jimsumner
10-06-2015, 02:25 PM
Much discussion of Duke's relative offensive woes, albeit against pretty good defenses.
Cutcliffe said he didn't care about anyone's perception of Duke's offense, just the reality and the reality is that Duke is leaving points.
He said that consistency was the biggest issue. "It's not any position. It's all of them, at different times. We need a full game from our offense."
He thought the pass/run ratio against Boston College was about right. "We had lots of one on one [coverage] opportunities because they were loading up the box. They were committed to stopping the run. I thought the balance was good. We left points on the field. It could have been a 30-point performance."
Duke's practice this morning was physical and competitive but consistency concerns were not adequately addressed. A priority the rest of the week.
Center Matt Skura noted that missed assignments doomed Duke's short-yardage offense on the wasted first-and-goal opportunity. "Not getting enough push, blocking the wrong guys. . . . That's probably the worst feeling ever, getting stopped on fourth and one. When you get to goal line, you have to put on your big-boy pants and play hard and play smart."
Cutcliffe noted wryly that it takes "a lot of contributions" to not score a point on first and goal from the one. Starting with the head coach.
Skura also discussed the false-start penalties that have been a problem.
"Sometimes you're just trying to read the defense in front of you and you're trying to go fast and the defensive call is being made and you're trying to keep up with Sirk's cadence and you get careless. We've got to clean up those things. Pre-snap penalties just set you back. It's just something that we need to keep working on, get more experience. We have to be more detailed, more locked in, get smarter, looking out for one another."
Cutcliffe was asked if he had considered moving Jeremy Cash to linebacker full time. His response was that Cash is "a great space player that we can bring to the box. We try to give him as many opportunities as we can."
Cash will play LB against Army's triple-option attack. Cutcliffe agreed that Duke having played Georgia Tech gives them some familiarity with the triple option but noted that Army likewise has film on how Duke defended Tech's triple option. He noted that Army likes to change formations, running unbalanced lines, two-running backs, three running backs, two tight ends, anything to confuse the defense. "They test your ability to adapt. Your secondary discipline is tested."
Thomas Sirk completed two passes to tight end Braxton Deaver in the second half against BC. Sirk talked about Deaver's role down the stretch.
"It was encouraging. He's so talented. He can make contested catches and that's what we're going to need in tough games like that. I was excited to see him come out like that and I thought he played hard all game and getting his number called was well deserved."
I asked Jeremy Cash about his ability to force fumbles. "Playing against an option team, the ball is always out there. You have to go in with intensity, knowing you can knock the ball out. I definitely think it's a desire. You have to want to make that play. You never know which play it is that's going to help your team win a game. Against Georgia Tech, I didn't know that I was going in to force that fumble. But I knew our team needed a play and I said 'why not me'?"
The big tackle on Troy Flutie late? "My team needed me to make a play, needed a play to be made. . . . We were in zone coverage and he crossed the line of scrimmage and I came off my man and there was a collision."
Cutcliffe said he didn't care about anyone's perception of Duke's offense, just the reality and the reality is that Duke is leaving points.
He said that consistency was the biggest issue. "It's not any position. It's all of them, at different times. We need a full game from our offense."
He thought the pass/run ratio against Boston College was about right. "We had lots of one on one [coverage] opportunities because they were loading up the box. They were committed to stopping the run. I thought the balance was good. We left points on the field. It could have been a 30-point performance."
Duke's practice this morning was physical and competitive but consistency concerns were not adequately addressed. A priority the rest of the week.
Center Matt Skura noted that missed assignments doomed Duke's short-yardage offense on the wasted first-and-goal opportunity. "Not getting enough push, blocking the wrong guys. . . . That's probably the worst feeling ever, getting stopped on fourth and one. When you get to goal line, you have to put on your big-boy pants and play hard and play smart."
Cutcliffe noted wryly that it takes "a lot of contributions" to not score a point on first and goal from the one. Starting with the head coach.
Skura also discussed the false-start penalties that have been a problem.
"Sometimes you're just trying to read the defense in front of you and you're trying to go fast and the defensive call is being made and you're trying to keep up with Sirk's cadence and you get careless. We've got to clean up those things. Pre-snap penalties just set you back. It's just something that we need to keep working on, get more experience. We have to be more detailed, more locked in, get smarter, looking out for one another."
Cutcliffe was asked if he had considered moving Jeremy Cash to linebacker full time. His response was that Cash is "a great space player that we can bring to the box. We try to give him as many opportunities as we can."
Cash will play LB against Army's triple-option attack. Cutcliffe agreed that Duke having played Georgia Tech gives them some familiarity with the triple option but noted that Army likewise has film on how Duke defended Tech's triple option. He noted that Army likes to change formations, running unbalanced lines, two-running backs, three running backs, two tight ends, anything to confuse the defense. "They test your ability to adapt. Your secondary discipline is tested."
Thomas Sirk completed two passes to tight end Braxton Deaver in the second half against BC. Sirk talked about Deaver's role down the stretch.
"It was encouraging. He's so talented. He can make contested catches and that's what we're going to need in tough games like that. I was excited to see him come out like that and I thought he played hard all game and getting his number called was well deserved."
I asked Jeremy Cash about his ability to force fumbles. "Playing against an option team, the ball is always out there. You have to go in with intensity, knowing you can knock the ball out. I definitely think it's a desire. You have to want to make that play. You never know which play it is that's going to help your team win a game. Against Georgia Tech, I didn't know that I was going in to force that fumble. But I knew our team needed a play and I said 'why not me'?"
The big tackle on Troy Flutie late? "My team needed me to make a play, needed a play to be made. . . . We were in zone coverage and he crossed the line of scrimmage and I came off my man and there was a collision."