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devildeac
11-22-2015, 07:56 PM
I think I got all the info in the thread title correct. Have we hit bottom yet? Hope I/we have a bit better luck with me starting this thread than the last one:( .

uh_no
11-22-2015, 08:22 PM
I think I got all the info in the thread title correct. Have we hit bottom yet? Hope I/we have a bit better luck with me starting this thread than the last one:( .

end the season on a good note. go in, get that bowl win. end season happy.

OldPhiKap
11-22-2015, 10:36 PM
LGD!

Olympic Fan
11-23-2015, 12:44 AM
It's not going to be easy, despite Wake's record.

Right now, they have a better defense than we've had in the last month. Their offense has been sporadic. They don't run very well, except when backup QB Robert Hinton scrambles. but starting QB John Wolford can really wing it -- and he has some talented young receivers (especially the tight end). Their O'Line is ver6y young, but they have some talent and they've made some progress as the season has gone on.

In a way, Wake is a less extreme version of Boston College -- good defense (not quite as good as BC), erratic offense (not quite as erratic as BC). If Duke plays anywhere close to where we played in the first two thirds of the season, Duke should win. If the Devils are really in a downward spiral, no promises. I do cling to the fourth quarter comeback in Charlottesville as evidence that there is still some fight left in these kids. A seven win season, then add a bowl win and it would still be a credible year.

I worry about playing the first half without Jeremy Cash. That's going to hurt. I'll be holding my breath until halftime, when we get him back on the field for the second half.

Bob Green
11-24-2015, 07:30 AM
It's not going to be easy, despite Wake's record.

Duke is a 4 points favorite with the over/under set at 46. This is a big game! We need to earn win number seven in order to regain some momentum heading into bowl season.

LGD!

Bob Green
11-27-2015, 03:24 PM
5732

Bob Green
11-28-2015, 07:11 AM
It is game day and a big game it is today. A win over Wake Forest will not only stop the four game losing streak it will guarantee our third straight winning season. Prior to winning seasons in 2013 and 2014, Duke had 18 losing seasons in a row (1995-2012). Football has come a long way the past few seasons with today being an opportunity to continue the program's success by improving to 7-5.

Understandably, this game thread has generated little excitement due to the four game slide. However, today is Game Day so let's get some excitement going! The team needs to find themselves on defense, figure out how to pressure the quarterback and run a balanced offensive attack in order to win today. It is time for the players to step up with some intestinal fortitude and it is time for the fans to show heart and cheer the team to victory! Let's Go DBR!

[/motivational speech]

devildeac
11-28-2015, 08:17 AM
It is game day and a big game it is today. A win over Wake Forest will not only stop the four game losing streak it will guarantee our third straight winning season. Prior to winning seasons in 2013 and 2014, Duke had 18 losing seasons in a row (1995-2012). Football has come a long way the past few seasons with today being an opportunity to continue the program's success by improving to 7-5.

Understandably, this game thread has generated little excitement due to the four game slide. However, today is Game Day so let's get some excitement going! The team needs to find themselves on defense, figure out how to pressure the quarterback and run a balanced offensive attack in order to win today. It is time for the players to step up with some intestinal fortitude and it is time for the fans to show heart and cheer the team to victory! Let's Go DBR!

[/motivational speech]

Our youngest daughter and her husband will be in WS for the game and I'll be cussing, err, chatting away, albeit a few seconds ahead of most everyone else:o .

jv001
11-28-2015, 09:32 AM
It is game day and a big game it is today. A win over Wake Forest will not only stop the four game losing streak it will guarantee our third straight winning season. Prior to winning seasons in 2013 and 2014, Duke had 18 losing seasons in a row (1995-2012). Football has come a long way the past few seasons with today being an opportunity to continue the program's success by improving to 7-5.

