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jimsumner
08-30-2015, 04:20 PM
Duke hosted its last pre-Tulane media availability today.

Big practice scheduled for tonight. Full-contact, no-holds barred (except for holding, which is barred).

Braxton Deaver and Shaun Wilson to participate, with no limitations.

Wilson practiced some last Friday but lightly. Shaq Powell will start against Tulane but with the humidity of New Orleans in play, Duke will need Wilson and Pierre to augment the running game. Cutcliffe mentioned that he wouldn’t be afraid to play Zach Boden at RB.

Best news of the day? Jela Duncan won’t play this week but he’s getting better and Cut says he’s week-to-week.

WR Anthony Nash is starting to work his way back into the scheme of things but Duke will baby him a bit until his hamstring is 100 percent.

Some depth-chart movement. Five true freshman on the two-deep, or 2.5-deep in some cases.

On offense, T.J. Rahming and Chris Taylor are listed as co-starters at one receiver position, with Max McCaffrey and Johnell Barnes the other two starters.

Cut said Rahming had his best practice of the season last Friday and favorably compared his short-space speed with that of Jamison Crowder.

Tanner Stone is running at first-team RG, ahead of Cody Robinson.

On defense. True freshmen Marquies Price (DE), Brandon Boyce (DT), Ben Humphries (LB) and Jeremy McDuffie (C) are on the second-team, Boyce and Humphries sharing second-team with another player.

Note that Duke only played five true freshmen all of last season.

Alonzo Saxton II is starting at corner in place of injured Bryon Fields.

Ryan Smith is the first-team punt returner. We all knew he could run but he proved he also could catch punts with consistency. Cut called the competition for punt returner “spirited."

Duke’s trip last week to see Washington play was about schedule acclimatization. Duke hasn’t opened on the road in a decade or so and lots of true and redshirt freshmen will be making their first road trip next week. Duke wanted to give them some practice. Even had a pregame meal.

Parker Boehme likely will get a lot of the short-yardage work at QB. But Duke wants to make sure he doesn’t get hit too much, so they’re still “finalizing” how much that will happen.

Asked about the possibility that Thomas Sirk could be an upgrade over Anthony Boone, Cutcliffe refused to throw Boone under the bus but admitted that Duke could be better at QB this year. McCaffrey loves Sirk's ability, especially on the long ball.

Wide receivers? Getting better but still lacking consistency. Cutcliffe and McCaffrey both said that Barnes has more highlight-reel plays than any wide receiver but needs to do it all the time. Cutcliffe had the analogy of a guy who runs 4.4 some of the time against a guy who runs 4.6 all of the time. The latter is preferable because you know what you’re getting. The implication was that Barnes could be the guy to run 4.4 all of the time, which is the best option of them all.

“We want him to play at the level he can play at, which is a very high level.”

McCaffrey is the glue guy here. He said he didn’t take Cutcliffe’s public critiques of the WRs personally but as a challenge. He’s working with a lot of young talent here. Will the key word be “young?” Or “talent?”

Duke expects Tulane to target Saxton, the least experienced of the starting DBs. DeVon Edwards said he and Saxton had talked about that and Saxton knew what was coming and was ready. Interestingly, Edwards said he expected to be targeted because of his size. I’m not sure I agree but I like the small-guy persecution edge that Edwards brings to the game.

DeVon Edwards has been working some at corner. He speaks highly of true freshman Jeremy McDuffie’s intensity and confidence. Good DBs have this and McDuffie seems to have a lot of it. Cocky. In a good way.

DEs Britton Grier and Kyler Brown say that Duke can bring consistent pass pressure with just the four DL. Brown says it’s not just about sacks but making Tulane’s quarterbacks throw off balance, with a hand in their faces. Forcing turnovers is at a premium.

Change the names and I probably wrote something similar last year and the year before that and that. So, they know it’s important but it’s easier said than done.

But Brown does love the hybrid end/linebacker role that should enable him to get an extra half-step on the pass rush.

The injury report is due Tuesday. I may be unable to post then, so someone else will have to step up.

OldPhiKap
08-30-2015, 04:33 PM
Great report as always, Jim. Thanks.

