As for Duke, it's time to channel that clown Bill Simmons for a moment and combine the "Nobody believes in us" game with the "shock the world" game.

If Duke wins this game, they almost have the Coastal division on lockdown. They will vault into the top 25. They will suddenly be a real contender for the ACC Championship. They will...ahem...shock the world.

We can do this.

We can win.

It's 60 minutes...60 minutes to make your mark...60 minutes to leave your legacy...60 minutes to do something that people will remember for all time! They put on their uniforms the same way we do! They play on the same 100 yard field we do! Forget the crowd, they're not on the field. Forget the history because this is our time! This is our year!

This...is...SPART...er...DUKE FOOTBALL!

[killerleft]

This is a trap game for FSU and Duke's going to win.

Stop laughing.

Really, stop laughing.

I can wait...

Do you have control of yourself yet? OK, here it goes...

FSU just beat a big in-state rival and their next game is at VT. I don't care about records this year, there's no way the FSU players aren't looking at VT as one of their bigger games this year. And there's no way they're believing that Duke is as good as our record. They're going to be looking at the smackdowns we suffered from Stanford and VT, the two "real" teams we've played thus far. They're not going to be impressed at all by our win against a Wake team they dominated, a UVa team that is at the bottom of the league, or even much by our win against UNC. Nope. The FSU players, no matter what Jimbo Fisher tells them, will figure this is just a Duke team that's done ok against an easy schedule, a Duke team that should be an easy home W before they hit the road against a real team in VT.

As for Duke, it's time to channel that clown Bill Simmons for a moment and combine the "Nobody believes in us" game with the "shock the world" game.

If Duke wins this game, they almost have the Coastal division on lockdown. They will vault into the top 25. They will suddenly be a real contender for the ACC Championship. They will...ahem...shock the world.

We can do this.

We can win.

It's 60 minutes...60 minutes to make your mark...60 minutes to leave your legacy...60 minutes to do something that people will remember for all time! They put on their uniforms the same way we do! They play on the same 100 yard field we do! Forget the crowd, they're not on the field. Forget the history because this is our time! This is our year!

This...is...SPART...er...DUKE FOOTBALL!

Let's win this game for the... uh ... Cutter!!!

We have a long row to hoe before we can stay in this one 'til crunchtime, but the possiblility isn't as farfetched as some think. There is nothing more amusing than a football powerhouse in meltdown mode, and it happens sometimes. The deal is believing we can win, and then playing like we can win. I imagine David Cutcliffe can provide these guys with reasons to believe. It's the not-backing-down part that's the trick. It should help to point out that Florida State might be a pretty good team, but they are certainly NOT the Bobby Bowden juggernaut that joined the ACC.

We're underdogs, sure. Tough game to manage, physically and mentally. But somewhere down the line, if we're gonna play with the big boys, a loud gong's gotta go off to signal that we're thinking strongly about it. I've heard we have this bell thingy...

[Sir Stealth]

I attended the Duke-FSU game as a 10 year old in Tallahassee in 1994. Duke was 7-0, 4-0 in the ACC (and you think this year's start has been promising). FSU was the defending national champion; Charlie Ward had graduated but they still had Warrick Dunn, Danny Kanell at QB, Derrick Brooks, Peter Boulware, Tra Thomas....I had previously been there in person with my family to see Duke take out Georgia Tech in Atlanta - the small but vocal Duke section chanted "Bring on the 'Noles" even with three other games remaining in between.

The game didn't go so well. I don't remember if my Dad or I thought we had a good chance driving down, but I do know that my expectations plummeted when I entered Doak Campbell Stadium and particularly when Chief Osceola threw the flaming spear into the ground. I had just never experienced anything like that before. From the looks of it, neither had the Blue Devils.

This is a different Duke team and a different FSU program as well, despite their high ranking. I like our chances to stay much more competitive this time around and would certainly jump on us +28. Our team is really coming of age and looks like they are improving every time out.

That 1994 team deserved a better end to the year. They were nipped by 1 at N.C. St. and then got absolutely, painfully SCREWED against UNC on a terrible, terrible fumble call by the referees right at the goal line (resulting in them once again losing by 1). Could have easily been a 10 win season.

