2012 Duke Football

[TruBlu]

After the game in Tampa, some Wisconsin fans were giving my group some friendly ribbing. My only response was to tell them that while they may have won the game, it was the middle of winter, and they had to go back to Wisconsin.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Agreed, and hats off to you (and others) setting the new foundation!

Thank you! Just as our recruiting may not be like some of the storied programs, there is no reason for our traditions to be like theirs. Duke is unique. It's important to understand what makes us unique and build on the good qualities or features.

[Native]

Great tradition - had no idea they did this.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Great tradition - had no idea they did this.

Cool, but I have to wonder if this tape may make it's way down the road as a motivational tool for next year's game? Talk about bulletin board material...

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Cool, but I have to wonder if this tape may make it's way down the road as a motivational tool for next year's game? Talk about bulletin board material...

This same jersey has been used for the last tackle at least since the the game in Chapel Hill when Marvin Austin beat on Thad Lewis until Thad could hardly stand up. It may have been used prior to that as well. Hard to remember all the details now that we're building up some traditions...

[formerdukeathlete]

Before long, I'm predicting someone will broach the issue of Cut on the hot seat.

4 or more wins this coming season and I think his seat stays cool enough, we hopeful enough, for the eventual turnaround. 6 or more wins and we are pretty much bought into what he is doing, and pretty happy about it. 3 or less wins, if Tom Butters were AD, we'd be looking for the next Spurrier.

[OldPhiKap]

3 or less wins, if Tom Butters were AD, we'd be looking for the next Spurrier.

Tom stood by an unknown basketball coach through several pretty bad years, after having gotten to the final four just a few years prior. I would have to believe he would stick by a proven coach trying to revive a moribund football program.

Just sayin'

[uh_no]

Tom stood by an unknown basketball coach through several pretty bad years, after having gotten to the final four just a few years prior. I would have to believe he would stick by a proven coach trying to revive a moribund football program.

Just sayin'

through 3 very bad years, but then we showed MARKED improvement.

Now, I'm not for torching cut here, quite the opposite, but I think if the season does not show improvement over cut's first 4 (the fact that we were terrible under previous coaches must be laid aside at some point), if cut seems to stagnate, then it may be time to start asking questions, and the answer may be that cut is still the right man for the job, but to not even ask the question wouldn't be doing the team justice.

now if we have 6 wins, this all becomes irrelevent anyway and you can check my sig to see how i feel about that!

[OldPhiKap]

through 3 very bad years, but then we showed MARKED improvement.

Now, I'm not for torching cut here, quite the opposite, but I think if the season does not show improvement over cut's first 4 (the fact that we were terrible under previous coaches must be laid aside at some point), if cut seems to stagnate, then it may be time to start asking questions, and the answer may be that cut is still the right man for the job, but to not even ask the question wouldn't be doing the team justice.

now if we have 6 wins, this all becomes irrelevent anyway and you can check my sig to see how i feel about that!

I think we are on the same page, although you can turn a basketball team around with one or two great players. Football is much harder to build. So I think the timeframe is a bit longer.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I can't remember who it was on Stanford's team who predicted a Stanford whitewashing of Duke....After Duke WON the game rumor has it that Duke fans could be heard screaming joyously from San Francisco's famed cable cars well into the night. "Rip em up, Tear em up, Give 'em Hell Duke" (think that was what was reported as being screamed, ad naseum--guess by some it would be, for me it would be pretty sweet--by the SF Chronicle)

I am not saying Duke is going to beat Stanford. I still think Stanford has too much talent for Duke. However, Mr. Luck is now in the NFL and though they have an amazing line of recruited linemen coming into the program, those kids haven't played in games at the college level yet.

An overly confident Stanford team could be ripe for a loss. It would be a really big win for Duke too because I think we don't do enough recruiting in that part of the country. I know Pac-12 teams pull for one another (or are supposed to), but I have a feeling many a Cal Bear fan would love (and I mean LOVE it) for Duke to pull the upset. They are sick of how the Stanford football program keeps getting (and deservedly so--after all I went to Stanford too, so I know it is deserved (big grin)) all the hype and they wonder how much longer their under-performing (at least when compared to Stanford's) coach will stick around.

