Music City melee: Commodores cruise by Blue Devils

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tired and battered, weary from an evening of sidestepping defensive linemen rather than stepping in pace with his coach on the sideline, Duke's quarterback of the future emerged from the locker room after another discouraging loss having experienced a new sensation. Pain. Bruised, achy, his gait slowed a little by the stiffness of his joints, D. Bryant met with the media Saturday night after the longest playing stint of his college career, a 22-minute display of both flashy athleticism and sophomore inexperience. But as the soft-spoken heir-apparent to the helm of Duke's offense talked about the first game he ever led his team in both yards passing and passes attempted, he wasn't concerned with the bumps and the bruises. He was merely savoring the tender burn that can only result from working out muscles and exerting energy that in recent years have gone untapped. "I told [quarterbacks coach Ben] Bennett that I haven't been sore in two and a half years," Bryant said with a grin draped across his face. "It's a good feeling." Right from the beginning Saturday, the inexperienced Blue Devil passer was tossed straight into the proverbial frying pan. On his first play, Bryant pitched the ball to senior running back Duane Epperson, who handed it to wide receiver Kyle Moore on an attempted reverse. Moore was smothered in the backfield for a 10-yard loss and a personal foul penalty was tacked onto the end of the play, backing Bryant and the Blue Devils into a second-and-32 situation from their own 11-yard line. But, demonstrating poise beyond his years and certainly beyond his experience level, D. responded. After a 10-yard run by Epperson, Bryant nailed tight end Mike Hart with a spiral pass for a 17-yard gain, longer than any pass completed by either starter Spencer Romine or backup Bobby Campbell. It wasn't enough for a first down, but Bryant's sheer athleticism was enough to make a favorable impression in the Duke huddle. "He is only a sophomore, but he plays like a senior," wide receiver Nic Hartofilis said. "He has tremendous confidence and I think that's why he is going to be great in the future." There were times, however, when the sophomore reacted much more like the quarterback who had never seen significant playing time than someone who was prepared to inherit the team's offense, present or future. On his third series, Bryant's first pass to Hartofilis was nearly intercepted and his next one was thrown away after heavy pressure collapsed through the offensive line. One play later, Vanderbilt's Jonathan Shaub broke on a telepathed throw by Bryant for Vandy's second interception of the game. When a dejected Bryant returned to the Blue Devils' sideline, his coach only had one question for him. "After the interception, I asked him, 'I bet you looked at [one receiver] all the way, didn't you?'" an exasperated Carl Franks said. "'You didn't even think about looking at anybody else?'" Bryant's reply, a one-syllable admission of guilt, told the story of a quarterback experiencing more than a few growing pains during a 5-of-15 performance. "I said, 'When you're looking at him, the defense is looking at you look at him.... You can't watch one guy the whole time,'" Franks said. But it wouldn't have been classic D. Bryant if there hadn't been a few ups to go with the downs. On Duke's very next possession, Bryant tossed consecutive completions and then flared his fancy footwork by running the option to the right side of the field for 12 yards and another first down. Two plays later, the quarterback who was mentioned interchangeably with "getting more experience" Saturday experienced something that none of his teammates can relate to this season-he threw a touchdown pass. A 26-yard floating strike down the middle of the field to Hartofilis ended a four-quarter scoring drought for the Blue Devils and credited the team its first passing score of the season. Yet, like everything he does, that one play encapsulated both all that is good and all that needs improvement with D. Bryant the quarterback. Lined up without a safety in the middle of the field, Vanderbilt dared D. to throw it to his slot receiver twice in a row. The first time, Bryant didn't even recognize the defensive formation and instead threw incomplete for Moore on a flag route. Fearful his young quarterback would again miss the formation and fail to make the correct audible, Franks didn't take a chance and radioed in from the sideline on the next play. Result: Franks' call and Bryant's arm equals a wide open Hartofilis in the endzone. "It should have been a call that I made as far as an audible...," said Bryant, who admitted he has yet to master the intricacies of Franks' offense. "I happened to watch the Florida game today and I watched how the Florida quarterback knew the offense back-and-forth, in-and-out. I hope some day, before we start next year, I'll know it like that. I'm just waiting for things to click right now." And so is everyone else. Notes: During Saturday's home game against Clemson, the athletic department will be giving away four prizes to randomly selected fans in attendance. The prizes include: two ACC basketball tournament tickets; two roundtrip tickets on Delta Airlines anywhere in the 48 United States; a $500 shopping spree to South Square mall; and dinner for four at George's Garage.