[OldPhiKap]

I attended the Duke-FSU game as a 10 year old in Tallahassee in 1994. Duke was 7-0, 4-0 in the ACC (and you think this year's start has been promising). FSU was the defending national champion; Charlie Ward had graduated but they still had Warrick Dunn, Danny Kanell at QB, Derrick Brooks, Peter Boulware, Tra Thomas....I had previously been there in person with my family to see Duke take out Georgia Tech in Atlanta - the small but vocal Duke section chanted "Bring on the 'Noles" even with three other games remaining in between.

The game didn't go so well. I don't remember if my Dad or I thought we had a good chance driving down, but I do know that my expectations plummeted when I entered Doak Campbell Stadium and particularly when Chief Osceola threw the flaming spear into the ground. I had just never experienced anything like that before. From the looks of it, neither had the Blue Devils.

This is a different Duke team and a different FSU program as well, despite their high ranking. I like our chances to stay much more competitive this time around and would certainly jump on us +28. Our team is really coming of age and looks like they are improving every time out.

That 1994 team deserved a better end to the year. They were nipped by 1 at N.C. St. and then got absolutely, painfully SCREWED against UNC on a terrible, terrible fumble call by the referees right at the goal line (resulting in them once again losing by 1). Could have easily been a 10 win season.

It will be a great chance to see how much the team has grown up since Blacksburg. We started like gangbusters but then got overwhelmed on the road. Let's see what we've learned from the experience, and The Drive last week.

[DukeSean]

It will be a great chance to see how much the team has grown up since Blacksburg. We started like gangbusters but then got overwhelmed on the road. Let's see what we've learned from the experience, and The Drive last week.

Coach Cut has never coached a game at FSU, nor have any of our current players ever played a game at Doak. It's gonna be one heckuva trial-by-fir...er...experience. One that can't be simulated by loud speakers during practice.

That said, I hope that we come out strong, make a statement, and keep fighting till the whistle blows. And with a little help from lady luck, we might be able to win

[OldPhiKap]

Coach Cut has never coached a game at FSU, nor have any of our current players ever played a game at Doak. It's gonna be one heckuva trial-by-fir...er...experience. One that can't be simulated by loud speakers during practice.

That said, I hope that we come out strong, make a statement, and keep fighting till the whistle blows. And with a little help from lady luck, we might be able to win

True that Cut has never coached there, but he's been to those huge SEC stadiums. I'm sure he knows what is coming.

As for the team, well -- like you said, it's gonna be a real test.

[Bob Green]

http://nolesports.tallahassee.com/article/20121025/FSU03/310250018/No-10-FSU-gears-up-face-surprising-Blue-Devils?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage


“I think they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I think they’re better offensively (than last year). The quarterback is even better than he was. We thought last year he was a tremendous player.

“Defensively, they’re mixing up blitzes. Very sound in what they do. Create great leverage on the ball. They’re pressing. They’re off, doing great things.”

[CameronBornAndBred]

How I read that quote.

The quarterback is even better than he was. We thought last year he was a tremendous player. Whatever his name is..ol whatshisface..

[Merlindevildog91]

How I read that quote.

Jimbo Fisher is a man who learns from Mike London's mistakes. Better not to use a name than to use the wrong one.

[devildeac]

Jimbo Fisher is a man who learns from Mike London's mistakes. Better not to use a name than to use the wrong one.

Who is this Mike Lowdown character?:rolleyes:

[sagegrouse]

There are only two keys to this game for Duke IMHO (where the H is silent):

1. Show up to play and play hard for 60 minutes.

2. Defend the long pass exceptionally well. Generals and football coaches tend to fight the last war, and in Wallace Wade last year FSU tried three long passes, completing all three for touchdowns. Then the 'Noles packed it in for the rest of the game. Look for the "over-the-top" game to kick in right away. Could be a chance for some early interceptions.

sagegrouse

[devildeac]

There are only two keys to this game for Duke IMHO (where the H is silent):

1. Show up to play and play hard for 60 minutes.

2. Defend the long pass exceptionally well. Generals and football coaches tend to fight the last war, and in Wallace Wade last year FSU tried three long passes, completing all three for touchdowns. Then the 'Noles packed it in for the rest of the game. Look for the "over-the-top" game to kick in right away. Could be a chance for some early interceptions.

sagegrouse

I'll add a third:

3. Hope we suffer no major injuries.

Sure, we have little control over this, but it's a key as we battle through the remainder of our difficult schedule.