GO DUKE!

[formerdukeathlete]

Hi,

I can't remember who it was on Stanford's team who predicted a Stanford whitewashing of Duke....After Duke WON the game rumor has it that Duke fans could be heard screaming joyously from San Francisco's famed cable cars well into the night. "Rip em up, Tear em up, Give 'em Hell Duke" (think that was what was reported as being screamed, ad naseum--guess by some it would be, for me it would be pretty sweet--by the SF Chronicle)

I am not saying Duke is going to beat Stanford. I still think Stanford has too much talent for Duke. However, Mr. Luck is now in the NFL and though they have an amazing line of recruited linemen coming into the program, those kids haven't played in games at the college level yet.

An overly confident Stanford team could be ripe for a loss. It would be a really big win for Duke too because I think we don't do enough recruiting in that part of the country. I know Pac-12 teams pull for one another (or are supposed to), but I have a feeling many a Cal Bear fan would love (and I mean LOVE it) for Duke to pull the upset. They are sick of how the Stanford football program keeps getting (and deservedly so--after all I went to Stanford too, so I know it is deserved (big grin)) all the hype and they wonder how much longer their under-performing (at least when compared to Stanford's) coach will stick around.

GO DUKE!

Beating even the Luck-less Cardinal now would be a pretty huge upset. In the late 60s, into the early to mid 70s, Duke recruited mid-level ACC. We would land, more often than not, I believe, players with Maryland, UVa, Wake Forest offers. Our recuiting classes may have been a bit closer to Stanford's classes at the time in terms of talent. Since Harbaugh was named coach, Stanford has been recruiting off the charts. A win over Stanford would provide a boost for Duke, particularly when going after elite talent with top grades who in choosing Stanford for academics now are turning down offers from many of the top football programs in the country. We could have a legitimate shot at these players, particularly those who are east of the Mississippi river.

[jimsumner]

I think we are on the same page, although you can turn a basketball team around with one or two great players. Football is much harder to build. So I think the timeframe is a bit longer.

There's a huge difference between the job Krzyzewski took in 1980 and the job Cutcliffe took in 2008.

K took over a Duke team that had played in a regional final only a few weeks prior, had spent much of the two previous seasons ranked number one and had played for the national title in 1978. With the exception of Neil McGeachy's 1974 team, even then down years of the 1970s produced teams around
.500.

When K tried to convince guys like Dawkins and Alarie that Duke could become a national power, they knew he was telling the truth because they remembered seeing it happen only a few years earlier.

Cutcliffe, on the other hand, took over a program that had become a national punchline, with a series of winless and one-win seasons. One winning season since Spurrier left in 1989. The people he's recruiting don't remember Duke being nationally competitive because it hasn't happened in their memories.

[Olympic Fan]

Beating even the Luck-less Cardinal now would be a pretty huge upset. In the late 60s, into the early to mid 70s, Duke recruited mid-level ACC. We would land, more often than not, I believe, players with Maryland, UVa, Wake Forest offers. Our recuiting classes may have been a bit closer to Stanford's classes at the time in terms of talent. Since Harbaugh was named coach, Stanford has been recruiting off the charts. A win over Stanford would provide a boost for Duke, particularly when going after elite talent with top grades who in choosing Stanford for academics now are turning down offers from many of the top football programs in the country. We could have a legitimate shot at these players, particularly those who are east of the Mississippi river.

You are right that Duke's program was on a much different level in 1971 when Duke traveled to Palo Alto and defeated Stanford -- but Stanford was as good -- or better -- in '71 as they are now. In 1970, Stanford won the Pac 8 (at the time) and then won the Rose Bowl. The '71 Indians (I believe that was their nickname -- they soon decided was politically incorrect -- got off to a great start in 1971 and were undefeated and ranked No. 10 in the nation when Duke came to town. Don Bunce, the Stanford quarterback, predicted at an early week luncheon that Stanford would beat Duke by something like 42-0.

Well, that was Mike McGee's first Duke team and he inherited a nice veneer of talent from Tom Hart. Although Leo Hart, the best Duke quarterback in history to that point, had graduated after the 1970 season (along with his star WR Wes Chesson), McGee still had a superb defense, a great running back in Steve Jones and an amazing unknown kicker that he had recruioted from the soccer team.

