FB: Duke 41, Northwestern 17

[OldPhiKap]

Not sure who traditionally starts the next week's game thread, so will not presume to do so. But I offer this recap of the Northwestern - Nevada game. NW dominated time and yardage, but had two turnovers and went down early in the fourth quarter at home before winning and pulling away:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400935236

[budwom]

NW beat us in the recent past because they make fewer mistakes and have a number of big plays. Hopefully we can pull it together this year. Opportunity knocks, as Baylor lost to Liberty.

[rtnorthrup]

Not sure who traditionally starts the next week's game thread, so will not presume to do so. But I offer this recap of the Northwestern - Nevada game. NW dominated time and yardage, but had two turnovers and went down early in the fourth quarter at home before winning and pulling away:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400935236

I don't put too much weight on that. Last season NW struggled in their opening game and then beat Duke. We will have to show up and play a hard, physical game to win.

[JBDuke]

Northwestern comes to town next weekend - sure to be a significant upgrade in competition over Central.

[Olympic Fan]

I don't put too much weight on that. Last season NW struggled in their opening game and then beat Duke.

Actually, Northwestern was 0-2 when we played them last year -- losing to Western Michigan (22-21) and Illinois State (9-7) before beating us (24-13).

Frustrating game -- we had more first downs and were almost even in total yards. Northwestern's three TDs all came on long pass plays -- 26, 44 and 58 yards. It was 7-7 at the half and Duke was driving early in the third quarter when Jones lost a fumble. We also had a turnover when Austin Parker dropped the snap on a punt.'

Northwestern has a three-game winning streak in the series and all three were heartbreakers. Duke lost at home 24-20 in Cut's first year -- Duke had the winning TD called back in the final minutes due to a penalty. Duke had a big edge in total offense in 2015, but lost 19-10 when with Duke going in for a touchdown, a Sirk pass was intercepted by a linebacker and returned 90-plis yards for a TD.

Overall, Northwestern has a 10-8 edge in the series.

[arnie]

Northwestern comes to town next weekend - sure to be a significant upgrade in competition over Central.

Early line had NW as 1.5 pt fav. Has moved to NW as 3 pt favorite

[budwom]

Though the path of Irma is TBD, it's unlikely it will make it to NC before late Sunday IF it meanders towards the U.S.....75 degree forecast at this time which is nothing but good news for those trekking to WW.

[fuse]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/acc-strength-of-schedule-rankings-miami-louisville-carry-easiest-paths-into-2017/

This link has likely been posted before.
Beating Northwestern, (and Baylor), and starting 2-0 (3-0) on the season, is pretty critical to go bowling. Not sure after last week there are any easy wins on the schedule.

I'm confident Duke will build on last week and take it to Northwestern.

Let's Go Duke!

[Henderson]

12/9?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

12/9?

Getting a little ahead of our skis there it seems.

[devildeac]

Hey sage,

Meet up with you and Mrs. sage at the same restaurant about 2 blocks from Ryan Field again this year?


(Oops, wait a minute, we play at WW this weekend. Sorry. But, you and the much lovelier partner are still most welcome to join us in Devil's Alley.;))

[Henderson]

Getting a little ahead of our skis there it seems.

Well, I've kind of gotten used to the Eastern Time Zone bias of this forum (like everything happens in ones personal 1/24 of the planet), but moving September to December seems a little aggressive.

Hey Guys! The world doesn't operate on the Eastern Time Zone. And even if you have that bias, your insularity doesn't give you liberty to alter the months.

This game is played on 9/9/17 at 9 a.m. in my house. Well, not literally in my house....

Not 12/9 anywhere, at any time.

[75Crazie]

Not 12/9 anywhere, at any time.
Well, yes ... in India, at least, which I know well because my whole development team is located there, and there are numerous times I have had to iron out confusion when date shorthand is used.

Actually "day/month/year" intuitively makes much more sense to me than "month/day/year" ... there is little about that latter "sequence" that is really sequential (you iterate the second token, then the first, and then the third?). But the one I prefer to use at work, which causes no confusion at all regardless of who I use it with, is "year/month/day".

[Reilly]

It's Northwestern week. So all Duke FB fans should be focusing on nothing but NU this week.

http://www.espn.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/23647/your-takes-on-the-nu-nu-dilemma

[Bob Green]

Northwestern's three TDs all came on long pass plays -- 26, 44 and 58 yards.

The defense must pressure Thorson so he doesn't have time to stand in the pocket while his receivers work free. The DL looked solid against NCCU, but that was NCCU, can they look solid against P5 competition? We will find out on Saturday. I'm optimistic. DE Victor Dimukeje looked very quick and strong.

[Bob Green]

Ten true freshmen played in the season opener. It will be interesting to see how many see action against Northwestern:

DE Victor Dimukeje, DE Drew Jordan, DT Axel Nyembwe, DT Derrick Tangelo, S Marquis Waters, S Michael Carter, OG Rakavius Chambers, RB Deon Jackson, TE Noah Gray, K Jack Driggers

[sagegrouse]

Well, yes ... in India, at least, which I know well because my whole development team is located there, and there are numerous times I have had to iron out confusion when date shorthand is used.

Actually "day/month/year" intuitively makes much more sense to me than "month/day/year" ... there is little about that latter "sequence" that is really sequential (you iterate the second token, then the first, and then the third?). But the one I prefer to use at work, which causes no confusion at all regardless of who I use it with, is "year/month/day".

I usually write out the date as a matter of habit -- 4 Sep 2017 or Sept. 4, 2017 ,so there's no confusion -- and for awhile there I was spending time on a lot of European stuff.

[budwom]

The defense must pressure Thorson so he doesn't have time to stand in the pocket while his receivers work free. The DL looked solid against NCCU, but that was NCCU, can they look solid against P5 competition? We will find out on Saturday. I'm optimistic. DE Victor Dimukeje looked very quick and strong.

And I think another key is to get pressure on him without blitzing all the time, because NW has killed us with long pass plays when we do so......I think/hope our DL is better than it has been, guys like Dimukeje make us a much better team.

[Dukelogger]

I think "not look ahead" may be one of the biggest points of emphasis this coaching staff needs to drive home to this young team. They're aware NW struggled, Baylor lost, UNC struggled, and Pitt looked really bad. FSU isnt the same team it was Saturday afternoon and Miami certainly didn't look like world beaters. But its just week one and there are always massive pendulum swings every college football season, week in and week out.

The energy level and focus of this team should be through the roof. There is a great season right there for the taking if they can just get better every week.

[chrishoke]

Adam Rowe‏ @AdamRoweTDD 41m41 minutes ago
More
Adam Rowe Retweeted Dennis Dodd
#Duke's Week 2 opponent, Northwestern, comes in at #23
Adam Rowe added,
Dennis DoddVerified account @dennisdoddcbs
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-power-rankings-alabama-flexes-and-notre-dame-impresses/ …
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[English]

I think "not look ahead" may be one of the biggest points of emphasis this coaching staff needs to drive home to this young team. They're aware NW struggled, Baylor lost, UNC struggled, and Pitt looked really bad. FSU isnt the same team it was Saturday afternoon and Miami certainly didn't look like world beaters. But its just week one and there are always massive pendulum swings every college football season, week in and week out.

The energy level and focus of this team should be through the roof. There is a great season right there for the taking if they can just get better every week.

