FB: Duke 45, Virginia Tech 10

[TNTDevil]

At around 8:12 in the third quarter Harris completes a short pass to Durant. Durant breaks a tackle, picks up a first and then some only to be pushed out of bounds* by VPI's Conner. The ESPN feed I was provided never aired a replay of Durant stepping OOB. Duke was in hurry up so they cut back to Duke lining up when the play-by-play man exclaimed "OH MY", completely out of context for the action on the field, at the same time he color guy sorta stammered. Not to go Zapuder film here but -- I'm not convinced Mataeo stepped out. Had the whistle not blown, he scores.

Did anybody else get a feed with an angle that will prove me wrong?

No biggie either way. But, it's weird we didn't get a second look at the end of the play.

[Devilwin]

Hate to be negative, but if we didn’t have Bama and ND on the schedule there’s a chance we could go to a pretty elite bowl game. Instead we’ll be lucky to go 6-6.

I think 8-4 would be about right...Maybe better. Hell, we are halfway to six already.

[BigWayne]

Austin Parker was the star of special teams tonight, of course. And AJ Reed is quietly resurrecting his college career. It's early, but being able to count on Reed would be huge for us. Horace Blackwell is showing nice potential as a return man, too.

Keep it up, guys!

I think Reed out tackled Parker though. I don't recall ever seeing a game where three return guys were tackled by the kicker/punter.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Possible that our offense is really bad.

This comment aged well...

When we started to bounce back, I decided my comments weren't helping.

Great 3 quarters of football. Really inspiring. Looked like we were going to get smacked around all night, then we started doing the smacking.

[BigWayne]

that's a bit pessimistic, given we still have GT and UNC who are tossups at worst, and UVA cuse, wake and Pitt who aren't much better.

Miami and ND are the only 2 that I don't think we have a particularly good shot at.

I'd say 6-6 would be about the expected finish for this team at this point. We'll see what sagarin says after this weekend.

Before last night's game, ESPN FPI had us going 6-6. Now it is saying we are probable victors in all but the ND and UVa games. I think your choice of Miami and ND as the best candidates for defeats is correct as I believe FPI over weights home field. VT is now projected to go 4-8 by FPI.

[CameronBlue]

At around 8:12 in the third quarter Harris completes a short pass to Durant. Durant breaks a tackle, picks up a first and then some only to be pushed out of bounds* by VPI's Conner. The ESPN feed I was provided never aired a replay of Durant stepping OOB. Duke was in hurry up so they cut back to Duke lining up when the play-by-play man exclaimed "OH MY", completely out of context for the action on the field, at the same time he color guy sorta stammered. Not to go Zapuder film here but -- I'm not convinced Mataeo stepped out. Had the whistle not blown, he scores.

Did anybody else get a feed with an angle that will prove me wrong?

No biggie either way. But, it's weird we didn't get a second look at the end of the play.

Shhh...hey buddy, c'mere, grassy knoll pass it on!

[Bob Green]

Miami and ND are the only 2 that I don't think we have a particularly good shot at.

Miami hasn't looked all that impressive to date. They played Florida tough but lost to UNC and beat Central Michigan 17-12. CMU is Sagarin #116.

Horace Blackwell is showing nice potential as a return man, too.

Josh Blackwell.

[arnie]

Hate to be negative, but if we didn’t have Bama and ND on the schedule there’s a chance we could go to a pretty elite bowl game. Instead we’ll be lucky to go 6-6.

I thought we could finish 7-5 before season started and still believe that. Wins over GaT and Cheats likely😀 and then 2 more in “tossup” type games. Don’t we always beat WF😡

[CameronBlue]

... ordered by point differential

+35 @VT 2019 (21 point 2nd quarter)
+03 @VT 2013 (Connette's first down)
+02 @VT 2015 (4 OT; Sirk for 2)
--------------------------
-01 VT 2014 (the laces weren't straight)
-03 VT 2016
-04 VT 2011
-08 VT 2009 (Tyrod Taylor)
-11 @VT 2008 (Asack game)
-17 VT 2018
-21 @VT 2012 (Duke up 20-0)
-21 @VT 2017
-37 @VT 2010

Duke's domination in virtually every phase of the game is the key takeaway. A program win.

