FB: Georgia Tech 49, Duke 10

[loran16]

Okay, enough about the other teams in the Triangle. I don't want to talk about those games anymore.

Lets talk about how we can beat GT:

STEPS THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH:

Step 1: Reach the end zone early and OFTEN. GT's weakness is the pass...its secondary is not so good. Check out the Florida State game for example. Duke needs to score a lot of points in this game because well our weakness is our Run D. Which leads us to...

Step 2: Prevent GT from scoring a TD on 50% of its drives. We aren't very good at stopping the run. We're not going to get much better at doing so with a week of practice. GT is GOING TO SCORE ON US. That's okay if we can outscore them. But well, its hard to outscore the other team when they're scoring on every drive. We should have a shot if on every other drive GT is limited to 3 points or less.

Step 3: Take advantage of any turnovers. This is the only way we'll be able to accomplish Step 2. Today we forced 2 turnovers (Blocked Kick and an INT). We ended up with only 3 points total. If we don't capitalize next week, we're going to lose.

Step 4: Returning to Offense, now, We need to rely on our best weapon: Our Passing Game. Thad Lewis and our receivers are far more effective than our rushing game. This means to win i would think our play calling should be as follows:
1. Don't be Afraid to Abandon the Rush Early. If we get behind by two scores, i don't care how early it is, we'll need to use thad each down to come back.
2. Stop rushing in the Red Zone. The last two games we've had momentum just plain die on downs in the Red Zone where we rushed and were inevitably stuffed. I like Desmond Scott and i think he's really talented. But our Run-Blocking is terrible. And GT is a POOR pass D team. They Average 220 pass yards/game after the Wake game. WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. We took advantage of NC State's awful D with screens. Do THE SAME THING HERE.

Step 5: Special Teams as usual. Easily the best part of our game today. DO IT AGAIN

-----------------------------------------
I suspect our WRs will be banged up (Conner Vernon especially) but they should all be ready to play on Satruday. Let's give the Duke home crowd yet another reason to come to games and get our shot at bowl eligibility BACK ON TRACK.

Honest Prediction: Georgia Tech 45, Duke 35
Best Case Prediction: Duke 45, Georgia Tech 40

[6th Man]

I'd like to add if we beat Ga. Tech it throws us back in the mix with several 2 loss teams in the coastal division. Not sure how the tiebreaker works out. But this game has great importance. Despite the loss to UNC, please don't forget we have won 3 of our last 4 ACC games! Show up...be loud...and be proud! 2 more wins and 3 games left for bowl eligibility.

[OldPhiKap]

Next play. Go Devils!

[wolfpackdevil]

Let's all take a deep breath...

After 9 nine games, Duke is 5-4 (3-2). If anybody had told me this at the beginning of the season, I would be so happy. Duke has had an amazing year this year with all the young players that they have had to play.

So the fact of the matter is a 6-6 season is very very good. If Duke can win 1 of its last 3 games and finish .500 in conference play, and overall, that would be amazing.

So I really hope they win their last 3 games and go to a bowl game. But if not, Duke football is getting better, and it will take a little bit longer.

[Bob Green]

Let's all take a deep breath...

Excellent post! Today is a good day for Duke fans to examine their perspective. Our team is getting better and we all should be very proud of their efforts. As wolfpackdevil has already stated, it is going to take a little more time.

[-bdbd]

Look, we did not play a bad game against Kerlina. It was a good, close contest that the bad guys pulled out in the fourth quarter. They just wore us down especially on the lines. No shame in that at all. We still have a team to be very proud of, going into mid-Nov. still with bowl aspirations!! (Can you believe we're saying that 2 short seasons after all that misery??) But if today showed us anything, it was that we are still a few horses short of matching up well with the bigger programs in the conference/country. I have every bit of faith in Cut getting us there, but it isn't as simple as installing a new offense, or a few pep talks, or even one good recruiting class. It takes time. Yes, we seem to be turning a corner. And yes, Cut seems to be bringing in the pieces via recruiting (esp in the athleticism/speed areas, but also on the lines).

All that said, I still think that we can give GT and Miami real runs for their money the next two weeks -- heck look at WF today! (They really shoulda won that game vs GT.) So, yes, it can be done. Let's stay focused, play a hell of a good Defensive game against the run, and take it to them!

Go Duke!!!

-BDBD

[SupaDave]

Okay, enough about the other teams in the Triangle. I don't want to talk about those games anymore.

Lets talk about how we can beat GT:

STEPS THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH:

Step 1: Reach the end zone early and OFTEN. GT's weakness is the pass...its secondary is not so good. Check out the Florida State game for example. Duke needs to score a lot of points in this game because well our weakness is our Run D. Which leads us to...

Step 2: Prevent GT from scoring a TD on 50% of its drives. We aren't very good at stopping the run. We're not going to get much better at doing so with a week of practice. GT is GOING TO SCORE ON US. That's okay if we can outscore them. But well, its hard to outscore the other team when they're scoring on every drive. We should have a shot if on every other drive GT is limited to 3 points or less.

Step 3: Take advantage of any turnovers. This is the only way we'll be able to accomplish Step 2. Today we forced 2 turnovers (Blocked Kick and an INT). We ended up with only 3 points total. If we don't capitalize next week, we're going to lose.