If a Duke team that went 4-8 and missed a bowl berth last season, including a loss to a then 0-2 NW team, is looking past anyone after a nice-but-generally-meaningless win over an FCS school, that would be a major failure on the coaching staff. That said, I agree with your points and absolutely do not anticipate the squad already thinking themselves above the upcoming competition.

Now, as a fan who doesn't have to worry about performance letdown on Saturdays by looking ahead to the upcoming weeks, I can admit that my expectations for this season's schedule are trending in a positive direction. I already thought Duke would hit its OVER for season's wins (if barely), and everything I've seen to-date in the tiniest of samples, only gives me more optimism.

[Olympic Fan]

Adam Rowe‏ @AdamRoweTDD 41m41 minutes ago
More
Adam Rowe Retweeted Dennis Dodd
#Duke's Week 2 opponent, Northwestern, comes in at #23
Adam Rowe added,
Dennis DoddVerified account @dennisdoddcbs
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-power-rankings-alabama-flexes-and-notre-dame-impresses/ …
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Just to be clear, Northwestern is No. 23 in Dennis Dodd's rankings -- not top 25 in either the AP poll (the Wildcats are 34th on the vote list) or the coaches poll (38th in votes)

Dodd's rankings are, shall we say, excentric. He had Northwestern, which rallied at home to beat a nothing Nevada team, two spots ahead of UCLA, which staged he greatest comeback in NCAA history to beat what's supposed to be a pretty good Texas A&M team?

[BigWayne]

Just to be clear, Northwestern is No. 23 in Dennis Dodd's rankings -- not top 25 in either the AP poll (the Wildcats are 34th on the vote list) or the coaches poll (38th in votes)

Dodd's rankings are, shall we say, excentric. He had Northwestern, which rallied at home to beat a nothing Nevada team, two spots ahead of UCLA, which staged he greatest comeback in NCAA history to beat what's supposed to be a pretty good Texas A&M team?

At this stage, it's hard to predict how strong teams are vs. each other. On paper Northwestern is looking to have a really good season as their half of the big ten is weak this year. A win over NW should be a good resume boost for Duke.

[Avvocato]

Now that we have our preseason game out of the way, next is arguably the most important game of the year. (Finally) beating Northwestern would set us up at 2-0 heading into Baylor and then UNC. Getting off to a strong start is vital as we head into October and our typical rugged second half schedule. While many are discussing our ability to pressure Thorson without blitzing, and that is vital, I think the key will be to limit Justin Jackson's running. If we can somewhat limit him without having to bring too many guys towards the line of scrimmage, I'd still prefer to take my chances with Thorson trying to beat us than having Jackson dominate us on the ground. I was never a Thorson fan. While I still think he's inconsistent and can be erratic, he's better than I had given him credit for. Plus, he's a three-year starter and has gotten better every year. And, oh yeah, he always seems to make plays against us. With that said, my goal would be to contain Jackson, force them into third and longs (or at least third and mediums), and then work on disrupting Thorson. Our young defensive line will certain be tested on Saturday. On offense, let's see how we run against what has been a pretty tough Northwestern defense. If we can control the line and the ball, I have faith in Jones bringing us home. Really excited for this one. Let's Go Duke.

[budwom]

Now that we have our preseason game out of the way, next is arguably the most important game of the year. (Finally) beating Northwestern would set us up at 2-0 heading into Baylor and then UNC. Getting off to a strong start is vital as we head into October and our typical rugged second half schedule. While many are discussing our ability to pressure Thorson without blitzing, and that is vital, I think the key will be to limit Justin Jackson's running. If we can somewhat limit him without having to bring too many guys towards the line of scrimmage, I'd still prefer to take my chances with Thorson trying to beat us than having Jackson dominate us on the ground. I was never a Thorson fan. While I still think he's inconsistent and can be erratic, he's better than I had given him credit for. Plus, he's a three-year starter and has gotten better every year. And, oh yeah, he always seems to make plays against us. With that said, my goal would be to contain Jackson, force them into third and longs (or at least third and mediums), and then work on disrupting Thorson. Our young defensive line will certain be tested on Saturday. On offense, let's see how we run against what has been a pretty tough Northwestern defense. If we can control the line and the ball, I have faith in Jones bringing us home. Really excited for this one. Let's Go Duke.

The past two years we did a very decent job of containing Jackson...and I think we have a better DL this year....we got killed by three long pass plays last year. I agree, Thorson is not scintillating, but when we
blitz and he knows it's coming, he becomes much better.

[Bob Green]

This article gives our offense respect but gives no respect to our defense:

https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/5/16256474/northwestern-duke-football-preview-2017-duke-blue-devils-daniel-jones-david-cutcliffe


But honestly, it’s not a very interesting defense. Jim Knowles’ unit just cracked the top 50 in S&P+ but gave up far too many explosive plays; is led by a strong linebacking corps; and will likely rely on inexperienced players on the line and in the secondary. That’s about all you have to know. There are no superstars.

It also rags on our kicking game, but it is hard to disagree with them after last season.

[OldPhiKap]

This article gives our offense respect but gives no respect to our defense:

https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/5/16256474/northwestern-duke-football-preview-2017-duke-blue-devils-daniel-jones-david-cutcliffe



It also rags on our kicking game, but it is hard to disagree with them after last season.

I don't think that is necessarily an unfair criticism of our defense last year, although I think we had some very good players.

Emphasis, last year.

I am hopeful that we are going to surprise folks this year on the defensive end. And I continue to believe that the biggest hire Duke has made in the last few years may well be getting Coach Albert from Boston College. As bad as BC was, their defensive line was formidable.

[Bob Green]

Northwestern will wear all white on Saturday:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJEwZGkXgAEirJ8.jpg

[chrishoke]

Duke will be wearing all blue, helmets, jerseys and pants.

https://twitter.com/DukeFBEquipment/status/905794877664972802/photo/1

[davekay1971]

Just to be clear, Northwestern is No. 23 in Dennis Dodd's rankings -- not top 25 in either the AP poll (the Wildcats are 34th on the vote list) or the coaches poll (38th in votes)

?

So just based on one guy's opinion and otherwise meaningless, then? Kind of like being awarded a national championship retroactively by a baker. Maybe they should hang a banner...

[devildeac]

So just based on one guy's opinion and otherwise meaningless, then? Kind of like being awarded a national championship retroactively by a baker. Maybe they should hang a banner...

Northwestern University appears to demonstrate a high degree of integrity...

[TruBlu]

Northwestern University appears to demonstrate a high degree of integrity...

A minuscule amount of integrity would be gigantic compared to what the Cheaters down the road have displayed.

[Bob Green]

Northwestern's depth at cornerback will be tested:

https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/7/16265762/northwestern-releases-week-2-injury-report-bullock-out-mcshepard-questionable

[Dukelogger]

Northwestern's depth at cornerback will be tested:

https://www.insidenu.com/2017/9/7/16265762/northwestern-releases-week-2-injury-report-bullock-out-mcshepard-questionable

Given the balance this offense has (Oline depth, a veteran/accurate/able-to-run QB with good recognition at the line of scrimmage, backfield -assuming Brown thrives- that can run between the tackles and is explosive, depth and skill at TE, good short and intermediate route runners at WR- The ONE thing I'd love to see more than anything and ESPECIALLY tomorrow - in a big game against a quality opponent - is a serious and consistent deep ball threat. Rahming has been phenomenal overall but I feel like they've got to show progress with the deep ball for a quality defense to really respect it. If that gets clicking, we can score on any team on our schedule. Not saying I think thats an end all be all for the game tomorrow either, but if we can consistently establish a deep ball threat thats in play on every possession and the FSU's, Miami's and VT's have to adjust to that, I really think this offense will be unstoppable.