[hudlow]

I remember similar circumstances many years ago when a resurgent Duke football team went to Neyland Stadium and came out a winner....

As Jimmy V. would say...."Never give up."

GO DUKE!!!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I remember similar circumstances many years ago when a resurgent Duke football team went to Neyland Stadium and came out a winner....

As Jimmy V. would say...."Never give up."

GO DUKE!!!

Playing scared is a good way to get injured. I don't think our guys are going to fold. They've done that already and worked successfully at how to get back on both feet again.

[TruBlu]

I remember similar circumstances many years ago when a resurgent Duke football team went to Neyland Stadium and came out a winner....

As Jimmy V. would say...."Never give up."

GO DUKE!!!

Yep! I went to this one with a group of friends, all of whom were expecting a big loss. The majority of the group thought the highlight of the trip would be the World's Fair. The game ended with Duke protecting the lead, driving the length of the field, and taking a knee inside the Vol's 5 yard line as time expired. The next morning, the Knoxville paper had an article bemoaning the fact that it was hard enough losing to Duke, but for Duke to take pity on them by not scoring again was unbearable.

[OldPhiKap]

Yep! I went to this one with a group of friends, all of whom were expecting a big loss. The majority of the group thought the highlight of the trip would be the World's Fair. The game ended with Duke protecting the lead, driving the length of the field, and taking a knee inside the Vol's 5 yard line as time expired. The next morning, the Knoxville paper had an article bemoaning the fact that it was hard enough losing to Duke, but for Duke to take pity on them by not scoring again was unbearable.

Heh.

We obviously were not intimidated going into Blacksburg. When the tide changed, though, we were unable to stem the momentum and got pancaked. How do we handle the adversity when it comes? Hopefully the UNC game taught the players a big lesson in perseverance.

[Dev11]

Not sure if there is a better place to post this, but I wanted to point out Carolina's decision to change their helmet design for this week, going with the big foot logo instead of the NC logo. I presume this is in reference to how their opponent ran the ball over them last week. GTHC

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Not sure if there is a better place to post this, but I wanted to point out Carolina's decision to change their helmet design for this week, going with the big foot logo instead of the NC logo. I presume this is in reference to how their opponent ran the ball over them last week. GTHC

They are also wearing navy blue uniforms and navy blue helmets with light blue and white trim.....

[Bob Green]

Not sure if there is a better place to post this, but I wanted to point out Carolina's decision to change their helmet design for this week, going with the big foot logo instead of the NC logo. I presume this is in reference to how their opponent ran the ball over them last week. GTHC

My grandson asked me why they had a foot on their helmet so I told him it was from Duke stepping on their heads last week.

[killerleft]

My grandson asked me why they had a foot on their helmet so I told him it was from Duke stepping on their heads last week.

You are wise, Bob Green. I also noticed that they come with a tinfoil hat built-in for obvious reasons.

Back to the Devils, Go Duke!! We need the fast start to last all game. Rip 'em up, Tear 'em up, Give 'em Hell, Duke!!!!!

[nyesq83]

Yep! I went to this one with a group of friends, all of whom were expecting a big loss. The majority of the group thought the highlight of the trip would be the World's Fair. The game ended with Duke protecting the lead, driving the length of the field, and taking a knee inside the Vol's 5 yard line as time expired. The next morning, the Knoxville paper had an article bemoaning the fact that it was hard enough losing to Duke, but for Duke to take pity on them by not scoring again was unbearable.

We walked up to the ticket booth at 11 am that morning and the sweet old gal told us
"Sorry boys, all I got is field level behind the Duke bench."

We said, "Aw shucks I guess those'll have to do"

We saw the player walk, impressive, and I understand why Cut does it now with our guys.

Chris Castor caught his long reception and YAC for a TD right in front of us.

Quietest fireworks I have ever heard after the game...and the Duke team heard us yelling all game long!

[riverside6]

Live stats and play analysis for Duke/FSU here...

http://www.scacchoops.com/FB_ViewHDGame.asp?hGame=2477

[neuro]

Game on, and FSU gets a long TD early. Sigh...

Is there a duke chat online where i can share any grief and/or ecstasy with fellow duke fans?

[OldPhiKap]

Game on, and FSU gets a long TD early. Sigh...