The season is finally here! LGD!!!

duke blue brewcrew
08-30-2015, 04:57 PM
Best news of the day? Jela Duncan won’t play this week but he’s getting better and Cut says he’s week-to-week. Wow, that's great news. That status upgrade is faster than I expected. Has he begun to do any lite football drills on the side?

T.J. Rahming and Chris Taylor are listed as co-starters at one receiver position
Cut said Rahming had his best practice of the season last Friday and favorably compared his short-space speed with that of Jamison Crowder. It would appear that Rahming is def going to avoide the redshirt this year. Any thoughts on if Rahming could eventually steal some PT from an inconsistent Barnes?


True freshmen Marquies Price (DE), Brandon Boyce (DT), Ben Humphries (LB) and Jeremy McDuffie (C) are on the second-team, Boyce and Humphries sharing second-team with another player. I love to see Duke's young talent coming in and making a difference early! Interesting news about Boyce. Is Cerenord or Ferguson taking a backseat on the depth chart? Where is Jackson factoring in on the depth-chart, more at DE or DT?


Ryan Smith is the first-team punt returner. We all knew he could run but he proved he also could catch punts with consistency. Cut called the competition for punt returner “spirited." - Another piece of interesting news. Does Rahming factor into the depth chart at PR?



Asked about the possibility that Thomas Sirk could be an upgrade over Anthony Boone, Cutcliffe refused to throw Boone under the bus but admitted that Duke could be better at QB this year. McCaffrey loves Sirk's ability, especially on the long ball. - I think all Duke fans believe this to be the case, Sirk will prove to be an upgrade at the QB position. McCaffrey's thoughts seem to provide some credibility to this belief.



The injury report is due Tuesday. I may be unable to post then, so someone else will have to step up. Any word on Ajeigbe's progress? Thanks as always Jim, awesome report and you are a wealth of knowledge.

jimsumner
08-30-2015, 06:33 PM
Any word on Ajeigbe's progress? Thanks as always Jim, awesome report and you are a wealth of knowledge.

Not sure when he's going to be 100 percent. But I suspect Cut wouldn't be talking about playing Pierre Thursday night if Ajeigbe were in the mix.

It should be noted that Ajeigbe was a very good special-teams player last year and is return will help that unit.

Reilly
08-30-2015, 10:19 PM
press conference:

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?&db_oem_id=4200&id=4342592

jimsumner
08-30-2015, 10:59 PM
McCaffrey is listed as second-team PR. Rahming could factor in here but it looks like Duke has decided that DeVon Edwards has enough on his plate. Starting safety and kick returner should keep him occupied. Johnathan Lloyd is back-up KOR, which surprises me a bit. I would have thought Barnes.

Duke has six DTs listed on the two deep, Wolf backed up by Ferguson or Cerenord, Wray backed up by Ramsay or Boyce. "Or" is the wiggle-room word here. Redshirt junior Keilin Rayner is conspicuous by his absence.

Jackson is third-team DE, behind Price.

I suspect Barnes would have to struggle more than he has to drop from the first team. Duke almost always uses three wide-outs and four wide-out sets are fairly common. Run a long fly pattern and you're probably sitting the next play. In other words, the opportunity is there for a lot of wide receivers to play.

Last year Duke gave some early snaps to Nash, Alls and Smith but then settled on a four-man rotation of Crowder, Blakeney, McCaffrey and Barnes. Duke needs at least one more guy in the rotation at a minimum, IMO. Six might work, if it's a good six.

I think there are two variables at play. One is when Alls returns and the other is whether Duke uses Fuller and/or Young as true freshmen.

My best guess on how this shakes out is a rotation of McCaffrey-Barnes-Rahming-Taylor-Alls, with Lee and Nash getting long looks.

Another word on the passing attack. Deaver didn't play in either scrimmage. Nor did Wilson, Duke's best receiving RB. Put them in the equation and Sirk has a lot more options.

devildeac
08-30-2015, 11:04 PM
McCaffrey is listed as second-team PR. Rahming could factor in here but it looks like Duke has decided that DeVon Edwards has enough on his plate. Starting safety and kick returner should keep him occupied. Johnathan Lloyd is back-up KOR, which surprises me a bit. I would have thought Barnes.