12 pm Tomorrow seriously cannot get here fast enough! Spot the dang ball!! Lets go Duke!

[DU82]

Don't have the link handy, but the uniform of the day tomorrow is blue, blue, blue!

(Two weeks in and no black for the Blue and White. I know it won't last, but we can hope!)

[chrishoke]

Don't have the link handy, but the uniform of the day tomorrow is blue, blue, blue!

(Two weeks in and no black for the Blue and White. I know it won't last, but we can hope!)

See my post above.

[Bob Green]

- The ONE thing I'd love to see more than anything and ESPECIALLY tomorrow - in a big game against a quality opponent - is a serious and consistent deep ball threat.

My (simplistic) take on the offensive game plan...

1. Establish the running game inside and outside. Duke must force Northwestern to commit extra players to the box. Shaun Wilson, Brittain Brown and Deon Jackson need to pound away at Northwestern's defense.

2. Utilize the field from sideline to sideline via the short passing game. Yes, I am talking about the wide receiver screens and swing passes to running backs which motivate lots of fans to complain. The short passing game is a critical component of Duke's offense. I'm certain there will be some Run Pass Option plays utilized.

3. Take opportunistic shots downfield to the wide receivers.

4. Attack the middle with the tight ends.

The offense is at its best when balanced. Duke must successfully run and pass the ball to win.

[Avvocato]

My (simplistic) take on the offensive game plan...

1. Establish the running game inside and outside. Duke must force Northwestern to commit extra players to the box. Shaun Wilson, Brittain Brown and Deon Jackson need to pound away at Northwestern's defense

It sounds repetitive, but I think this is the key. Our defense has played well enough the last two years to win. It's been mistakes by our offense (and special teams) that have cost us against Northwestern. We always talk about establishing a running game, but I think it always starts there. I think Wilson has developed into a more well rounded back with his ability to both run between the tackles and outside. Brown showed great explosiveness and ability last week. I'm excited for this week's challenge. If we can be effectively run the ball, I have faith that Jones will bring us home this year. If we can't run effectively enough, then as you point out, Northwestern won't have to over-commit to stopping our running attack and will look to lock down receivers. While it's hard to say how well our defense will play with our youth on the line and in the secondary, I have faith that it will give us a chance to win. I think it will be up to the offense to score points against what I expect to be a tough Northwestern defense. I believe (or at least have more confidence that) this year we finally get it done. Let's go Duke.

[duke79]

My (simplistic) take on the offensive game plan...

1. Establish the running game inside and outside. Duke must force Northwestern to commit extra players to the box. Shaun Wilson, Brittain Brown and Deon Jackson need to pound away at Northwestern's defense.

2. Utilize the field from sideline to sideline via the short passing game. Yes, I am talking about the wide receiver screens and swing passes to running backs which motivate lots of fans to complain. The short passing game is a critical component of Duke's offense. I'm certain there will be some Run Pass Option plays utilized.

3. Take opportunistic shots downfield to the wide receivers.

4. Attack the middle with the tight ends.

The offense is at its best when balanced. Duke must successfully run and pass the ball to win.

I'm hardly a football offensive strategist and I'm the last person on the planet any football coach should be taking advice from....BUT...I HATE those little "horizontal" passes (called "flare outs", I think?) that we seem to employ on a regular basis. I have NEVER understood the point of those passes. They rarely seem to gain us any real yardage and there is always the possibility of an interception which results, many times, in an easy touchdown for the defense. Furthermore, it potentially exposes the receivers to very hard hits from the cb's, safeties, or the LB's, because the receiver is looking back at the QB and trying to catch the ball and then pivot down field. He is totally exposed at that point. I always thought the point of offense in football is to move the ball DOWN field and not laterally. Let's throw the ball down the field and try to make some yardage with the passing game.

[Bob Green]

...BUT...I HATE those little "horizontal" passes (called "flare outs", I think?) that we seem to employ on a regular basis. I have NEVER understood the point of those passes.

The point of those passes is to force the defense to defend the entire field sideline to sideline. Moreover, a swing pass (or flare out if you prefer) to an explosive athlete such as Shaun Wilson has the potential to turn into a big play.

One more point, the "horizontal" passes also set-up downfield passes. Look at this example from last season's win over Notre Dame:


The 25 yard touchdown pass to Quay Chambers was a beautifully designed play set-up by previous quick passes to the outside.

http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&id=5643063

Rahming is split wide with Chambers in the slot. Rahming runs a slant to the center of the field, while Wilson flairs out toward the sideline. As Notre Dame's defense rotates, Chambers acts as if he is a blocker before wheeling up the sideline. Jones pump fakes to Wilson then throws downfield to Chambers for the touchdown.

Chambers is open because the defense expected the ball to go to Wilson. The fake Bubble Screen to the running back set-up the Wheel Route to the slot receiver.


Chambers beats single coverage downfield for a touchdown because Wilson is double covered in the flat.

[devildeac]

The point of those passes is to force the defense to defend the entire field sideline to sideline. Moreover, a swing pass (or flare out if you prefer) to an explosive athlete such as Shaun Wilson has the potential to turn into a big play.

One more point, the "horizontal" passes also set-up downfield passes. Look at this example from last season's win over Notre Dame:




Chambers beats single coverage downfield for a touchdown because Wilson is double covered in the flat.

Our younger son-in-law (former FB manager) absolutely loved this play. What a great call!

[Avvocato]

I'm hardly a football offensive strategist and I'm the last person on the planet any football coach should be taking advice from...BUT...I HATE those little "horizontal" passes (called "flare outs", I think?) that we seem to employ on a regular basis. I have NEVER understood the point of those passes. They rarely seem to gain us any real yardage and there is always the possibility of an interception which results, many times, in an easy touchdown for the defense. Furthermore, it potentially exposes the receivers to very hard hits from the cb's, safeties, or the LB's, because the receiver is looking back at the QB and trying to catch the ball and then pivot down field. He is totally exposed at that point. I always thought the point of offense in football is to move the ball DOWN field and not laterally. Let's throw the ball down the field and try to make some yardage with the passing game.

These plays can be effective in several ways. These are high percentage passes that can be used like running plays, where the running back can get maybe 4-6 yards. This could help, for example, especially if the line is clogged up or just, as Bob says, to get the defense from only defending the middle to have to look side to side. Also, hopefully, you get a running back isolated against a linebacker (though often a defensive back), and if he can make a move, can turn a short pass into a long one. Our problem the last few years is that we have not been consistently successful throwing down the field. We often throw short to the flats or less than 10 yards down the field. Because we have not had consistent downfield threats, the defenses don't have to respect it and can sit on our short passes and dare us to throw over the top. It has made these plays less effective, because the defense is bunched up towards the line. If we can start throwing more consistently down the field, it should open up these plays (and our running game) and make our offense much more effective.