Understandably, this game thread has generated little excitement due to the four game slide. However, today is Game Day so let's get some excitement going! The team needs to find themselves on defense, figure out how to pressure the quarterback and run a balanced offensive attack in order to win today. It is time for the players to step up with some intestinal fortitude and it is time for the fans to show heart and cheer the team to victory! Let's Go DBR!

[/motivational speech]

Good speech and GoDuke...Beat the Deacs!!

chrishoke
11-28-2015, 09:35 AM
Show me that hunger Devils. This is a huge game. Jump on those Deacs with some hard nosed, physical play from the start. I believe. We believe.

6th Man
11-28-2015, 10:19 AM
Yesterday the Deacon store in Hanes Mall had tix for today's game for $1.00. Yep, 1 buck. So I'll be there in my Duke gear. The Coke will cost me about 4 or 5 times my entry fee. Let's Go Duke!!!!

nyesq83
11-28-2015, 12:38 PM
We needed a touchdown. Sirk pass sails high to an open albeit double-teamed Nash. Missed FG, circling the drain yet again. Straight over the goal post, another thing you never saw before.

Bob Green
11-28-2015, 04:01 PM
Congratulations on a gutty performance. 7-5 is a solid season. Let's go win a bowl game!

YmoBeThere
11-28-2015, 04:06 PM
Congratulations on a gutty performance. 7-5 is a solid season. Let's go win a bowl game!

Looked very good at times and didn't make any huge mistakes. Nice tone to set going into bowl game prep.

devildeac
11-28-2015, 04:06 PM
Congratulations on a gutty performance. 7-5 is a solid season. Let's go win a bowl game!

It's a win. It's a relief, but holy @#$%, we gave up 450 yds to WFU.

Counterpoint: 3 WFU TOs.

Glad they didn't watch the miami tape for their punt return:rolleyes: .

OldPhiKap
11-28-2015, 04:06 PM
Nice win, against a team which was a thorn in our sides for years. Winning season, going bowling.

Time to get our bowl victory. LGD!

YmoBeThere
11-28-2015, 04:09 PM
It's a win. It's a relief, but holy @#$%, we gave up 450 yds to WFU.

Having watched the entire game, I didn't realize they had gained so many yards. While we did get beat for some long plays it was certainly different than prior weeks where those plays would have gone for longer and resulted in TDs.

Devilwin
11-28-2015, 04:12 PM
7-5 (or 8-4) not a bad year. Good for us, really. But a season that started so well ends just above average. Let's get it together and win the bowl.
I do have one concern. The secondary is giving up too many big plays like in bygone days. Although we did have two or three picks, Wake moved the ball at will at times on us. That issue needs to be addressed.

Henderson
11-28-2015, 04:53 PM
Congratulations on a gutty performance. 7-5 is a solid season. Let's go win a bowl game!

Solid? I dunno. It's not an embarrassing season. Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

We beat Tulane, NC Central, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Army, Virginia Tech, and Wake.

We lost to Northwestern, Miami, UNC-CH, Pitt, and UVa.

Yay team. Can't wait for that bowl game.

Bob Green
11-28-2015, 05:08 PM
Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

You are either young or have an extremely poor memory. Between the departure of Coach Spurrier and the arrival of Coach Cutcliffe, Duke won five or more games in a season exactly one time - 1994.

Your negativity is annoying. You've made your point - you hate Duke Football. Give it a rest.

duke09hms
11-28-2015, 05:15 PM
Solid? I dunno. It's not an embarrassing season. Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

Can't wait for that bowl game.

The first part is very untrue.
The second part is VERY TRUE!!

GO DUKE!
Break that 53 year streak!

dukelifer
11-28-2015, 05:30 PM
Solid? I dunno. It's not an embarrassing season. Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

We beat Tulane, NC Central, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Army, Virginia Tech, and Wake.

We lost to Northwestern, Miami, UNC-CH, Pitt, and UVa.

Yay team. Can't wait for that bowl game.

