Shouldn't Duke strong safety Darius Clark be a little more worried? Fourth-ranked Florida State is coming to Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday, and the Seminoles are bringing the Atlantic Coast Conference's top wide-receiver duo with them.
Sophomore Peter Warrick leads the ACC in yards per game, and teammate E.G. Green set a Seminole record in last week's 47-0 thrashing of Miami when he caught a pass in his 31st consecutive game. Warrick's highlight-reel grabs and silky moves have defensive backs around the conference reaching for bottles of Maalox.
But Clark, a sophomore who made his collegiate debut last year in a 44-7 loss last year at Tallahassee, doesn't appear to be losing any sleep over Saturday's matchup. In fact, he seems downright thrilled to see Warrick.
How can that be?
The answer: Clark and Warrick have been playing against each other since they were kids growing up in Bradenton, Fla. Warrick's success and newfound stardom come as no surprise to Clark.
"Peter's been making those plays since he was nine and 10 years old, playing option quarterback for the Bradenton Broncos [youth team]," Clark said. "We've had many run-ins throughout my football career. It's always been a challenge when we've met head-to-head."
A challenge, indeed. Warrick has 21 catches for 410 yards in the Seminoles' first four games, and he has found the end zone five times already. Warrick terrorized Clemson two weeks ago, racking up eight catches for 249 yards.
Not to be forgotten, Green has 15 grabs and three touchdowns of his own.
"Those guys are good, man," Duke wide receiver Corey Thomas said with admiration. "Those are the type of players you measure yourself up to. I saw some of the catches Warrick and Green made against Clemson-man, they're pretty awesome.... Those guys are amazing."
But Clark doesn't seem ready raise any white flags. When asked if Duke could do what no team has done thus far-shut down Warrick and the No. 4 passing offense in the nation-Clark narrowed his gaze and lowered his voice.
"Yes it can be done, and we're just looking to shock the world," he said boldly. "We just need to make every read right, make every block and make every tackle and good things will happen.... When we play at the top of our game, nobody can really play with us."
Last year, Clark vs. Warrick was hardly a showdown. Clark was a nervous freshmen playing in his first game, and Warrick was just another receiver on Florida State's massive depth chart. This time around, Warrick is senior quarterback Thad Busby's number one target. Clark knows it will be a bit tougher than when the two squared off in a junior high championship game.
"[One of] the most memorable times that I have, is when I was 14 and we played in the [little league] Super Bowl against the Bradenton Broncos," Clark said. "I played for the Tampa Eagles, and I was a running back then. [Warrick] played quarterback. I remember I scored four touchdowns in that game and we beat them 24-6. That's one of the favorite trophies I have."
Six years later, Clark is the starting strong safety at Duke. It's a long way from Bradenton, where he played not only running back, but also spent time at wide receiver, kicker and punter.
Unlike many Florida high school stars, Clark chose not to play for one of the big three: Florida, Florida State or Miami. Recruited by Duke coach and Florida native Fred Goldsmith, Clark passed up his other top choice, Syracuse, to play for the Blue Devils. The annual meeting with the Seminoles is always a special one.
"It's one of the biggest games of the year for me because I'm playing against people I've been playing against all my life," Clark said. "A lot of times after the game, guys come up to me and say, 'Why aren't you here? Why aren't you playing with us?'"
That kind of questioning is satisfying to Clark, who clearly wants to prove that he can compete on the same level with boyhood friends like Warrick, even if he doesn't have the luxury of playing in the national spotlight every week. A shot at the No. 4 team in the nation-and an old rival across the line of scrimmage-is enough to make even a self-professed non-trash-talker get excited.
"I know in certain coverages, I'll have to cover him and we'll probably be out there talking a little noise like we used to," Clark said. "We really don't talk that much, but if I know you I'm going to try to rub it in and mess with you a little bit and let you know I'm there. I love playing this game, and it's all about having fun."
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