Additionally, not every short pass to the sidelines is a called play. Pass plays often have different routes. One is typically a "safety" route where a running back will often go toward a sideline. The quarterback will work his progression of reads and if the primary targets are covered, will "check down" and throw to the running back in the flats hoping to pick up some yards. While not being in the huddle, I believe that in addition to called screen/short passes, I think we have often thrown to our backs based on decisions by our quarterbacks after these progressions. The reason the quarterback may throw to the backs as a safety may be because of the pass rush and they have to get rid of the ball quickly, receivers are not open down field, or sometimes, in my opinion, our quarterbacks have given up on a play too quickly and decide to throw to the back as a safe option to get rid of the ball. Or, it actually is a called play. Other than a called play, you often have to rely on the quarterback to make the right decisions with the football. I do think that as the season went on last year, Jones made quicker decisions with the ball and has more often spread the ball around to wide receivers and tight ends.

In any case, as stated above, if we can throw more down the field, it will open up these shorter passes (and the running game). I feel like we're getting closer. We hit the 54-yarder to Young and just missed one to Rahming. Getting pumped for Saturday. Let's go Duke.

[uh_no]

Additionally, not every short pass to the sidelines is a called play.

I think this is PART of the key.

There is a HUGE difference between running passes in the flat as part of a gameplan to open up other facets, and them occurring because nothing else is working.

We've had a lot of times where weaknesses in other parts of the game have lead to perhaps too many of these (both called and uncalled). That is very frustrating, and certainly on this board, QBs and OCs at times have gotten a lot of flack for it....IMO rightfully so. That DOESN'T mean that they can't be part of a well constructed game plan, even if the individual plays don't provide immediate value (as others have pointed out).

I expect to see a few tomorrow, and certainly won't fret them....but if we see a lot, it's an indication that SOMETHING else isn't working right.

[peloton]

I'm surprised no one's said it yet so I will...gameday! Let's go Devils!!

[Acymetric]

Sorry if I missed it, but any updates on Bracey? Just got to the game...go Duke!!!

[hudlow]

Go Duke !!!

[OldPhiKap]

Go Duke!!!!!

[riverside6]

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

https://www.scacchoops.com/northwestern-at-duke-football-live-stats-09092017

New Today, we have the Five Factors as defined by Bill Connelly of SBNation in our college football live stats .

[arnie]

Go Duke!!!!!

Great start 14-3. Keep it going.

[brlftz]

I'm starting to believe. No jinx

[duke09hms]

I'm starting to believe. No jinx

Jinx in effect. NW then recovers Duke fumble to score TD ... dammit!!!

[arnie]

Jinx in effect. NW then recovers Duke fumble to score TD ... dammit!!!

Ranking looks reaaally good.

[brlftz]

Ranking looks reaaally good.

Yeah, this is the game I've been waiting to see for rahming

[arnie]

Yeah, this is the game I've been waiting to see for rahming

Yep, sorry about autocorrect. D is much stronger than I expected.

[arnie]

Jinx in effect. NW then recovers Duke fumble to score TD ... dammit!!!

Defy the jinx for this game. 38-10 with 10 minutes left

[Indoor66]

And Looville kicking hole butt.

[OldPhiKap]

Duke rolls, UNC loses at home. Deja vu all over again!!!

[dukelifer]

Duke rolls, UNC loses at home. Deja vu all over again!!!

Wow, Jones was impressive. The kid is a star in the making.

[Indoor66]

We defeated NW; the holes beat themselves. Just ask them. 😎

[ipatent]

Great winning performance today, on both sides of the ball. The only negative I could see is that the punting game needs some work.

[TKG]

the holes beat themselves. 😎

Must be why they have become blind with rage?

[peloton]

Very pleased with our effort today, especially defensively. We played well in spite of a couple of turnovers. We need to continue building on this momentum and play physical but smart against the Bears next Saturday. I was disappointed a bit in some of the penalties but we're a work in progress...I certainly like what I'm seeing though.

[Indoor66]

That was a fun game to watch. 😎

[peloton]

We defeated NW; the holes beat themselves. Just ask them. ��

This is great - so true, Indoor66. Their football team doesn't typically lose to better teams - they simply beat themselves! :D The other team has little to do with their losing...the word 'clueless' comes to mind here, agreed?

But enough about that downward trending program and humorous fanbase...let's get ready for the Baylor Bears!

[OldPhiKap]

Positives:

1. Vertical offensive game. Wait, you're allowed to throw deep? I had forgotten. Nice.

2. Defense. Very good against the run, good (not always great) pressure up front.

3. O line. After first series, very good.

4. 2/2 FG, all PATs made ( all but first looked good)

5. Four quarters of good ball, except last RD given up with back-ups in.

6. Break the NW curse, big time. We dominated a mid-level Big 10 team. That's what good teams do.

6. Oh, the holes lost. I need to take a shower after pulling for Bobby Petrino, though.


Negatives:

Ah, who cares. Could be better on punts, could have less penalties, had two turnovers. Coach has some things to work on, which is good.


Overall, a very nice first game against a P5 team. Gotta smile.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Beautiful day against an academic school and a Big 10 School. Would have expected a bigger crowd than I could see on TV.

I had to miss some of the game for some personal business so maybe people left early.

SoCal

[uh_no]

Beautiful day against an academic school and a Big 10 School. Would have expected a bigger crowd than I could see on TV.

I had to miss some of the game for some personal business so maybe people left early.

SoCal

west side was much fuller than the east (tv) side. probably 80% full on that side? as opposed to 30% on the other?

[uh_no]

Positives:

1. Vertical offensive game. Wait, you're allowed to throw deep? I had forgotten. Nice.

2. Defense. Very good against the run, good (not always great) pressure up front.

3. O line. After first series, very good.

4. 2/2 FG, all PATs made ( all but first looked good)

5. Four quarters of good ball, except last RD given up with back-ups in.

6. Break the NW curse, big time. We dominated a mid-level Big 10 team. That's what good teams do.

6. Oh, the holes lost. I need to take a shower after pulling for Bobby Petrino, though.


Negatives:

Ah, who cares. Could be better on punts, could have less penalties, had two turnovers. Coach has some things to work on, which is good.


Overall, a very nice first game against a P5 team. Gotta smile.

was also nice to see the kid tossed for targeting. I mean, not nice that he did it, and not nice that he had to be tossed, but glad the rule was enforced as it ought. Given they already had injuries in their secondary, losing another starter may have helped us abuse them further.

receiver has to grab that ball though. the hit was after he knocked it up in the air.

the first interception was also a bit of a head scratcher....not sure if jones got crossed up by a receiver or what....but still not sure what the plan was there.


but boy was that fun to watch. nailing guys with some beautiful passes, some great runs. rahming is a stud. almost everything was working on the offense today.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

When do we start the Daniel Jones Heisman watch? 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing with 4 tds against a legit team is pretty impressive.

[uh_no]

against a legit team is pretty impressive.

lets hold off on that JUST yet. good win, for sure....but we were all trumpeting a win over a ND team....when in the end, it turned out that they were just bad. The same could yet be true for NW. I optimistic, of course, but still keeping it capped until we get a bit further along.....by which i mean


2 down
13 to go

[SCMatt33]

west side was much fuller than the east (tv) side. probably 80% full on that side? as opposed to 30% on the other?

According to the final box score, the attendance was a shade over 20k, which is pretty disappointing any way you cut and slice it. Do you expect a little less for an early kick, sure, but nice weather and a power 5 opponent should draw more. For context, that attendance (at least in terms of ticket sales) is less than any single game from last year.

Nothing disappointing on the field, though. This team has put up 100 points in just two weeks. Looking at the media guide, the last time Duke scored over 100 in any 2 consecutive weeks was 1945 when Eddie Cameron was coaching the team.