The combination of the great defense, Jones keying the office and Dave Wright's kicking led Duke to a stunning 12-7 victory over Florida in the opener in Tampa. Florida, with All-American QB John Reaves was supposed to be a SEC contender. But they couldn't move against a defense coached by Mike's brother -- Jerry. Jones helped Duke control the ball and Wright kicked four FGs.

The next week, Duke cane home to face No. 19 South Carolina and dominated the Gamecocks, 28-12. The next week Duke went on the road and dominated Virginia 28-0 (although after playing two very good teams, you have to know that Virginia was an ACC patsy in 1971). The next week was the trip to Stanford, but before the game, Jones was hurt in a traffic accident and was unable to make the trip. Even so, the defense was magnificant, singlehandedly outscoring Stanford 6-3 (giving up one field goal, while scoring the game's only TD on an Ernie Jackson interception return). Wright added a long FG and Duke won 9-3.

BTW -- that Stanford team ended up winning another Pac 8 title and then won a second straight Rose Bowl.

But that was the high point ... injuries started to pile up and there just wasn't enough depth to make up for it. Wright was hurt in practice the next week and his absence proved fatal the next week against Clemson -- Duke was inside the Tiger 20 at least half a dozen times, but ended up losing 3-0 because nobody else could kick a field goal and without Jones, the offense had no punch.

McGee started playing his players two ways to try and solve the problem. Jackson, who was having an All-American year at cornerback and as a punt returner, moved to tailback and had some huge days in a win at NC State, a heartbreaking loss to Navy and in trouncing Bobby Bowden's West Virginia team. Ed Newman, who would play a dozen years in the NFL, played offensive line and defensive line. So did Willie Clayton. All-ACC (three times) safety Rich Searl filled in an QB when when starter Dennis Satyshur was hurt.

In the end, they just got too worn down and finished 6-5. But that 4-0 start was memorable -- I know Goldsmoth started 7-0 in his first year at Duke, but considering the qualify of competition -- at Florida, South Carolina and at Stanford -- McGee's start was more impressive.

Unfortunately, that was the high point for his program. His teams were never terrible, but they were almost always middle-of-the-pack ACC. So were, for the most part, SWilson and Sloan's teams in the '80s. It wasn't until the last 15 years or so that Duke football fell off the cliff. Look at the teams in the 1970s and 1980s and see that, with just a couple of brief exceptions, Duke was more mediocre than terrible.

[formerdukeathlete]

You are right that Duke's program was on a much different level in 1971 when Duke traveled to Palo Alto and defeated Stanford -- but Stanford was as good -- or better -- in '71 as they are now. In 1970, Stanford won the Pac 8 (at the time) and then won the Rose Bowl. The '71 Indians (I believe that was their nickname -- they soon decided was politically incorrect -- got off to a great start in 1971 and were undefeated and ranked No. 10 in the nation when Duke came to town. Don Bunce, the Stanford quarterback, predicted at an early week luncheon that Stanford would beat Duke by something like 42-0.

Well, that was Mike McGee's first Duke team and he inherited a nice veneer of talent from Tom Hart. Although Leo Hart, the best Duke quarterback in history to that point, had graduated after the 1970 season (along with his star WR Wes Chesson), McGee still had a superb defense, a great running back in Steve Jones and an amazing unknown kicker that he had recruioted from the soccer team.

The combination of the great defense, Jones keying the office and Dave Wright's kicking led Duke to a stunning 12-7 victory over Florida in the opener in Tampa. Florida, with All-American QB John Reaves was supposed to be a SEC contender. But they couldn't move against a defense coached by Mike's brother -- Jerry. Jones helped Duke control the ball and Wright kicked four FGs.

The next week, Duke cane home to face No. 19 South Carolina and dominated the Gamecocks, 28-12. The next week Duke went on the road and dominated Virginia 28-0 (although after playing two very good teams, you have to know that Virginia was an ACC patsy in 1971). The next week was the trip to Stanford, but before the game, Jones was hurt in a traffic accident and was unable to make the trip. Even so, the defense was magnificant, singlehandedly outscoring Stanford 6-3 (giving up one field goal, while scoring the game's only TD on an Ernie Jackson interception return). Wright added a long FG and Duke won 9-3.

