jimsumner
10-24-2017, 02:19 PM
When things are going wrong, go back to the basics and work through the problems.
That’s the short version.
The longer version?
Mike Ramsay.
“The biggest thing is to keep fighting. The only way to endure a losing streak is to come to work every day. It makes it harder to see the end goal when you’re losing. You have to work harder, pay more attention to detail, do everything better. When things are going wrong, it’s easy to want to try new things. But there’s no reason to scrap everything. Just focus on what you’re doing well and extrapolate from that.”
Austin Davis.
“We have a standard here at Duke. It hasn’t always been great but the guys before us, they fought. They gave everything they had to make sure we could have this beautiful stadium, these new facilities. They fought through 3-9 seasons to make sure we could go to ACC championship games. So, we’re going out there with the attitude that they never quit, so why should we quit? We’re going to live up to that standard. Us, as seniors need to make sure everyone understands those standards.”
David Cutcliffe is said to have been very active, very vocal, very hands-on in recent practices.
“Nobody’s ever talked a football player into being a good football player. You coach them, you carry them from here to there, you get reps, you physically get to do it, to figure out what went wrong.”
Cutcliffe says he doesn’t have any complaints about the way Duke is practicing. “But everything can always be better. That’s the approach we’re taking.”
He added that Duke has great senior leadership and is getting what it needs in that area.
There’s an ancient football adage that a handful of plays decide most football games but you don’t know what those plays are until they happen.
Cutcliffe focused on that aspect both Saturday night and today, describing losing focus as “human nature,” but adding that every player had to recognize that a loss of focus on any play could lead to a game-deciding play. That’s what playing 60 minutes means.
Pitt’s two long touchdown runs?
“If I were to use a word, I would use ‘schematic’. The other one would be ‘technique’. If a guy fits a gap wrong or fits a block wrong, those are somewhat schematic and somewhat technique. When that happens, then what did happen, can happen.”
Cutcliffe discussed “Beamer Ball,” i.e. VT’s long history of scoring points off special teams and on defense. You may recall that VT turned a blocked field goal into a touchdown last year, a 10-point turnaround in an eventual three-point Duke loss.
“It’s execution. You can tell that their players believe that if they do their job, the players behind them will do their jobs. There’s an aggressiveness to becoming a defense that scores. We pride ourselves in our kicking game, they pride themselves in their kicking game and I’ve always looked forward to this matchup in that regard.”
Cutcliffe remains supportive of Daniel Jones.
“He’s really embracing everything we’re asking him to do. He did a better job today of making practice like a game.”
Duke has won its last two games at VT and Ramsay and Davis say they love the atmosphere, the crowd, the noise. Energizes the visiting team.
Cutcliffe described Gabe Brandner as “understandably” a little sore and had a reduced role in practice today. But he should be good to go at Blacksburg.
That’s the short version.
The longer version?
Mike Ramsay.
“The biggest thing is to keep fighting. The only way to endure a losing streak is to come to work every day. It makes it harder to see the end goal when you’re losing. You have to work harder, pay more attention to detail, do everything better. When things are going wrong, it’s easy to want to try new things. But there’s no reason to scrap everything. Just focus on what you’re doing well and extrapolate from that.”
Austin Davis.
“We have a standard here at Duke. It hasn’t always been great but the guys before us, they fought. They gave everything they had to make sure we could have this beautiful stadium, these new facilities. They fought through 3-9 seasons to make sure we could go to ACC championship games. So, we’re going out there with the attitude that they never quit, so why should we quit? We’re going to live up to that standard. Us, as seniors need to make sure everyone understands those standards.”
David Cutcliffe is said to have been very active, very vocal, very hands-on in recent practices.
“Nobody’s ever talked a football player into being a good football player. You coach them, you carry them from here to there, you get reps, you physically get to do it, to figure out what went wrong.”
Cutcliffe says he doesn’t have any complaints about the way Duke is practicing. “But everything can always be better. That’s the approach we’re taking.”
He added that Duke has great senior leadership and is getting what it needs in that area.
There’s an ancient football adage that a handful of plays decide most football games but you don’t know what those plays are until they happen.
Cutcliffe focused on that aspect both Saturday night and today, describing losing focus as “human nature,” but adding that every player had to recognize that a loss of focus on any play could lead to a game-deciding play. That’s what playing 60 minutes means.
Pitt’s two long touchdown runs?
“If I were to use a word, I would use ‘schematic’. The other one would be ‘technique’. If a guy fits a gap wrong or fits a block wrong, those are somewhat schematic and somewhat technique. When that happens, then what did happen, can happen.”
Cutcliffe discussed “Beamer Ball,” i.e. VT’s long history of scoring points off special teams and on defense. You may recall that VT turned a blocked field goal into a touchdown last year, a 10-point turnaround in an eventual three-point Duke loss.
“It’s execution. You can tell that their players believe that if they do their job, the players behind them will do their jobs. There’s an aggressiveness to becoming a defense that scores. We pride ourselves in our kicking game, they pride themselves in their kicking game and I’ve always looked forward to this matchup in that regard.”
Cutcliffe remains supportive of Daniel Jones.
“He’s really embracing everything we’re asking him to do. He did a better job today of making practice like a game.”
Duke has won its last two games at VT and Ramsay and Davis say they love the atmosphere, the crowd, the noise. Energizes the visiting team.
Cutcliffe described Gabe Brandner as “understandably” a little sore and had a reduced role in practice today. But he should be good to go at Blacksburg.