[Mabdul Doobakus]

lets hold off on that JUST yet. good win, for sure...but we were all trumpeting a win over a ND team...when in the end, it turned out that they were just bad. The same could yet be true for NW. I optimistic, of course, but still keeping it capped until we get a bit further along...by which i mean


2 down
13 to go

I mean, I'm kind of kidding. I'm not even making any sweeping statements about the quality of our team. It's one game. Who knows...

But if you were going to prematurely make a list of Heisman candidates based on performance thus far, Jones would have to be on it. Don't think he'll stay there, but you never know...

And by legit team, I just mean "not nccu". Northwestern may go 2-10. They're still not nccu.

[dukelifer]

west side was much fuller than the east (tv) side. probably 80% full on that side? as opposed to 30% on the other?

The sun in your eyes is a big turnoff when the game is on TV

[75Crazie]

Would have expected a bigger crowd than I could see on TV.SoCal
A mid-day game in September that is on TV? I am surprised the crowd was as big as it was. I never expect to see anywhere near a full crowd on TV on a September afternoon. That's the price that is paid for chasing the TV money.

[TKG]

Interesting note from today's game, courtesy of Goduke.com: of the 14 tackles for loss by the D on the season, 10.5 have been by freshmen and sophomores.

[75Crazie]

was also nice to see the kid tossed for targeting. I mean, not nice that he did it, and not nice that he had to be tossed, but glad the rule was enforced as it ought.
That was a bad call and definitely played a big part in the game, at least in setting the early momentum. Just because two helmets connect does not mean there was targeting. I felt the helmet contact was incidental and should not have been called.

[fuse]

That was a bad call and definitely played a big part in the game, at least in setting the early momentum. Just because two helmets connect does not mean there was targeting. I felt the helmet contact was incidental and should not have been called.

This gets right at the heart of the challenge of being a referee. You call what you see, not what you think a player's intent is.

I'll agree it was a big momentum call. It was also the correct call for a helmet to helmet hit based on the rule as written.

[uh_no]

This gets right at the heart of the challenge of being a referee. You call what you see, not what you think a player's intent is.

I'll agree it was a big momentum call. It was also the correct call for a helmet to helmet hit based on the rule as written.

I for one don't really care what the players intent is. with the ever mounting evidence of football-caused brain disease, the more that refs call this kind of contact, the more people will find safer ways to tackle. Rugby players manage to not bang their heads together when tackling, and football players can do....they just need, as R Lee Ermy might say, the proper motivation.

Getting tossed like that is certainly motivation.

[Indoor66]

This is great - so true, Indoor66. Their football team doesn't typically lose to better teams - they simply beat themselves! :D The other team has little to do with their losing...the word 'clueless' comes to mind here, agreed?

But enough about that downward trending program and humorous fanbase...let's get ready for the Baylor Bears!

I have a Baylor tee shirt that I love. I usually wear it a couple times a month. Guess I have to rest it this week.

[chrishoke]

Over 500 yards offense for the good guys and less than 200 for a Big 10 team that is well coached, has equivalent or slightly better talent according to recruiting rankings, and has owned us in recent years. Very impressive performance by our guys. What a great day at Wally Wade. The only disappointment of the day was the crowd. We sit in section 28 and our was only 20% full. I really don't know what else Duke can do.

[uh_no]

Over 500 yards offense for the good guys and less than 200 for a Big 10 team that is well coached, has equivalent or slightly better talent according to recruiting rankings, and has owned us in recent years. Very impressive performance by our guys. What a great day at Wally Wade. The only disappointment of the day was the crowd. We sit in section 28 and our was only 20% full. I really don't know what else Duke can do.

2 dollar PBR

[OZ]

According to the final box score, the attendance was a shade over 20k, which is pretty disappointing any way you cut and slice it. Do you expect a little less for an early kick, sure, but nice weather and a power 5 opponent should draw more. For context, that attendance (at least in terms of ticket sales) is less than any single game from last year.

Nothing disappointing on the field, though. This team has put up 100 points in just two weeks. Looking at the media guide, the last time Duke scored over 100 in any 2 consecutive weeks was 1945 when Eddie Cameron was coaching the team.


These players deserve better support than they are getting. I was really disappointed in the weak support they got today from the students... there were a few that showed and half of those left at half time... 11 point lead at half time and people leave? Why bother?

Great game on both sides of the ball... they dominated a pretty good team. It's been a long time since I could relax after the third quarter.

[killerleft]

That was a bad call and definitely played a big part in the game, at least in setting the early momentum. Just because two helmets connect does not mean there was targeting. I felt the helmet contact was incidental and should not have been called.

He targeted the player above the shoulders. Since the rule is there to discourage those hits, what is your beef?

[duketaylor]

Listened to the 2nd half on the way home, buttwhipping. Pure and simple. Beautiful!!

[sagegrouse]

These players deserve better support than they are getting. I was really disappointed in the weak support they got today from the students... there were a few that showed and half of those left at half time... 11 point lead at half time and people leave? Why bother?

Great game on both sides of the ball... they dominated a pretty good team. It's been a long time since I could relax after the third quarter.

Do students get up before noon on Saturday?

I did, of course -- there were Saturday classes.

[devildeac]

2 dollar PBR

Bzzzt.

An assortment of $3 hand-crafted ales from Fullsteam, Ponysaurus, Bull City and Durty Bull breweries.

Durham proud.

;)

[6th Man]

What a great day at Wallace Wade! Sad to say that I was unable to attend last year so today was my first taste of the renovations. I couldn't believe how much better the experience was at the stadium. It was a beautiful day and the team looks like it might be poised for a great year. Played great today! It's so amazing to me that Duke football has come so far under Cut! I'm not sure that gets the full recognition that it deserves. When you have sat on those old hard metal bleachers and paced the asphalt concourse to utilize the trough in the outhouse restrooms and watched some 0-for 12 seasons...today seemed a bit surreal.

[UrinalCake]

Gotta love the conference standings right now ;)

7624

[Dev11]

I'm not sure we'll ever solve attendance at Wallace Wade, but the most the team can do is what they did today. Great day for Jones and the entire defense. We had timely sacks from the line, big tackles at the line of scrimmage from our experienced linebackers, and some pretty tough coverage from the entire defensive back corps. There were a handful of missed assignments, but I liked how we swarmed the ball on a lot of key NU plays.

I'm probably riding high from the win, but I really wish we got to play Louisville again this year to see sophomore Jones on the field against Lamar Jackson. We'll have to settle for Francois. Jones looked downfield and delivered today. He's patient in the pocket.

I'm not sure how good NU is, but this is a very similar team to the one that beat us last year. Let's keep it going against Baylor.

[dukie’s_daughter]

Very fun day at Wally Wade!

It seemed like time and again Daniel Jones had all day to throw!! Kudos to the O-Line.

Also to the DUMB. I'm much too old to recognize any of the tunes ( except the fight songs), but I literally LOL'd at the acknowledgement that the ceiling and the roof are NOT the same thing!!!

And Austin Parker's perfect place kicking day...Made me smile🤗

( way to) Go DUKE!

[devildeac]

I'm not sure we'll ever solve attendance at Wallace Wade, but the most the team can do is what they did today. Great day for Jones and the entire defense. We had timely sacks from the line, big tackles at the line of scrimmage from our experienced linebackers, and some pretty tough coverage from the entire defensive back corps. There were a handful of missed assignments, but I liked how we swarmed the ball on a lot of key NU plays.