Is there a duke chat online where i can share any grief and/or ecstasy with fellow duke fans?

http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/chat

[Dukehky]

Tony Foster just can't play with the big boys in college football. He's a very good special teamer but the only reason he's getting any time in the secondary is because we are decimated with injuries.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Two uncalled blocks in the back. Horrible.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Wes Chesson says our players are less intimidated by the FL State players than are the officials.

[killerleft]

Wes Chesson says our players are less intimidated by the FL State players than are the officials.

That's for sure. Conner may not have caught that pass, but you sure couldn't tell whether his hand was under it or not. Should have stood as a completion.

[75Crazie]

We walked up to the ticket booth at 11 am that morning and the sweet old gal told us
"Sorry boys, all I got is field level behind the Duke bench."

We said, "Aw shucks I guess those'll have to do"

We saw the player walk, impressive, and I understand why Cut does it now with our guys.

Chris Castor caught his long reception and YAC for a TD right in front of us.

Quietest fireworks I have ever heard after the game...and the Duke team heard us yelling all game long!
I was at that game also, a Duke buddy of mine worked with a Vol who got us tickets. We were sitting in a sea of orange, but forgot ourselves for a moment when Castor caught that ball. The two of us jumped up screaming, then very quickly realized exactly where we were and sheepishly sat down again. The Vol who got us tickets was close to being physically sick after the game, he was that bummed. We had to keep our celebration rather muted.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

That's for sure. Conner may not have caught that pass, but you sure couldn't tell whether his hand was under it or not. Should have stood as a completion.

Wes and Bob say their monitor showed Conner had caught it inside. Some incontrovertible evidence!

[HDB]

FSU taking us behind the woodshed. This is going to be ugly.

[chaosmage]

Don't know either announcer, but one of them is constantly parading the great officiating job and the great program that FSU is. They are now on mute.

Enjoying the silence, but not enjoying the game. Just feels like we can't get a break.

2 halves of a game though... go Duke!!!

[chaosmage]

Ran right over the guy after the tackle on the 31-0 return, no call.

Now I know how all the high school teams we beat for our homecomings felt.

average scores of 50+, I remember one year it was 70-0 - we got tired of playing the fight song.

[killerleft]

Don't know either announcer, but one of them is constantly parading the great officiating job and the great program that FSU is. They are now on mute.

Enjoying the silence, but not enjoying the game. Just feels like we can't get a break.

2 halves of a game though... go Duke!!!

Man, that last call the stupid announcer didn't find anything wrong with leading with the helmet to the chest. Sad. The refs had to call it, but they'll check with FSU before doing another call like that. Same guy had no trouble with the call just like it against Duke early, even praised the ref.

[killerleft]

Now that dumbass "coach" announcer wants somebody to let the players know about a launching rule that has been in effect for several years. But, as he says, "I'm all about safety.".

[chaosmage]

The announcer is discussing the fact that Renfree is down, and it's just "oh well, that's what happens.. that's how the game is played."

Did he graduate from FSU? Sheesh.

Anywho, I know I'm griping a lot.. time on my hands right now :-P Done all I can for our remodel and my master's work for the day, enjoying having a day to relax.

Good thoughts to Renfree.

[SCMatt33]

You know, I know that FSU is committing a lot of penalties that are resulting in injuries (and they certainly are penalties), but I do think it's important to distinguish between this and what the Carolina guy did last week. With Carolina, that was a cheap, dirty play. That guy intentionally went after Duke's best player. What I suspect FSU is doing is getting over-hyped after probably getting ripped into by their coaches after a sluggish game against Miami. FSU is clearly holding nothing back, which in a way, is a new found sign of respect for Duke. They guys are just a little to late, or going that little bit too hard by launching at a receiver. If I were an 18-22 year old football player, I'd probably respond the same way. I really put this one on the coaching for not holding them back after going up by 4+ touchdowns. Jimbo Fischer should have been sending a message after that first penalty. That clearly didn't happen.

[chaosmage]

out for the game, concussion.

2 qb rotation rest of the way.

[killerleft]

Now that dumbass "coach" announcer wants somebody to let the players know about a launching rule that has been in effect for several years. But, as he says, "I'm all about safety.".

Killerleft, me, hates to reply to my own post. But when that "coach" announcer watched the replay of a perfectly textbook example of illegal launching and still derided the call, let's just say his credibility is gone with any objective observer.

Alright, just got 7, got a stop. Go Duke!!!