Duke's winning percentage was 58.3% this year. They have had 32 seasons in 94 in which they have had a better percentage. Excluding anything before 1960- they have done this 9 times. 9 times in the last 55 years. Those were in 2015 (under Cutcliffe), 2013 (under Cutcliffe), 1961 under Murray, 1962 under Murray, 2014 (under Cutcliffe), 1988 under Spurrier, 1994 under Goldsmith, 1989 under Spurrier, and 1965 under Murray. So Since 1960, Cutcliffe has 3, Murray 3, Spurrier 2 and 1 Goldsmith. So yes- before 1960- Duke was a decent football school.

Henderson
11-28-2015, 05:51 PM
So yes- before 1960- Duke was a decent football school.

We just need to find those people born in 1959 and ask them to explain themselves.

n8lbs
11-28-2015, 05:53 PM
I was hoping for an 8-4 record before the season started, and we would have gotten that if not for the Miami debacle. I think fan's expectations were raised a little too high when Georgia Tech started losing.

Bob Green
11-28-2015, 06:00 PM
We just need to find those people born in 1959 and ask them to explain themselves.

Seeing as I was born in 1959, it must be all my fault.

dukelifer
11-28-2015, 06:04 PM
We just need to find those people born in 1959 and ask them to explain themselves.

Duke traded being great in basketball which requires only a few great players for being great in football which requires many more excellent players to be consistently good. Duke made the right choice and is probably better known for basketball than perhaps any single aspect of their excellent academic programs. The fact that Cut has made this team respectable after such a long stretch of being awful is amazing.

Olympic Fan
11-28-2015, 06:13 PM
Glad to see the team get back on track.

I'm sorry they didn't finish the game as strong as they played most of the way. With 10 minutes or so left, we're up 24-7 with the ball and seem to be in a dominant position.

Then we had to hang on at the end. At least we DID hang on.

Nice to see Sirk back in form. And the continued development of Anthony Nash is a nice accomplishment.

Another 50-plus yard field goal by Martin. I have to check, but I think that breaks the tie with Sims Lenhardt and gives him sole possession of the record in that category. He already has the Duke record for most points, most field goals and best career field goal percentage.

I look forward to another week of reading bowl speculation -- if I had to guess, I expect a matchup with Navy in the Military Bowl, but I'm holding out hope for a bid from the Pinstripe Bowl (although it won't be against Nebraska as some have projected -- they didn't qualify for a bowl).

jimsumner
11-28-2015, 06:19 PM
Glad to see the team get back on track.

I'm sorry they didn't finish the game as strong as they played most of the way. With 10 minutes or so left, we're up 24-7 with the ball and seem to be in a dominant position.

Then we had to hang on at the end. At least we DID hang on.

Nice to see Sirk back in form. And the continued development of Anthony Nash is a nice accomplishment.

Another 50-plus yard field goal by Martin. I have to check, but I think that breaks the tie with Sims Lenhardt and gives him sole possession of the record in that category. He already has the Duke record for most points, most field goals and best career field goal percentage.

I look forward to another week of reading bowl speculation -- if I had to guess, I expect a matchup with Navy in the Military Bowl, but I'm holding out hope for a bid from the Pinstripe Bowl (although it won't be against Nebraska as some have projected -- they didn't qualify for a bowl).

Read that last sentence again. Duke can't play Nebraska in a bowl game because Duke qualified and Nebraska did not.

sagegrouse
11-28-2015, 07:52 PM
So yes- before 1960- Duke was a decent football school.

Technically correct, but please note we won the ACC football championship in 1960, 1961, and 1962 -- setting an ACC record for consecutive wins during this period.

Yes, I went to every home game and a few road games in those years.

dukelifer
11-28-2015, 08:05 PM
Technically correct, but please note we won the ACC football championship in 1960, 1961, and 1962 -- setting an ACC record for consecutive wins during this period.

Yes, I went to every home game and a few road games in those years.

I probably should have put the cutoff at 1965- last 50 years. But no question that Duke was once a legit Football school. The fact that Duke is even in a conversation about football at the national level right now is a huge accomplishment.