I'm probably riding high from the win, but I really wish we got to play Louisville again this year to see sophomore Jones on the field against Lamar Jackson. We'll have to settle for Francois. Jones looked downfield and delivered today. He's patient in the pocket.

I'm not sure how good NU is, but this is a very similar team to the one that beat us last year. Let's keep it going against Baylor.


He's out for the season according to this:

https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/09/03/deondre-francois-out-season-patella-tendon-injury-florida-state-football

I don't like f$u but would never wish an injury like this on any player, but will be happy to play the 'Noles without him. (Hope that makes sense.)

[devildeac]

Very fun day at Wally Wade!

It seemed like time and again Daniel Jones had all day to throw!! Kudos to the O-Line.

Also to the DUMB. I'm much too old to recognize any of the tunes ( except the fight songs), but I literally LOL'd at the acknowledgement that the ceiling and the roof are NOT the same thing!!!

And Austin Parker's perfect place kicking day...Made me smile🤗

( way to) Go DUKE!


We are now 3/3 FG this season and were 3/10 last season. Let that register. :eek:

[75Crazie]

He targeted the player above the shoulders. Since the rule is there to discourage those hits, what is your beef?
You obviously saw a different play than I did.

[camion]

You obviously saw a different play than I did.

targeting — using the crown of the helmet to tackle or initiating contact to the head or neck of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm or fist.

Not the crown of the helmet, but I would say there was helmet to helmet contact initiated by the defensive player on the receiver. What would you say disqualifies it from targeting?

[killerleft]

You obviously saw a different play than I did.

Watched it several times. He hit him with his helmet, causing the receiver's head to snap back dangerously. Tying to or not, it was a hit above the shoulders with a helmet. To discourage this, there is a penalty.

Solution? Don't hit someone that high. It can be learned, just like figuring out how to avoid jumping offside, or blocking someone in the back, etc. Or not, and risk leaving the game and missing another one, too.

The refs never finalize that call without a review. They confirmed the call.

[DeweyDevil]

Baylor lost to the UT San Antonio Road Runners 17 - 10. Saturday's game in Wallace Wade could be ugly.

[Bob Green]

A wonderful day at Wallace Wade Stadium!

Daniel Jones' decision making was solid. He did an excellent job deciding when to tuck it and run; when to throw it away; when to pass it quick; when to wait an extra half second for the receiver to break open.

The defense dominated Northwestern forcing 3 and outs which repeatedly gave the ball back to Jones and the Duke offense. The Wildcats were physically gassed in the 2nd half.

Our receivers did a good job gaining extra yards running with the ball after the catch. T.J. Rahming was the star but Aaron Young had another good game with three catches for 43 yards and the 52 yard TD pass to Chris Taylor was a beauty.

I'm already looking forward to next week.

[Devilwin]

Great, great win. I was impressed with Jones' confidence, and his sharp, crisp passing. Oh, and his running ability. Overall team speed is the best I can recall, and the defense swarmed really well, made life miserable for Thorson. And, shut down their running game. Only thing I didn't like were the untimely penalties.
Hopefully, the crowds will come. With the product Cut has put on the field, it's sad to see so many empty seats.
I was going, had taken a vacation day, but late shipments of a certain pet supply company ( proper decorum says they shall remain nameless :mad:) that were shipped out late changed my plans. But planning to go next week.

[Troublemaker]

Baylor lost to the UT San Antonio Road Runners 17 - 10. Saturday's game in Wallace Wade could be ugly.

Baylor also lost to Liberty last week. That said, I would treat Baylor as a dangerous, wounded animal more than a team that we should roll. They are a program that's a mess -- deservedly so for their previous coverup of rapes -- BUT there are probably still enough holdovers on this Baylor team from the Briles era that I'd be surprised if Duke were the more talented team on Saturday based on recruiting rankings. Baylor's underachieved their talent so far, but they are not incapable of beating Duke.

[Indoor66]

Did anyone else notice the commentators aside about the NW Defensive Tackle (I don't remember his number but his name was Lancaster) that he had benched 225 lb 37 times? That is incredible. I used to bench 170 five times and was impressed with myself - but I was 71 then. 225 x 37 is a tremendous feat of endurance.

[Bob Green]

That said, I would treat Baylor as a dangerous, wounded animal more than a team that we should roll.

Baylor's team speed is a specific concern. They have wide receivers who can stretch the field and a quarterback who can deliver the ball. I'm confident Coach Cutcliffe and the staff will have the team focused.

[duke74]

You obviously saw a different play than I did.

I don't claim to be any sort of expert here, but are we in a semantics discussion? The term "targeting" implies intent. Much of this discussion is centering on just whether the helmet hit was high, intentional or not.

Perhaps the reconciliation is to rename the offense to "high hit" or something. That way you don't have to determine someone's intent. You just have to judge placement.

Am I missing something?

[Faison1]

Am I missing something?

No, I'm in agreement with you. That play was questionable at best....and the additional "toss" of the player was over the top. But I don't write to rules.

I can see arguments to both sides. The players these days are so big and fast, the hits have become absolutely brutal. Yes, it's a contact sport, but at what price?

As for the game...WOW!! What a great day for Cutcliffe, and Co. Our D was awesome!! Mike Ramsay and the rest of the D-Line pressured the QB almost every play. As our young D-Line talent matures, watch out!

I can't wait for the season to unfold. I would say in the last 5 years, I've been more excited about upcoming football seasons than I have about upcoming basketball seasons.

Thank you Coach Cut!!!!

Not sure what to say about the crowd...my only excuse is I live in California. But my Dad and brother are showing up for the Miami game.

[Bob Green]

Not sure what to say about the crowd...my only excuse is I live in California. But my Dad and brother are showing up for the Miami game.

There is nothing to be said about the crowd. Those who show up, show up and those who don't, don't. My family enjoys going to the games so we go. Lots of folks would rather watch on TV.

I believe one factor is the weather. Folks will always say it is too hot, too cold, or too wet so they sit on their couch and watch on TV. I'd rather be in the stadium watching live.

Another factor is the geographically dispersed fan base.

[Bob Green]

Duke currently #29 in Football Power Index:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/statistics/teamratings

[sagegrouse]

Another factor is the geographically dispersed fan base.

Which is related to the geographically dispersed alumni. State schools, in addition to being larger, have an alumni base more concentrated in the region.

[OldPhiKap]

If Duke wants a bigger crowd, they need to sell beer at the games.

[Faison1]

Another factor is the geographically dispersed fan base.

Yes, I think there are many factors at play. In particular, we keep playing teams that don't travel really well. Case in point, Northwestern. For people who were in attendance, how many Northwestern fans do you think were there?

When we played Alabama a few years ago, every seat was taken.

I think we cover this every year, but is there a strategy to get local Durham residents more interested in Duke football, beyond the annual employee game?

[Papa John]

I don't claim to be any sort of expert here, but are we in a semantics discussion? The term "targeting" implies intent. Much of this discussion is centering on just whether the helmet hit was high, intentional or not.

Perhaps the reconciliation is to rename the offense to "high hit" or something. That way you don't have to determine someone's intent. You just have to judge placement.

Am I missing something?