[brlftz]

who is this "coach" guy? he's despicable. i'm also annoyed that they never mentioned that the guy that hit renfree pretty clearly went helmet to helmet. looked clearly deliberate.

[bedeviled]

I'm not sure who the announcer is, but since they call him "Coach" and had "Hawk's key stats," I'm guessing he might be the former Colorado head coach, Dan Hawkins. His wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Hawkins_%28American_football%29 does say that he is now an analyst with ESPN.

My favorite part of his Wiki page is interesting in light of the repeated insistence that time of possession is the most overrated stat in football:

On November 6, 2010, Colorado blew a 28-point fourth quarter lead over the Kansas Jayhawks and lost, 52–45, the biggest collapse in the 121-year history of Colorado football. While still nursing that large lead in the fourth quarter, Hawkins continued to have his team throw the ball on offense instead of running out the clock, allowing Kansas time to mount its comeback. There has been widespread suspicion Hawkins made that choice because he was more concerned about his quarterback, son Cody Hawkins, breaking the school's all-time passing record than winning the game.

EDIT: Yep, looks like that's the correct Hawk.

[subzero02]

Come on guys... Two fourth quarter TD's and we're back in this thing(ATS).

[Mabdul Doobakus]

At the end of the year, nothing should take away from the fact that this team qualified for a bowl game. And nothing will make any of us forget last week's win over UNC. This, however, was a pretty sobering performance. If I told you Duke was +4 in the turnover department, you might have thought we'd at least beat the spread.

FSU gained 282 yards on 8 completions (16 attempts). That's an average of 35 yards per pass completion, which is pretty hard to fathom. Just reminds us that despite our program's improvement, there's still a giant talent gap between us and the elite or near-elite programs.

Also, Will Monday had 12 punts with a 51.2 yards per punt average. This would come to a total of 613 punting yards, which might be an ACC record, at the very least. I found a list of records through the 2007 season, and the record at that time was 601 yards. So potentially, congratulations to Will Monday are in order. I'm sure he would tell you he couldn't have done without the help of his teammates. :)

[Mabdul Doobakus]

As an addendum to my previous post, Will Monday did not come close to the NCAA record for punting yards in a game.

Found this at texastech.com:

"In 1938, Texas Tech and Centenary played to a rainsoaked tie in which there were an amazing 77 punts. Tech punter Charlie Calhoun punted 36 times for 1,318 yards, obviously an NCAA record that will likely never be broken."

That means the other guy must have punted 41 times. He must not have been very good then, to not have the record. That has to be the worst football game ever played.

[nyesq83]

Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe
“I would like to think what we saw was somewhat of an aberration when you have all three phases break down consistently and that’s what we did. I told our team afterwards it was not a product of our preparation; we have a very committed team, we practice well. It was not a product of we are bowl eligible and we are going to shut down. That’s not the case in my opinion. It is a product of playing a very good team that we didn’t respond to that very good team. As a group of seniors I told them “you’ve got to leave all this in Tallahassee. We’ve got too much lying in front of us. All you guys returning to our squad, I don’t want you to forget it but I don’t want you to think about it right now. That’s something for off season. It’s a part of the process. Just understand what a really good football team looks like.”

“I said this a month ago as I watched Florida State a good bit every phase when we were playing Wake Forest – that’s one of the games we studied. I told it to many of my friends – I think that’s (Florida State) is the best team in the country. I’ve been around this a long time. I don’t think they have a weakness. I told Coach Fisher before the ballgame – I said you’ve got the best field position team I’ve ever seen. And they do that incredibly well – their placekicker, kickoff man, punting – they’ve done lot of pinning people in, their return game is outstanding and they are physical on both lines of scrimmage – equally so. They are equally as physical on offense as they are on defense. I think it’s all in front of them as to what they can do. That kind of sums the story up."

“We’ve got some people we have to evaluate. Sean Renfree – we will be evaluating him. He’s not feeling very good at the current time. Juwan Thompson was not able to return. I think all and any tests that he has had to this point have been in a good manner - positive. I know we’ve got a few others that have been banged up."

“We will regroup. Every number here tells you we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well on first down, we didn’t play well on second down; we didn’t play well on third down. That makes it really hard. We didn’t play well in any phase of the kicking game. These are the facts now. Those of you who hadn’t seen us – that’s not who we are. We’re a good football team. We were not today. The blunt of the responsibility bears right here. We just did not respond in any fashion. I guess the only positive number we had – we won the turnover game which was something we thought we had to do coming in. As the game got so out of hand it didn’t matter.”