Henderson
11-28-2015, 08:59 PM
Seeing as I was born in 1959, it must be all my fault.

Whew!! Thanks, Bob. I was born in 1959 too, and I was afraid it was me. Now I know it was you all along.


j/k :rolleyes:

arnie
11-28-2015, 09:04 PM
Duke's winning percentage was 58.3% this year. They have had 32 seasons in 94 in which they have had a better percentage. Excluding anything before 1960- they have done this 9 times. 9 times in the last 55 years. Those were in 2015 (under Cutcliffe), 2013 (under Cutcliffe), 1961 under Murray, 1962 under Murray, 2014 (under Cutcliffe), 1988 under Spurrier, 1994 under Goldsmith, 1989 under Spurrier, and 1965 under Murray. So Since 1960, Cutcliffe has 3, Murray 3, Spurrier 2 and 1 Goldsmith. So yes- before 1960- Duke was a decent football school.

Of course winning % doesn't tell all. In the 70's we didn't play Tulane, Central or weak Army teams. Check out The 1970 -1972 OOC schedule as well as mid 70s schedules. Full of Florida, Stanford, West Virginia, Ga Tech, Ohio State, Alabama. Many of the Duke teams in those years had better than .500 ACC records, but with so few bowls (compared to now) we never quite made it to one. I contend that some of those teams would have won 7-8 games with our current OOC schedule and a 12 game schedule. Not trying to minimize our recent success, but always thought Duke football in that timeframe was under appreciated.

Henderson
11-28-2015, 09:23 PM
"Calling Dr. Pom. Dr. Ken Pom."

arnie
11-28-2015, 09:33 PM
"Calling Dr. Pom. Dr. Ken Pom."

Yea he was born in 1974 - might not recall all those details.

dukelifer
11-28-2015, 10:11 PM
Of course winning % doesn't tell all. In the 70's we didn't play Tulane, Central or weak Army teams. Check out The 1970 -1972 OOC schedule as well as mid 70s schedules. Full of Florida, Stanford, West Virginia, Ga Tech, Ohio State, Alabama. Many of the Duke teams in those years had better than .500 ACC records, but with so few bowls (compared to now) we never quite made it to one. I contend that some of those teams would have won 7-8 games with our current OOC schedule and a 12 game schedule. Not trying to minimize our recent success, but always thought Duke football in that timeframe was under appreciated.

Point well taken. Of course I have a hard time projecting how a team in the mid 70's would do against a team today. It is also true that the bowls were more meaningful then. A lot has changed and much of it not for the better.

killerleft
11-28-2015, 10:39 PM
Solid? I dunno. It's not an embarrassing season. Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

We beat Tulane, NC Central, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Army, Virginia Tech, and Wake.

We lost to Northwestern, Miami, UNC-CH, Pitt, and UVa.

Yay team. Can't wait for that bowl game.

Useful post. Says a lot.

Olympic Fan
11-29-2015, 12:21 AM
Of course winning % doesn't tell all. In the 70's we didn't play Tulane, Central or weak Army teams. Check out The 1970 -1972 OOC schedule as well as mid 70s schedules. Full of Florida, Stanford, West Virginia, Ga Tech, Ohio State, Alabama. Many of the Duke teams in those years had better than .500 ACC records, but with so few bowls (compared to now) we never quite made it to one. I contend that some of those teams would have won 7-8 games with our current OOC schedule and a 12 game schedule. Not trying to minimize our recent success, but always thought Duke football in that timeframe was under appreciated.

Duke did play some very tough OOC opponents in those years, but the hard fact is that Duke had just two winning ACC records between 1965 and 1989.

