When the Duke football team hits Bobby Dodd/Grant Field at high noon tomorrow, Atlantans will see a game featuring two teams going in entirely different directions.
Georgia Tech is riding a wave of momentum following a 52-20 lashing of Wake Forest. Conversely, the Blue Devils (0-6, 0-3 in the ACC) return to the gridiron after a 63-14 thrashing at the hands of Florida State last weekend and figure to be heavy underdogs again in Atlanta.
"A lot of our young guys learned to handle the adversity and pressure that a team like FSU puts on you," Duke coach Carl Franks said. "I think our guys will bounce back. Big losses like that are easier to get out of the way than the real heartbreakers."
Nevertheless, the Yellow Jackets must guard against complacency when taking on the Blue Devils this weekend. To Duke's credit, its opponents thus far have amassed a strong 28-12 overall record, while the remainder of its competition has merely a combined 14-16 mark.
"Their schedule was top-heavy, and those are the things you have to look at," Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary said. "Our team needs to understand that on any given Saturday, you need to go out and play. You see upsets throughout the country because I think everyone has skilled athletes. What separates them is the turnovers, penalties, special teams and field position."
In fairness, what has separated the Blue Devils from virtually the rest of Division I football has been their continued inability to move the ball downfield. Senior punter Brian Morton has received so much media exposure this season not only because he has an exceptional foot, but also because he has received an inordinate amount of opportunities to show off his skill.
So far, the Blue Devils have been stuck in a self-defeating cycle, with the offense stalling quickly and yielding strong field position to the opponent. This has placed a massive strain on an already-beleaguered defensive squad, forcing inexperienced starter D. Bryant to face some precarious situations.
"We're trying to help D.," Franks said. "He has some lapses of concentration, but he's coming along pretty well though. We're going to give him the formations and plays that will give him the chance to run the offense better."
Despite all the negativity, Duke has demonstrated some signs of improvement in recent weeks.
First, redshirt freshman Chris Douglas had another impressive outing last weekend with an 88-yard rushing performance against FSU, including a 40-yard touchdown march. Also unearthed beneath the rubble in Tallahassee was junior Ronnie Hamilton's 10 tackles and 88-yard punt-return touchdown, making him the ACC specialist of the week.
While Duke can boast a mere handful of positives, the Yellow Jackets have exceeded expectations virtually across the board this year.
"I think we are improving each week as we are establishing more of the line of scrimmage," O'Leary said. "In the running game, we utilized more people with the ball in their hands to keep people fresh. As your running game improves, your play-action improves."
Mixing up the Yellow Jackets' offense is the three-pronged rushing attack of Joe Burns, Sean Gregory and Sidney Ford. The last three games, they have combined to average 173 yards on the ground.
Georgia Tech's defense, however, has the potential to be exploited. Its pass defense ranks dead last in the ACC. Luckily for the Yellow Jackets, so does Duke's passing offense.
That last statistic sums up Saturday's matchup: Georgia Tech has a lot of holes that opponents can take advantage of, but the Blue Devils have not yet proven they have the ability to fill them.
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