jimsumner
11-07-2016, 12:36 PM
Media lunch moved up a day due to the Thursday game.
Lots of player-status notes.
Cutcliffe says Shaun Wilson and Joe Ajeigbe are still being evaluated. "Too early to tell." Injury report comes out tomorrow, so we should know more then. But as of Monday morning, neither has been ruled out for Carolina.
Or ruled in.
Why did T.J. Rahming not play more against VT? "It's something he needed to do." No elaboration offered by Cutcliffe.
FWIW, Rahming is still listed as first team on the depth chart.
Cut says Duke will not burn any redshirts this late in the season. "That's not where we are right now." Cut says that Duke considers the needs of the team, the program, and the individual in making these decisions.
Cut noted that running backs Brittain Brown and Elijah Deveaux have been working with the show team and joked that Duke would have to run other team's plays should either play this season.
So, that leaves Zach Boden, Nico Pierre and Quay Mann as the RB options should either or both of Wilson and Ajeigbe not be able to go Thursday night.
Duke had a light practice Sunday night and will have a harder practice tonight before dialing it back. Practicing at night instead of early morning gives more time for recovery and helps acclimate the team to Thursday's 7:30 kickoff.
Duke also hosted Carolina on Thursday two years ago and played Louisville on Friday night a few weeks back, so none of this is uncharted territory. There is some comfort level here.
Thursday is also Senior Day, final home game for the seniors. Most of the players introduced as seniors will use up their eligibility this season.
But there a group of players who can graduate this academic year but who have two years of eligibility remaining.
Recruited players in that category who will not return for next season are Ajeigbe, Philip Carter, Quay Mann, Dominic McDonald, and Thomas Sirk.
Ajeigbe and McDonald are surprises, as both very much figured in 2017 plans. Cutcliffe said both had plans for next season and implied it was their decision.
An asterisk on Sirk? Still trying to get healthy. He has not made a decision on whether to petition the NCAA for a sixth season and obviously Duke cannot miss a chance to recognize him on Senior Day.
A couple of guys not being recognized as seniors are Parker Boehme and Sterling Korona. Boehme will give Duke some depth at QB, while Korona looks to be the favorite to replace Casey Blaser at right tackle. Also returning is Jake Kite, a special-teams staple.
I'm omitting obvious 2017 fifth-year seniors like Bryon Fields or Gabe Bradner.
I asked A.J. Wolf when he first realized that Duke-Carolina was a big rivalry; Wolf grew up in the NYC suburbs. He noted that the first time he visited Duke as a recruit, he was met by an assistant coach with a coffee mug reading "Go to Hell, Carolina."
These kids know.
Cut was very complimentary of UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Poised, accurate, strong, good game manager. Cut says that UNC has a more balanced offense then that of Louisville, not as dependent on one player and thus more difficult to prepare for.
Duke says Duke is 3 and 6 "for a reason" and you have to figure out why and fix it.
Casey Blaser on everything that's going on. "Especially being a senior, last game, it's a lot. But you're focusing on getting better in practice and taking the game one play at a time. Being an older guy you know you've got less time, so you have to do more rehab to take care of your body and prepare quicker and help the young guys when they need it. Everyone thinks basketball when they think Duke and Carolina but being from North Carolina [he's from Charlotte] you grow up hearing about it.
Lots of player-status notes.
Cutcliffe says Shaun Wilson and Joe Ajeigbe are still being evaluated. "Too early to tell." Injury report comes out tomorrow, so we should know more then. But as of Monday morning, neither has been ruled out for Carolina.
Or ruled in.
Why did T.J. Rahming not play more against VT? "It's something he needed to do." No elaboration offered by Cutcliffe.
FWIW, Rahming is still listed as first team on the depth chart.
Cut says Duke will not burn any redshirts this late in the season. "That's not where we are right now." Cut says that Duke considers the needs of the team, the program, and the individual in making these decisions.
Cut noted that running backs Brittain Brown and Elijah Deveaux have been working with the show team and joked that Duke would have to run other team's plays should either play this season.
So, that leaves Zach Boden, Nico Pierre and Quay Mann as the RB options should either or both of Wilson and Ajeigbe not be able to go Thursday night.
Duke had a light practice Sunday night and will have a harder practice tonight before dialing it back. Practicing at night instead of early morning gives more time for recovery and helps acclimate the team to Thursday's 7:30 kickoff.
Duke also hosted Carolina on Thursday two years ago and played Louisville on Friday night a few weeks back, so none of this is uncharted territory. There is some comfort level here.
Thursday is also Senior Day, final home game for the seniors. Most of the players introduced as seniors will use up their eligibility this season.
But there a group of players who can graduate this academic year but who have two years of eligibility remaining.
Recruited players in that category who will not return for next season are Ajeigbe, Philip Carter, Quay Mann, Dominic McDonald, and Thomas Sirk.
Ajeigbe and McDonald are surprises, as both very much figured in 2017 plans. Cutcliffe said both had plans for next season and implied it was their decision.
An asterisk on Sirk? Still trying to get healthy. He has not made a decision on whether to petition the NCAA for a sixth season and obviously Duke cannot miss a chance to recognize him on Senior Day.
A couple of guys not being recognized as seniors are Parker Boehme and Sterling Korona. Boehme will give Duke some depth at QB, while Korona looks to be the favorite to replace Casey Blaser at right tackle. Also returning is Jake Kite, a special-teams staple.
I'm omitting obvious 2017 fifth-year seniors like Bryon Fields or Gabe Bradner.
I asked A.J. Wolf when he first realized that Duke-Carolina was a big rivalry; Wolf grew up in the NYC suburbs. He noted that the first time he visited Duke as a recruit, he was met by an assistant coach with a coffee mug reading "Go to Hell, Carolina."
These kids know.
Cut was very complimentary of UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Poised, accurate, strong, good game manager. Cut says that UNC has a more balanced offense then that of Louisville, not as dependent on one player and thus more difficult to prepare for.
Duke says Duke is 3 and 6 "for a reason" and you have to figure out why and fix it.
Casey Blaser on everything that's going on. "Especially being a senior, last game, it's a lot. But you're focusing on getting better in practice and taking the game one play at a time. Being an older guy you know you've got less time, so you have to do more rehab to take care of your body and prepare quicker and help the young guys when they need it. Everyone thinks basketball when they think Duke and Carolina but being from North Carolina [he's from Charlotte] you grow up hearing about it.