The first was in 1970 -- Tom Harp's last year. That team was 5-2 in the ACC and 6-5 overall. But the losses came to No. 1 Ohio State (one of the great teams of all times -- with Jack Tatum, Rex Kern, John Brockington and company). Duke lost 34-10 in the Big House. Duke also lost to No. 15 Florida (the John Reeves, Carlo Alvarez Gators) 21-19 and to Georgia Tech (a non-conference team that year) 24-16 that would finish 9-3 and no. 13 nationally. Duke did beat No. 11 West Virginia (coached by Bobby Bowden), 21-13 -- that's four non-conference games (three on the road) against teams that would finish in the top 20.

The other winning ACC team was in 1975 when Duke finished 3-0-2 in the league and 4-5-2 overall. The Devils opened the season at No. 4 Southern Cal and also lost at No. 12 Florida and at 7-4 Georgia Tech (still a non-conference foe). Duke also lost non-conference games to South Carolina (which had left the league) and Pitt ... that Duke team did beat Army for its one non-conference win. By a quirk in scheduling, Duke did not have to play No. 11 Maryland, which was undefeated in the ACC.

The rest of the decade -- and well into the 1980s -- we were .500 or below in the ACC. Between 1965, when Bill Murray won his seventh ACC title in the first 13 years of the league (the '65 title was later stolen from us by the conference office -- a worse theft that this year's Miami game), and 1989 when Spurrier won a share of the ACC title, Duke had just those two winning ACC records (1970 and 1975). Duke did have six break-even ACC records in that span. And between Spurrier's 89 title and Cutcliffe's Coastal title in 2013, Duke had one winning ACC season (5-3 in 1994). And Duke had no breakeven seasons in that span.

So in that context -- four winning ACC seasons between 1965 and 2013 -- having three straight winning ACC season (2013, 2014 and yes, I'm counting this year -- we won the damn Miami game!) is quite an accomplishment.

eddiehaskell
11-29-2015, 02:20 AM
I wouldn't say embarrassing season....just nothing to write home about (unless you look at every season in respect to the last 35 years). We essentially won 8 games with a weak schedule. We beat UM, VT, GT, WF, and BC who all lost a good bit but DEFINITELY weren't cupcakes. A cupcake is a team like Duke 10-15 years ago - one of those opponents you automatically pencil in as a W. This year no team in the ACC played at that level.

If you're embarrassed by Duke's season, imagine how fans of schools we beat must feel.

With a bowl win we finish 9-4. Not too shabby. To put it in perspective, that's probably as good as any season for UNC in the last 15 years (aside from this year).

JetpackJesus
11-29-2015, 03:35 AM
Solid? I dunno. It's not an embarrassing season. Years ago, in the Pre-Cut days, it would have been 5-7. So we've come a long way.

We beat Tulane, NC Central, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Army, Virginia Tech, and Wake.

We lost to Northwestern, Miami, UNC-CH, Pitt, and UVa.

Yay team. Can't wait for that bowl game.

Years ago!

Totally true. Duke won 9 whole games when I was a student. This one time they almost won more than 4 games in a single season. I sure miss those pre-Cut days. If only we still had Carl Franks or Ted Roof!

Devilwin
11-29-2015, 06:40 AM
Heard yesterday that they are having trouble finding bowl eligible teams to fill all the slots. Said there may be some 5-7 teams in bowls this year.

arnie
11-29-2015, 07:13 AM
Duke did play some very tough OOC opponents in those years, but the hard fact is that Duke had just two winning ACC records between 1965 and 1989.

The first was in 1970 -- Tom Harp's last year. That team was 5-2 in the ACC and 6-5 overall. But the losses came to No. 1 Ohio State (one of the great teams of all times -- with Jack Tatum, Rex Kern, John Brockington and company). Duke lost 34-10 in the Big House. Duke also lost to No. 15 Florida (the John Reeves, Carlo Alvarez Gators) 21-19 and to Georgia Tech (a non-conference team that year) 24-16 that would finish 9-3 and no. 13 nationally. Duke did beat No. 11 West Virginia (coached by Bobby Bowden), 21-13 -- that's four non-conference games (three on the road) against teams that would finish in the top 20.