[Bob Green]

Jim Sumner recap article:

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...avid-cutcliffe

Quansah and Harris were the keys to the win.

Quansah ended the game with 13 tackles and the two biggest defensive plays of the game.

Harris hit 20-of-27 passes for 163 yards, two touchdown passes--both to Gray--and added 100 rushing yards and a rushing TD.

And directed an offense that did not turn it over.

I'm hopeful we get good news on the Brittain Brown injury this coming week.

[OldPhiKap]

Jim Sumner recap article:

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...avid-cutcliffe



I'm hopeful we get good news on the Brittain Brown injury this coming week.

Since Duke produced Danny Dimes, does that make QH Quentin Quarter?

[Bob Green]

VT site recap:

https://www.techlunchpail.com/blog/d...nia-tech-45-10

David Cutcliffe adapted going to a 5-wide formation early in the second quarter that ignited the Duke offense and launched the Blue Devils to a rout of the Hokies.

[wsb3]

Jim Sumner recap article:

https://www.dukebasketballreport.com...avid-cutcliffe

Well said by Jim. That first quarter we were fortunate to be down 3-0. I will confess to not be confident. After the initial qurter I met an old school friend for a beer about ten minutes away & by the time we sat down ordered a beer I look at the TV screen and it is 14-3.

Key basketball signing and one of the most convincing Duke football wins I can recall. It was a good day to be a Duke fan.

[killerleft]

Miami hasn't looked all that impressive to date. They played Florida tough but lost to UNC and beat Central Michigan 17-12. CMU is Sagarin #116.



Josh Blackwell.

I know better than to trust my ears after I take the hearing aids out. Thanks, Bob.

[Bob Green]

Steve Wiseman analysis at the N&O:

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...235564012.html

If the maturity that allowed Duke to use an opening to create momentum that led to a surprising blowout on Friday night continues to lead this team, the Blue Devils could very well contend in the Coastal Division.

[budwom]

I find it hard to recall any other game where the momentum change was so immediate and complete.

My thought as well, having watched 50+ years of Duke football. Looked like a debacle (at least offensively) in the first quarter.

And had you told me pre game all of our wide receivers would combine for seven catches and a mere 40 yards, I would have expected a loss by 20+ points. Almost disorienting.

I wonder if Parker did that fake punt on his own (and might Cutcliffe have told that to the VT coach post game? just speculation...)

[loran16]

So finally able to post thoughts. One interesting thing to me was how unimpressive a performance receiving it was from our wide receivers, who have been the pleasant surprise of this season so far (not counting Calhoun's pass here guys). Bobo had two catches which was good to see, but Calhoun and Young for example were unimpressive and Pancol and Bracey didn't have a single target (Harding had one which he couldn't hold onto for a TD). Part of that was gameplan I think - Q basically didn't go deep all game, and I suspect on film you'd see that the WRs were being well covered by VT's corners and safeties.

Which of course didn't matter, because of the other guys - Durant, Jackson and of course Noah Gray - picking up the slack by exposing mismatches in pass coverage. Gray reminds me a ton of Braxton Deaver, which is awesome, and it's nice for Q to have a guy he can throw as a safety valve, because DJ didn't have one last year at all. Still, figure against future opponents, Gray will be a bigger priority for coverage, so those WRs will need to step up and break free. Never needed here naturally.

Next week against Pitt should be telling, not least because Duke-Pitt games have trended towards weird. Win that, and the dream of the coastal is only a UVA win away from likely reality.

[Devilwin]

I thought we could finish 7-5 before season started and still believe that. Wins over GaT and Cheats likely😀 and then 2 more in “tossup” type games. Don’t we always beat WF😡

No. Wake beat us bad last year, real bad at WW.

[OldPhiKap]

I wonder if Parker did that fake punt on his own

Coach said that read is always on for sweep punts. Parker read it and took it.

[Bob Green]

No. Wake beat us bad last year, real bad at WW.

Me thinks you need to calibrate your sarcasm meter.