Duke has six DTs listed on the two deep, Wolf backed up by Ferguson or Cerenord, Wray backed up by Ramsay or Boyce. "Or" is the wiggle-room word here. Redshirt junior Keilin Rayner is conspicuous by his absence.

I suspect Barnes would have to struggle more than he has to drop from the first team. Duke almost always uses three wide-outs and four wide-out sets are fairly common. Run a long fly pattern and you're probably sitting the next play. In other words, the opportunity is there for a lot of wide receivers to play.

Last year Duke gave some early snaps to Nash, Alls and Smith but then settled on a four-man rotation of Crowder, Blakeney, McCaffrey and Barnes. Duke needs at least one more guy in the rotation at a minimum, IMO. Six might work, if it's a good six.

I think there are two variables at play. One is when Alls returns and the other is whether Duke uses Fuller and/or Young as true freshmen.

My best guess on how this shakes out is a rotation of McCaffrey-Barnes-Rahming-Taylor-Alls, with Lee and Nash getting long looks.

Another word on the passing attack. Deaver didn't play in either scrimmage. Nor did Wilson, Duke's best receiving RB. Put them in the equation and Sirk has a lot more options.

Exciting, informative stuff. Thanks again, Jim.

4Gen
08-31-2015, 09:15 AM
I want to give a plug to Cut's television show. The opener yesterday was excellent, as always.

I realize I'm preaching to the choir.

CameronBlue
08-31-2015, 11:49 AM
I realize I'm preaching to the choir.

Never hurts. There's always some blue-hair (man or woman) in the third row who thinks she's the second coming of Florence Foster Jenkins.

Billy Dat
08-31-2015, 12:16 PM
RE:
no-holds barred (except for holding, which is barred).

That's a good job there, Jim. Keep 'em coming!

tux
08-31-2015, 01:57 PM
McCaffrey is listed as second-team PR. Rahming could factor in here but it looks like Duke has decided that DeVon Edwards has enough on his plate. Starting safety and kick returner should keep him occupied.

I guess it's too much to hope that DeVon only has to return one kick per game...

wilson
08-31-2015, 03:07 PM
A new award, entitled the Joe Moore Award (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13550320/new-joe-moore-award-honor-top-college-offensive-line), is being instituted this year to recognize college football's top offensive line (in the collective, not individual players). This seems a sad year late for our boys...one would have to think that last year's outstanding Blue Devil OL would've been on the short list for this one.

Olympic Fan
08-31-2015, 06:12 PM
A new award, entitled the Joe Moore Award (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13550320/new-joe-moore-award-honor-top-college-offensive-line), is being instituted this year to recognize college football's top offensive line (in the collective, not individual players). This seems a sad year late for our boys...one would have to think that last year's outstanding Blue Devil OL would've been on the short list for this one.

And I continue to argue that this year's line will be as good or better than last year's line.

Wilson, you might have written exactly the same thing a year ago, when we had to replace Harding and Simmons off the superb 2013 offensive line ... and yet it got better. It's been a consistent upward spiral since the 2011 line struggled (to some degree due to injures.

How can we judge the line? Allow me to suggest two metrics:

-- Sacks allowed per pass. Duke has led the ACC in this category for the last two seasons -- last year, Duke allowed 1.0 sacks a game and one sack per 20.7 pass attempts. Can this line improve that figure?

-- Rushing yards per game: Last year, Duke averaged 181.85 yards a game on the ground -- the most since 1977. Duke also averaged 4.81 yards per carry -- the most since 1945.

That's how good last year's line was -- can this one be better?

PS Can anyone suggest another metric to measure the success of the offensive line? I'd love to measure the number of holding penalties and off-sides penalties wracked up by the line, but I've never seen those numbers broken out from total penalty yards. I do know that Duke had less penalty yards overall last season than the previous two years, but the lowest total since 1970 was recorded by the 2-9 2004 team, so I'm not sure how relevant that is.

airowe
08-31-2015, 11:53 PM
Football Outsiders started an OL metric that adjusts for level of competition last year and factors in a number of stats.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaaol

OldPhiKap
09-06-2015, 06:11 PM
Now that we get back to normal Cut PC schedules --

1. Are they usually Monday and Thursday?

2. Does Labor Day push this week's until Tuesday?