The other winning ACC team was in 1975 when Duke finished 3-0-2 in the league and 4-5-2 overall. The Devils opened the season at No. 4 Southern Cal and also lost at No. 12 Florida and at 7-4 Georgia Tech (still a non-conference foe). Duke also lost non-conference games to South Carolina (which had left the league) and Pitt ... that Duke team did beat Army for its one non-conference win. By a quirk in scheduling, Duke did not have to play No. 11 Maryland, which was undefeated in the ACC.

The rest of the decade -- and well into the 1980s -- we were .500 or below in the ACC. Between 1965, when Bill Murray won his seventh ACC title in the first 13 years of the league (the '65 title was later stolen from us by the conference office -- a worse theft that this year's Miami game), and 1989 when Spurrier won a share of the ACC title, Duke had just those two winning ACC records (1970 and 1975). Duke did have six break-even ACC records in that span. And between Spurrier's 89 title and Cutcliffe's Coastal title in 2013, Duke had one winning ACC season (5-3 in 1994). And Duke had no breakeven seasons in that span.

So in that context -- four winning ACC seasons between 1965 and 2013 -- having three straight winning ACC season (2013, 2014 and yes, I'm counting this year -- we won the damn Miami game!) is quite an accomplishment.

Wow, thanks for all that research. The OOC was amazing and we did beat several top 20 teams among them. I guess I recalled more ACC success in early-mid 70s than actual, but we were ACC competitive most years until the huge drop off later that decade. Re-looking at 197O season anyone remember why Harp was fired?? He beat UNC on shoestring play the previous year and was there during the "de-emphasis" period.

sagegrouse
11-29-2015, 12:36 PM
Wow, thanks for all that research. The OOC was amazing and we did beat several top 20 teams among them. I guess I recalled more ACC success in early-mid 70s than actual, but we were ACC competitive most years until the huge drop off later that decade. Re-looking at 197O season anyone remember why Harp was fired?? He beat UNC on shoestring play the previous year and was there during the "de-emphasis" period.

I can't believe Eddie Cameron wanted to hire Tom Harp in the first place. I mean, he had a losing record at Cornell. Harp was part of the partial de-emphasis of football that occurred when Douglas Knight became President, which also involved restrictions on preferred athletic admissions. The accepted wisdom at the time was that one could not be a top-ranked university and have a major college football program. Don't lay it all on Knight -- the Board of Trustees clearly bought into that view.

Knight resigned in the midst of the Vietnam War protests at Duke in 1969. (Almost every major college president failed to last through the anti-war protests.) Harp's protector was gone, and soon he was as well.

During the mid to late 1960's all of the highly ranked private universities were struggling with football: Stanford, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rice, Tulane. The successful models, USC* and Notre Dame, were known as football factories. Then -- almost by magic -- Jim Plunkett arrived at Stanford and led his team to two consecutive Rose Bowls following the 1970 and 1971 season, showing that top universities could compete in football. Ahhh... duke's histroy may have been different had Plunkett arrived a few year's sooner.

-- Sage
'I knew Knight reasonably well from my time at the Chronicle and in two internships in Allen Building. Although he was not successful as President of Duke, I personally liked him'

*For God's sakes don't call it Southern Cal -- that name is unknown in California).

jimsumner
11-29-2015, 06:56 PM
I can't believe Eddie Cameron wanted to hire Tom Harp in the first place. I mean, he had a losing record at Cornell. Harp was part of the partial de-emphasis of football that occurred when Douglas Knight became President, which also involved restrictions on preferred athletic admissions. The accepted wisdom at the time was that one could not be a top-ranked university and have a major college football program. Don't lay it all on Knight -- the Board of Trustees clearly bought into that view.

Knight resigned in the midst of the Vietnam War protests at Duke in 1969. (Almost every major college president failed to last through the anti-war protests.) Harp's protector was gone, and soon he was as well.