On Sean Renfree’s Condition:
“It’s head and we will just see where it leads from there. There’s nothing much you can say. That’s a circumstance for the doctor’s to manage. You’ve got laws and everything else. That’s kind of what I can say.”


Florida State Head Coach Jimbo Fisher
Opening Statement:
“I was very proud of our guys. I was proud with the way we came out of the gate. We played very well early in the game – offense, defense and special teams. We established a tempo in the game, very much through the first two drives in the second half. We came out the first two drives, scored bang-bang – offensively, defensively and special teams did a great job. Then we had a little lapse. We put a punt on the ground – took our eyes off of it trying to make too much of a play. EJ (Manuel) had a fumble on a loose ball. It was a shame that Rodney (Smith) had one on a big play down the field, waving the ball. We come out and do ball security every day at the beginning of practice. We’re going to fix that, I can’t tolerate that and Devonta (Freeman) put one on the ground. I couldn’t see what happened on his. But that was disappointing, but I was very proud of our team. Offense we were able to run the ball, thrown the ball, protect it pretty well. EJ did a great job of getting the ball down the field deep. Devonta had a nice day, Wilder ran very well – had some nice yardage runs. Had some red zone runs. Debrale (Smiley) came in and did a nice job. EJ managed the game very well. The thing we were able to do was hit those deep balls. That changes the field position with those big plays and it was awesome. Defense did a good job of pressuring the quarterback. We kept pressuring them with looks and for the most part had a pretty good game. Dustin (Hopkins) – congratulations to him. He had an outstanding day. He broke the ACC record for field goals and our school record. He’s really been kicking the ball the last few weeks and he’s starting to come into his own. Being that Dustin we know and we’re very proud of him. I was very proud of our guys.”

On Tyler Hunter’s day on punt returning:
“He had a great day. If you watch the punt, he was looking at it and all of a sudden he looks down real quick. First job as a punt returner is not to return it, but to catch it. That’s what we got to remember and I think we got a little greedy. I still think he had a good day, but that’s inexcusable and we’ve got to get it fixed.”

On Christian Jones:
“He had 11 total plays in the game. He was getting out in space. That guy can play when he hits space – covering and running. He’s athletic and he can cover and make some big plays in the field with open field tackles.”

On Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr.:
“I thought they were good. In pass pro they were good and running the ball. I think the only bad thing was Devonta put the ball on the ground at the end. But that sucker was running it, he had a nice trap down there on a third and 10, he had nice balance. Quick. James was running for powerful third down runs. I thought they had an outstanding day.”

On their consistency:
“For the most part I saw it. I’ll look at the film, but for the most part I was very comfortable with the way they played today.”

[bjornolf]

Living where I do, I haven't seen much of Duke this year (mainly just the UNC and FSU games). The things that struck me in the games I saw were the poor tackling and pursuit angles. There were an awful lot of arm tackle attempts, many of them in the backfield, that led to big plays for FSU. If we want to be a better team, a good place to start would be discipline and technique on rushing and tackling.

[formerdukeathlete]

who is this "coach" guy? he's despicable. i'm also annoyed that they never mentioned that the guy that hit renfree pretty clearly went helmet to helmet. looked clearly deliberate.

Mark Stoops was horrendous on the sidelines. He complained about everything and you did not need to be a lip reader to see that he swore up and down at the refs. This guy was just vile.

Of course the hit on Renfree was coached. BTW, I dont think Cutcliffe should have made a comment minimizing that, as 'being part of Football,' certainly not without seeing the tape. This should result in the offending player being suspended by the ACC. And, Duke should be filing complaints with the ACC about this game, FSU, and the coached headhunting.

And, as for Sean's condition, let's hope this is not a bad concussion; let's hope it does not end his career.

The Herald Sun had an article on the game, about how Florida State's athleticism won the game. We have some very athletic guys on our team. Problem is not athleticism so much as sheer size and strength. Stanford pummelled us size and strength wise. I think we can recruit some of the same type of players, which would help us deal with FSU in the future. FSU wont feel as free to take cheap and dirty shots if they were getting tough handled when playing a big Duke team.