Step 4: Returning to Offense, now, We need to rely on our best weapon: Our Passing Game. Thad Lewis and our receivers are far more effective than our rushing game. This means to win i would think our play calling should be as follows:
1. Don't be Afraid to Abandon the Rush Early. If we get behind by two scores, i don't care how early it is, we'll need to use thad each down to come back.
2. Stop rushing in the Red Zone. The last two games we've had momentum just plain die on downs in the Red Zone where we rushed and were inevitably stuffed. I like Desmond Scott and i think he's really talented. But our Run-Blocking is terrible. And GT is a POOR pass D team. They Average 220 pass yards/game after the Wake game. WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. We took advantage of NC State's awful D with screens. Do THE SAME THING HERE.

Step 5: Special Teams as usual. Easily the best part of our game today. DO IT AGAIN

-----------------------------------------
I suspect our WRs will be banged up (Conner Vernon especially) but they should all be ready to play on Satruday. Let's give the Duke home crowd yet another reason to come to games and get our shot at bowl eligibility BACK ON TRACK.

Honest Prediction: Georgia Tech 45, Duke 35
Best Case Prediction: Duke 45, Georgia Tech 40

This is quite optimistic. Let's not forget that with all of Tech's running that the clock tend's to be their friend and not their opponents. This forces teams into frantic passing situations in which the secondary does well with but in college football any decent QB can be successful when the secondary is in prevent and you're throwing into safe areas.

Above all else, Duke will have to be ready to tackle and process the option b/c they will see it all day.

[loran16]

This is quite optimistic. Let's not forget that with all of Tech's running that the clock tend's to be their friend and not their opponents. This forces teams into frantic passing situations in which the secondary does well with but in college football any decent QB can be successful when the secondary is in prevent and you're throwing into safe areas.

Above all else, Duke will have to be ready to tackle and process the option b/c they will see it all day.

Ummm, no? Listen, thinking Duke can shoot out with GT may be optimistic. But GT's Secondary IS THIS BAD.

It's why Wake was able to stay with them, and why FSU (who's been not very good this year) has been able to stay with them.

I'm very pessimistic on the odds of us stopping their offense. But their Pass D is pretty damn poor, and we CAN exploit that.

[RepoMan]

We do not have a very good run defense, and Ga Tech is a running machine. They will score, and they will have long drives.

To win, we will need to have a big passing game. Look at the box score for the Wake v Ga Tech game. Wake had almost no rushing yards. That is the blueprint for us.

Early lead helps if possible. Ga Tech is not built for overcoming a defecit quickly. And, we have to capitalize on scoring opposrtunites--TDs, not FGs, in the red zone. Va Tech failed to do this, and that is why they lost to Ga Tech

[sandinmyshoes]

Tech will be a lot more difficult to defend, but also easier to score against.

I don't know that we will win the game, but I'm keeping my eye on what we've accomplished so far. I think we may be a bit ahead of schedule even in Coach Cut's opinion.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I wonder if against UNC the Blue Devils played a bit too much against the shirt and not the player. I think that against GT it will be just another team. This is not to disrespect the Yellow Jackets, but beating the Heels means a lot to the Devils in a way that beating the Jackets does not. I think we will play looser, better, and more effectively. I know one shouldn't look ahead, but next season I think the UNC game will have a different feel. It will be at home, the Devils will have another year to gain strength (look at how many of those linemen were underclassmen for the Devils) and even more recruits will be wearing the right shade of Blue (in spite of the Tar Heels wanting to emulate our colors on the grid-iron.).

GO TO HELL CAROLINA!!!!!

BEAT TECH!!

GO DUKE!

[CameronBornAndBred]

I wish they'd hurry up and announce the time. Puhleeeez no nooner!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I wish they'd hurry up and announce the time. Puhleeeez no nooner!

Amen, brother! Let somebody else have that honor.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I wish they'd hurry up and announce the time. Puhleeeez no nooner!

AAARRGGHHHHH!!!!! Damn you football gods! It's set for noon. ESPN2

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

AAARRGGHHHHH!!!!! Damn you football gods! It's set for noon. ESPN2

Interesting how many ACC games will be at noon next weekend.

[CameronBornAndBred]

At least it's on a real channel, but hopefully everyone who can be there will be there!

[wolfpackdevil]

I don't know why people are complaining about the game being at noon.

When was the last time Duke played on ESPN2!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Greg_Newton]

We do not have a very good run defense, and Ga Tech is a running machine. They will score, and they will have long drives.

To win, we will need to have a big passing game. Look at the box score for the Wake v Ga Tech game. Wake had almost no rushing yards. That is the blueprint for us.

Early lead helps if possible. Ga Tech is not built for overcoming a defecit quickly. And, we have to capitalize on scoring opposrtunites--TDs, not FGs, in the red zone. Va Tech failed to do this, and that is why they lost to Ga Tech

I think the one thing that may work in our favor (besides their pass defense) is that our defense, while undersized, seems to be very disciplined and good at making open field tackles. We seem to struggle most against big, physical backs (Jackson, Houston) that just pound it up the middle over and over. I would rather face an option team than a power running team...

[Bob Green]

I don't know why people are complaining about the game being at noon.

For me, noon equals 2 am Sunday morning and that is an early reveille. In my youth I would have just stayed up all night.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I don't know why people are complaining about the game being at noon.

Because the Brunchgate will be that much shorter. Tailgating is more fun when we get to do it all day long.