No, you're not. The purpose of the rule is to remove these types of hits from the game altogether. The officials are not allowed to judge "intent". If it's a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver, it's targeting and player ejection, period. The reason they review these is to make certain it was helmet-to-helmet and that the receiver was defenseless. If both of those criteria are not met upon review, then the defender is not ejected. If both are true, then the defender is ejected. It's pretty simple and straightforward, actually. And given what we now know about the long-term effects of concussions on the brain, this rule will be a major point of emphasis. If these types of hits aren't taken out of the game altogether, then the cash cow revenue sport is in major trouble long term. And, arguably, it already is in trouble, as the foundational leagues for kids through high school have seen a mass exodus away from football in recent years, so we're likely to see the long-term impacts of decreasing talent supply to the sport in the next 10 or so years... It's going to be interesting, to say the least. We may be seeing the peak of NFL and college football right now, and very well could witness the slow decline of both leagues over the next couple of decades.

[jafarr1]

Edit: Papa John beat me to it.

The Northwestern coach after the game said that he teaches a strike zone of the letters to the knees, and the hit in question was clearly out of that zone. While he may have just been striving to say the right things, the rule is intended to do exactly what he said: change the strike zone across the board to better protect players.

I don't think the hit had any malicious intent, and it's unfortunate for NU the penalty had a big impact on the game. We've seen the other side of that particular coin. Still, if the net result of calling that rule strictly is fewer concussions and other serious injuries, that feels like a tradeoff worth making.

[Bob Green]

The Coaches Poll is out:

http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/football/polls/coaches-poll/2017/3/

Duke appears in the "Others Receiving Votes" section.

[jimsumner]

I agree that "targeting" can be a bit misleading, as it implies some concern for intent.

But the rule isn't written that way.

Officials don't have to determine if a player meant to be off-sides, intended to hold or really wanted to interfere with that pass receiver.

Nor do they have to determine intent on an illegal blow to the head.

[sagegrouse]

The Coaches Poll is out:

http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/football/polls/coaches-poll/2017/3/

Duke appears in the "Others Receiving Votes" section.

We're #42! Yay!

[Bob Green]

We're #42! Yay!

It is a start.

[BigWayne]

Duke currently #29 in Football Power Index:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/statistics/teamratings

While it is a pretty useless predictive measure, it's nice to see it predicting we beat the cheats. (http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=150&year=2017)

[OldPhiKap]

Edit: Papa John beat me to it.

The Northwestern coach after the game said that he teaches a strike zone of the letters to the knees, and the hit in question was clearly out of that zone. While he may have just been striving to say the right things, the rule is intended to do exactly what he said: change the strike zone across the board to better protect players.

I don't think the hit had any malicious intent, and it's unfortunate for NU the penalty had a big impact on the game. We've seen the other side of that particular coin. Still, if the net result of calling that rule strictly is fewer concussions and other serious injuries, that feels like a tradeoff worth making.

I'm not so sure it had a big impact on the game. Duke's defense was dominant, and one player would not have prevented our offense from scoring in droves. The margin might have been smaller if the interception held up, but maybe not.

[OldPhiKap]

While it is a pretty useless predictive measure, it's nice to see it predicting we beat the cheats. (http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=150&year=2017)

That projects us out to 10-2. I could live with that.

Not sure why it has us favored over Miami, not sure WW really gives us much of a home field advantage.

[uh_no]

If Duke wants a bigger crowd, they need to sell beer at the games.

soooooo not PBR then?

[uh_no]

That projects us out to 10-2. I could live with that.

Not sure why it has us favored over Miami, not sure WW really gives us much of a home field advantage.

yeah...clearly the refs are biased towards us when miami comes to WW

shudder.

[sagegrouse]

That projects us out to 10-2. I could live with that.

Not sure why it has us favored over Miami, not sure WW really gives us much of a home field advantage.

If you take our two wins(!) and sum the win probabilities for the rest of the games, you get an expected win-loss record. In this case it is 8.2-4.1, or roughly 8-4. Sounds great to me.

Kindly,
Sage
'I think we are getting a "surge effect" from the beat-down of Northwestern'

[uh_no]

If you take our two wins(!) and sum the win probabilities for the rest of the games, you get an expected win-loss record. In this case it is 8.2-4.1, or roughly 8-4. Sounds great to me.

Kindly,
Sage
'I think we are getting a "surge effect" from the beat-down of Northwestern'

I think you're a bit pessimistic. We have a 1.000 winning %. That would indicate to me that if we extrapolate, we will go 15-0. :)

[BigWayne]

That projects us out to 10-2. I could live with that.

Not sure why it has us favored over Miami, not sure WW really gives us much of a home field advantage.

Not just for us. FPI probabilities have a home advantage factor that is way more than it should be for anyone.

[devildeac]

That projects us out to 10-2. I could live with that.

Not sure why it has us favored over Miami, not sure WW really gives us much of a home field advantage.

Depends on if the refs choose to make the correct call/s or not after reviewing the replay for 10 minutes. :mad:

[jimsumner]

Depends on if the refs choose to make the correct call/s or not after reviewing the replay for 10 minutes. :mad:

Too soon.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I think you're a bit pessimistic. We have a 1.000 winning %. That would indicate to me that if we extrapolate, we will go 15-0. :)
My kind of thinking! LGD GTHc!

[devildeac]

Too soon.

Sorry. Couple more weeks? Maybe?

[Avvocato]

A few of my late thoughts:

* While we didn't run consistently well, particularly in the first half (other than DJ), great job by the offensive line. Northwestern is a physical team, and we handled them well. Plus, by possessing the ball, our line started to wear them down where we ran better in the second half. That's why you have to keep pounding. Also, excellent job in pass protection. Nice early test.

* Not much to add about Daniel Jones, though I will say he can play even better (which is scary to say). I thought he was a little off in some early intermediate throws. Again, that's scary to say (for opponents). He has such command of the offense. We got away with what would have been a killer turnover by the goal line in the first, but just a great job overall overall. He's the straw that stirs the drink (quoting Reggie Jackson). My one issue is that while he's a very good runner and so much tougher than he looks, he scares me with the hits he takes and takes on. His running set us up and got us on track, but I just wish he does it less (or will slide more).

* Loved the defense. The young line stood up tall against a physical team. It was said above, but Ben Alpert may be Duke's best recruit by Cut (defensively). Not sure what to expect against Baylor, but we'll really find out how good our defense is in the next few weeks. In addition to others who got credit already, I thought Jordan Hayes (#13) played well. It's amazing seeing the talent and speed of our guys on display. Great performance so far by the defense.

* Our kickoff coverage has been outstanding. Marquis Waters (#10) has been a beast on coverage.

* We need to punt better. Plain and simple.

Northwestern is a good matchup for us. We're similar types of football schools, and they have had our number the last couple of years. We absolutely handled them Saturday. Such a good sign on many levels. We handled our business. Let's not get too full of ourselves and have any letdowns this week against Baylor. This surprisingly has become a potential trap game leading up to UNC based on how Baylor has started. However, Baylor is a Power 5 team with a lot of talent and pride, that has been recently successful, and they will try everythig to turn their season around. We need to be prepared and hungry like we were for Northwestern. We need to build off of this win, someing we failed to do last year after big wins. I'm confident in this team and the coaches to get it done. Let's go Duke.

[Richard Berg]

Hayes had a dumb penalty but the physical tools are apparent. Reminds me of where Gilbert was last year. Hopefully this time next year he's ready to put 2xINT games in the record book.

[TNTDevil]

Beautiful day against an academic school and a Big 10 School. Would have expected a bigger crowd than I could see on TV.

