For four of the past five seasons, the football team1s season has opened with a familiar refrainDa blowout loss to Florida State.
A few weeks ago this year1s debut looked much friendlier. That is, until N.C. State went out last Saturday on the road and took down the 13th-ranked team in the country.
Duke kicks off the 1997 season Saturday at 7 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium against the suddenly rejuvenated Wolfpack.
3We obviously have a very formidable opponent, one that I thought should have been in the top-25 in everyone1s poll [this week],2 Duke coach Fred Goldsmith said. 3They1re maybe the hardest team to prepare for on our schedule, as far as their offense. They1ve been together a long time with the same coaches, so they can come up with a wrinkle here, a wrinkle there. They always can attack your weakness.2
Before traveling to Syracuse last weekend, N.C. State (1-0) was in much the same position as Duke is now. Coming off a 3-8 season and a sixth-place finish in the conference, the Wolfpack entered 197 with a lot of question marks.
Many were answered against the Orangemen. N.C. State, led by the play of quarterback Jamie Barnette, shook off its status as a 25-point underdog and overcame Syracuse in overtime, 32-31.
3There were only a few of us that thought State was going to win going in, and I was one of them,2 Goldsmith said. 3We1re very impressed with them as a football team.2
Despite an off day for tailback Tremayne Stephens, the Wolfpack rallied from an early 14-0 hole and won the game when, in overtime, coach Mike O1Cain decided to attempt a two-point conversion for the win. Barnette, who threw for 279 yards, found flanker Torry Holt for the conversion and the upset win.
3We1re a team,2 Barnette said. 3We worked hard this summer. Our love for one another wouldn1t let us down.2
Now it1s the Blue Devils1 turn to demonstrate how much they1ve progressed from last season to this one. From the 196 0-11 squad, Duke returns 19 starters, nine each on offense and defense along with kicker Sims Lenhardt.
Beginning on Saturday, those 19 starters and the rest of the returning veterans will look to prove that their experience has made a difference.
3As a football team we1re better,2 Goldsmith said. 3We have to have some guys come through at question mark positions for us to have better results.2
One of those question marks is at quarterback. Goldsmith has looked at four players during the preseason, though it appears redshirt freshman Bobby Campbell has the edge over Spencer Romine and injured senior Dave Green. Goldsmith said that only his team will know who the starter is before kickoff.
Whomever the quarterback is, he1ll be joining an offense that expects to improve after a shaky 1996. Both the Blue Devils1 offense and defense will likely look quite differently against the Wolfpack than it did a year ago. A big reason is confidence.
3Last year I don1t think we respected each other on the field because we were looking for each other to make big plays instead of looking to ourselves,2 sophomore split end Scottie Montgomery said. 3This year I think you can see we have confidence in each other, and we1re not just expecting to get by. We1re looking to make the big plays.
3I don1t think any team that went through what we did last year can expect to just jump on the field and have everything happen right. I think our offense is a lot better than it was last year in the preseason. We1re all looking to make big plays now.2
All the big plays in last year1s contest between the two teams were made by the Wolfpack. N.C. State scored a season-high 44 points in their 44-22 trouncing of Duke at Carter-Finley Stadium. Fullback Carlos King, now a senior, ran for 89 yards and caught two passes, including a 64-yarder.
Though the Blue Devils have dropped the last three games in the series, the last five in Wallace Wade have been decided by an average of just 3.2 points.
3We know what we have to do,2 Montgomery said. 3We have to go in playing to our best abilities. We know we can1t play mediocre at any time to win the game.
3They overcame adversity last week, and hopefully we1ll be able to do the same thing this week.2
Particularly in light of N.C. State1s shocking win, the Blue Devils realize that their opponent will be soaring with confidence. And, a week after playing a top-20 team, it appears the Wolfpack won1t be overlooking an unproven Duke squad.
3They1re going to be ready for usDthey always are,2 Barnette said. 3You can1t look at past records and stuff like that. Look at us. We didn1t do very much last year or the year before. But we1ve got a good team this year that1s opening some eyes.2
Duke hopes to be saying the same about themselves after Saturday1s game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.