The winless Duke football team is more confident than ever to end its losing streak, the longest in the country, as it prepares to face Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium.
"I think the whole team's outlook for this game is now or never," linebacker Ryan Fowler said. "This is probably our best chance of the year to win.
"It's now just clicking in everybody's head that it's go time. I think people are starting to realize what has to be done."
Winless in 19 games, the team is as hungry for a win as it has ever been.
"There are no words to explain how important it is to win one game," defensive end Charles Porter said. "Everybody wants to win. We want to win, our fans want to win, our friends want to win. That's what we're concentrating on."
Running back Chris Douglas, who recorded his 1,000th career rushing yard against Maryland last week, feels that there has been a different attitude in practice going into this week, one that he hopes will carry over into the game.
"The intensity is here," Douglas said. "We're ready to play. We feel like this is the week."
With all this enthusiasm for Duke to get its first win, coach Carl Franks reminds everyone that this is a big game for Vanderbilt as well.
"It's going to be one heck of a football game," Franks said. "I guarantee you Vanderbilt feels the exact same way, and there's no reason they shouldn't. We better make sure we know what we're going to do, and come out with some intensity. I guarantee Vanderbilt is looking at this [game] as one they can win."
Vanderbilt has a very strong offense, which is ranked fifth in the lethally strong Southeastern Conference. The Commodores' attack, however, is not option-oriented, an offensive style which tore Duke apart last week in its 59-17 loss to Maryland last weekend.
"They might put [the option] in after last week." Franks half-jokingly said. "But they have enough misdirection stuff that they'll probably just stick with their plan."
The 1-5 Commodores are not taking Duke lightly, despite its losing streak.
"Duke is a team that will do anything to win-I am sure of that," Vanderbilt coach Woody Widenhofer said. "They haven't won a game in a long time, and I do know that we have to get a whole lot better this week to go down there and beat Duke."
Vanderbilt's sole win of the season came against Richmond. But a win is a win, and Duke is searching for one of its own. The Blue Devils are poised to get it.
"Watching film today, I feel as though we have a great opportunity ahead of us this weekend," Porter said. "We go into each game thinking we have the opportunity to win, but Vanderbilt especially. I think we match up well against them."
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