I had to miss some of the game for some personal business so maybe people left early.

SoCal
First, although the weather was quite pleasant, once you get in the Brooks Field Bowl, it gets seriously hot.

Secondly, it wouldn't hurt to drop the over-the-top entrance security BS.

Third/last, start allowing pass-outs again at halftime.

While I completely understand the need for security, I don't really see Durham/Duke/Wallace Wade being a HVT for malcontents.

[budwom]

First, although the weather was quite pleasant, once you get in the Brooks Field Bowl, it gets seriously hot.

Secondly, it wouldn't hurt to drop the over-the-top entrance security BS.

Third/last, start allowing pass-outs again at halftime.

While I completely understand the need for security, I don't really see Durham/Duke/Wallace Wade being a HVT for malcontents.

a lot of good points, but Duke, like other schools, is concerned about liability no matter how illogically strict the screening may be. As recent events are shown, malcontents can simply
wait outside the gates/security and do what they want to do with lots of people, so the "security" provided is pretty illusory. I, too, think it's over the top, but have zero expectations anything will change.

[Scorp4me]

If Duke wants a bigger crowd, they need to sell beer at the games.

I'm not sure anyone who is sitting on the couch drinking a beer because they won't sell beer at the game is going to get off his but simply because they start. Now you might argue it would make for a better game day environment, but that is an argument for a different day haha.

[budwom]

I thought I'd belatedly add a couple of positive notes about attending Saturday's NW game...first, the PA announcer has lowered his shouting level to a decent level, for which I am most appreciative. Otherwise I was going to have to wear ear muffs to muffle his hollering. Much better now.

And after years of showing NOTHING relevant on the massive scoreboard, I really really liked the running totals of running yards, passing yards, third down conversions, etc. Fun to watch, especially when the Blue Devils are dominating.
Also, Dave Harding's analysis is very good, nice to see him on the board...he definitely has a bright future in announcing/analysis.

[uh_no]

And after years of showing NOTHING relevant on the massive scoreboard,

I mean, the massive scoreboard has only been around for 2 seasons....so i suppose it is technically "years"

Some of the stats are somewhat nonsensical, though, and they've often been wrong so far....or at least I noticed them being very wrong at times during NCCU, though suppose i didn't notice such glaring errors this weekend.

the analysis during a post-score media timeout is a nice touch. i'm thinking "oh man...if they did this during every media timeout, the game wouldn't be boring as hell in person" Really nice idea...and at least brings some of the "niceities" of watching at home to the stadium.

(now I just need to be able to get beer during the timeouts as well!!!)

[budwom]

I mean, the massive scoreboard has only been around for 2 seasons...so i suppose it is technically "years"

Some of the stats are somewhat nonsensical, though, and they've often been wrong so far...or at least I noticed them being very wrong at times during NCCU, though suppose i didn't notice such glaring errors this weekend.

the analysis during a post-score media timeout is a nice touch. i'm thinking "oh man...if they did this during every media timeout, the game wouldn't be boring as hell in person" Really nice idea...and at least brings some of the "niceities" of watching at home to the stadium.

(now I just need to be able to get beer during the timeouts as well!!!)

all they put on the scoreboard in years (2)past were nonsensical games, like find the pea under the cup, and other grade school level stuff...watching the offensive and defensive stats at the NW game (i was not at the Central game) I thought the stats looked pretty solid, no glaring errors came to mind. I'll take incremental improvement...not sure when beer arrives, but buy a fancy seat in the box and you get all the beer you want.

[TNTDevil]

a lot of good points, but Duke, like other schools, is concerned about liability no matter how illogically strict the screening may be. As recent events are shown, malcontents can simply
wait outside the gates/security and do what they want to do with lots of people, so the "security" provided is pretty illusory. I, too, think it's over the top, but have zero expectations anything will change.And, right on cue, I open my email to a Duke Football Game Day Survey. They asked many questions about the "security experience" and allowed for free-form input. I answered honestly and respectfully.

Of course I, like you, don't think anything will change but, at least I got to provide my input.

[budwom]

And, right on cue, I open my email to a Duke Football Game Day Survey. They asked many questions about the "security experience" and allowed for free-form input. I answered honestly and respectfully.

Of course I, like you, don't think anything will change but, at least I got to provide my input.

Adam Silver is one of the Trustees now, and I understand he had significant input in "upgrading" (and I use that term loosely) the security around WW, and the athletics stuff in general.
p.s. I understand the intent, but when I see the security folks hassling women in their seventies about the size of their handbags, I question the entire process.
Yeah, maybe the attendees should have known, but still, it seems somewhat over the top.

[Reilly]

... buy a fancy seat in the box and you get all the beer you want.

Or, pay tuition, cruise by the ABC store on Hillsborough on Saturday mornings, have socks with some grab, and drink bourbon.

[uh_no]

Or, pay tuition, cruise by the ABC store on Hillsborough on Saturday mornings, have socks with some grab, and drink bourbon.


if only it weren't state regulated :( the first time I set foot in total wine in fremont California, my mouth dropped.....whole aisles full of whiskey. I've taken to grabbing bottles when I travel to SC, DC, or CA.

[TNTDevil]

if only it weren't state regulated :( the first time I set foot in total wine in fremont California, my mouth dropped...whole aisles full of whiskey. I've taken to grabbing bottles when I travel to SC, DC, or CA.Felt the same way when I hit the Costco on Kauai. Who know Kirkland had their own liquor brands?

[uh_no]

Felt the same way when I hit the Costco on Kauai. Who know Kirkland had their own liquor brands?

i got a bottle of kirkland bourbon at the office!

now, I DO recommend one stay away from the trader joe's 8 year single malt irish whiskey. it is perhaps the only "legit" whiskey that I've had to dispose of. The 10 year TJ scotch is marginally better....at least drinkable if one must.

[OldPhiKap]

Felt the same way when I hit the Costco on Kauai. Who know Kirkland had their own liquor brands?

Kirkland has its own beer, but have not tried.

[Indoor66]

Kirkland has its own beer, but have not tried.

Who knew that Costco has both a distillery and a brewery in Wilkes County? They are probably making a movie if they can find Jim Mitchum - Kirkland Road.

[budwom]

Or, pay tuition, cruise by the ABC store on Hillsborough on Saturday mornings, have socks with some grab, and drink bourbon.

that's very funny. Yes, they are asking for ingenuity on our part...I may or may not have brought something in that theoretically should not have entered...

[wilson]

Kirkland has its own beer, but have not tried.It's really not bad. It's made by several reputable breweries (http://www.notsoprofessionalbeer.com/2015/04/costcos-new-kirkland-signature-craft.html), including Gordon Biersch and FX Matt (producers of Saranac).

[devildeac]

It's really not bad. It's made by several reputable breweries (http://www.notsoprofessionalbeer.com/2015/04/costcos-new-kirkland-signature-craft.html), including Gordon Biersch and FX Matt (producers of Saranac).

Need more data points. Please enter your thoughts/ratings here:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?3840-Ymm-Beer

We now return you to your regular thread discussion.

;)

[budwom]

i have found precious few Kirkland branded products which are not of very high quality. They do very well on wine, overall Costco is the nation's leading
wine seller I believe (I save $5-6 per bottle on my favorite wines, and the Kirkland branded stuff is almost always good, sometimes a true major bargain.
(after the financial meltdown, they were buying up a bunch of wine that typically had sold for $30/bottle and were selling it for under $20.)