There is not much positive to say about an 0-11 season. So it comes as no surprised that as they prepare for the 2001 season, Duke's receivers are committed to putting last year behind them, while learning from past mistakes.
"We can't dwell on it," Reggie Love said. "But we can't forget it either. There were games that we were close to winning, but little plays here and there cost us the game. You have to keep that in mind. That's what provides the motivation."
In the case of the receivers, the "little plays" were dropped balls, lots of them.
"It was frustrating, putting balls where they needed to be," quarterback D. Bryant said. "You know, balls hitting receivers in the chest and then dropping it."
The coaching staff shared Bryant's frustration.
"It was astronomical compared to what you'd expect," coach Carl Franks said. "It was embarrassing at times, the number of passes we dropped."
But the word out of the Duke camp is that a year has made a world of difference.
Rather then shy away from the passing game, the improvement of the receiving core since last season has led Franks to install a game plan that will feature multiple three and four receiver sets.
"They seem to have a better grasp of some of the passing schemes we're doing," Franks said. "They're
This season the Blue Devils will be led by senior Kyle Moore, sophomore Reggie Love and senior Ben Erdeljac.
Moore, a legitimate deep threat, led the Blue Devils with three touchdowns last season.
Duke hopes his speed will help open the field up, and provide more scoring punch.
Moore should also play a key role in special teams. During his junior season he led the conference with a whopping 25.8 yards per return average. That total ranked Moore ninth nationally. This year, he believes the special teams will perform better.
"Special teams is the turning point in the game," Moore said. "I hope I can get the momentum swinging in our direction. We've got some great new returns put in. We didn't score once last year, and that's definitely going to be our goal every time we step on the field."
Love enters the season as the celebrity on the team. The sophomore served as a reserve on the National Championship winning men's basketball team. But Franks and the Blue Devils are far more interested in Love for what he can do on the football field.
Love stands 6-foot-four, and weighs 226 pounds. That size,
"If the coaches want me to be a playmaker type of guy, then that's what I'm going to try to be," Love said. "If they want me to go out there and block so we can get 20 or 25 rushes a game for 200 yards, then that's the plan. I just want to do my assignments to the best of my ability to give my team a chance to win."
Erdeljac brings consistency to the offense. He tied tight end Mike Hart for the team lead in receptions with 31, and had a team high 95 yards receiving in the Spring Game. Assuming Erdeljac can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in his Duke career, he should play a significant role in the passing game.
The passing game features an unusual amount of depth this season as Khary Sharpe, Senterrio Landrum and Jeremy Battier all figure to make sizeable contributions to the passing game.
Sharpe, among the fastest members of the team, returns to the Blue Devils after missing most of last season with a knee injury.
"The knee is excellent," he said. "I don't even notice it was ever hurt. It hasn't bothered me at all."
Sharpe's performance this spring supports his argument. The redshirt freshman was named most improved wide receiver after spring practice.
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