During the mid to late 1960's all of the highly ranked private universities were struggling with football: Stanford, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rice, Tulane. The successful models, USC* and Notre Dame, were known as football factories. Then -- almost by magic -- Jim Plunkett arrived at Stanford and led his team to two consecutive Rose Bowls following the 1970 and 1971 season, showing that top universities could compete in football. Ahhh... duke's histroy may have been different had Plunkett arrived a few year's sooner.

-- Sage
'I knew Knight reasonably well from my time at the Chronicle and in two internships in Allen Building. Although he was not successful as President of Duke, I personally liked him

*For God's sakes don't call it Southern Cal -- that name is unknown in California).

A correction on Plunkett. He was Stanford's QB in the 1970 season. But Don Bunce was their QB the following season, the season Duke beat them. Plunkett was in the pros by then.

Duke did struggle in the ACC following Murray's retirement. Perhaps Duke would have fared better had they not begun so many seasons with beat downs at the hands of Alabama, Michigan, Southern California or Ohio State.

Duke's post-Murray decline had two causes. One was the faculty hostility cited earlier in the thread and it was real. As Duke became an Ivy-League-Equivalent school, they did so in large part by hiring junior faculty with Ivy League doctorates and a good many of these young professors thought there was a fundamental incompatibility between big-time college football and academic greatness.

But college football also abandoned limited substitution around the time Duke's football fortunes began to decline and those two facts are related. Duke could compete with the big boys when you only had to have two dozen or so top-level players. That became impossible when the age of specialization began and Duke did not keep up.

Harp was terminated for off-field issues.

Class of '94
11-30-2015, 12:50 PM
I was hoping for an 8-4 record before the season started, and we would have gotten that if not for the Miami debacle. I think fan's expectations were raised a little too high when Georgia Tech started losing.

Not only were we so close to an 8-4 regular season record, I can't help but think of what might/should have been when I look at our losses. We had our chances to be beat NW, Miami and UVA. Those three games along would've given Duke a 10-2 record; and possibly a New Years 6 bowl. And if you add the Pitt loss (which I think was carryover loss from the UNC and Miami losses), we were so close to having an 11-1 season. IMO, it was doable; we just didn't get the job done. The only team (as much as I hate to say it) that we played this year that has shown to be clearly much better than us this season was UNC (and maybe Pitt???). That being said, 7-5 and possibly 8-5 with a bowl win still sounds good to me; and I'd rather lament over what could've been and still have a wining season compared to the days that I lived through as a student in the Barry Wilson era. In those days, our teams didn't come anywhere near 5-7 or better. While I want this program under Cut to achieve greatness and compete for ACC and national championships, I can still appreciate and value how far this program as come in terms of consistency under Cut; and its clear to me at least that this program still has its best seasons ahead.

Now I just want the coaches to figure out how to get the team pumped up and focused to play UNC next season. :) I'm tired of seeing our teams come out flat and uninspired at the beginning when playing UNC these last two games.

scottcpa
12-03-2015, 09:43 PM
Does anyone know why Ben Humphreys did not play at Wake Forest? He was not listed on the injury report that I saw. He had been playing well for us this year.

Bob Green
12-04-2015, 07:50 AM
Humphreys is listed on the participation report:

http://www.goduke.com/fls/4200/stats/2015-16/football/DU1128.pdf

scottcpa
12-04-2015, 08:46 AM
Humphreys is listed on the participation report:

http://www.goduke.com/fls/4200/stats/2015-16/football/DU1128.pdf



Thanks! I completely missed that!

AustinDevil
12-04-2015, 12:57 PM
Now I just want the coaches to figure out how to get the team pumped up and focused to play UNC next season. :) I'm tired of seeing our teams come out flat and uninspired at the beginning when playing UNC these last two games.

YES!

Remember the quote last year from one of our players that they were really surprised how intense UNC was for that Thursday night game? That bugged me to no end.