BTW -- that Stanford team ended up winning another Pac 8 title and then won a second straight Rose Bowl.

But that was the high point ... injuries started to pile up and there just wasn't enough depth to make up for it. Wright was hurt in practice the next week and his absence proved fatal the next week against Clemson -- Duke was inside the Tiger 20 at least half a dozen times, but ended up losing 3-0 because nobody else could kick a field goal and without Jones, the offense had no punch.

McGee started playing his players two ways to try and solve the problem. Jackson, who was having an All-American year at cornerback and as a punt returner, moved to tailback and had some huge days in a win at NC State, a heartbreaking loss to Navy and in trouncing Bobby Bowden's West Virginia team. Ed Newman, who would play a dozen years in the NFL, played offensive line and defensive line. So did Willie Clayton. All-ACC (three times) safety Rich Searl filled in an QB when when starter Dennis Satyshur was hurt.

In the end, they just got too worn down and finished 6-5. But that 4-0 start was memorable -- I know Goldsmoth started 7-0 in his first year at Duke, but considering the qualify of competition -- at Florida, South Carolina and at Stanford -- McGee's start was more impressive.

Unfortunately, that was the high point for his program. His teams were never terrible, but they were almost always middle-of-the-pack ACC. So were, for the most part, SWilson and Sloan's teams in the '80s. It wasn't until the last 15 years or so that Duke football fell off the cliff. Look at the teams in the 1970s and 1980s and see that, with just a couple of brief exceptions, Duke was more mediocre than terrible.

Duke never had athletic dorms, but we did have a vibrant Greek system, and for decades ATO and Phi Delt were side by side on the main quad. ATO tended to be 2/3rds Football players and Phi Delt about 1/2. Recruits came on visits and saw that the Football team had desirable housing, good commons rooms in these frats and hosted through these frats some good social gatherings.

Recruiting fell off a cliff (mid 90s) about the time kegs were banned on campus and when ATO and Phi Delt were bumped off the main quad. In fact, I am not sure how well the freshman on East, sophomores on West, juniors in Central, seniors off campus works for recruiting. I think Freshman on East also hurt recruiting somewhat. Recruiting had gotten so bad that Nan acknowledged the need to do something and OKed fundraising for Yoh.

[Jim3k]

I went to Tampa for the Hall of Fame Bowl. I was struck by how the Wisconsin folks really knew how to tailgate, while we mainly had a tent with folks drinking cocktails before the game. This bowl, we need a big and committed turn-out.

Yeah, the Johnsonville Sausage people had a pavilion that made an impressive presentation. I've been buying their Italian Sweets ever since (great for lasagna). Also their other sausages on a more ad hoc basis.

[OldPhiKap]

Yeah, the Johnsonville Sausage people had a pavilion that made an impressive presentation. I've been buying their Italian Sweets ever since (great for lasagna). Also their other sausages on a more ad hoc basis.

I went to Busch Gardens the day before the game, and there were THOUSANDS of folks walking around in their red Wisconsin shirts/blouses. At least it sure seemed that way.

[Dev11]

In fact, I am not sure how well the freshman on East, sophomores on West, juniors in Central, seniors off campus works for recruiting. I think Freshman on East also hurt recruiting somewhat. Recruiting had gotten so bad that Nan acknowledged the need to do something and OKed fundraising for Yoh.

As long as the host can point the recruit to Shooter's and Cosmic, we always have a fighting chance.

[Scorp4me]

Recruiting fell off a cliff (mid 90s) about the time kegs were banned on campus and when ATO and Phi Delt were bumped off the main quad.

Who knew frat guys getting drunk was so important to football recruiting.

[Kewlswim]

Who knew frat guys getting drunk was so important to football recruiting.

Hi,

Were you joking or being serious here? Football recruiting went down, I think, because we weren't winning and we were just not getting good coaching.

GO DUKE!

[OldPhiKap]

Who knew frat guys getting drunk was so important to football recruiting.

It's the circle of life. "Zenyatta Mondatta" or something like that.