A freshman leader and a supportive fan base were nearly enough to secure Duke's first win of the season against Miami Saturday. Although the Blue Devils are still sporting a zero in the win column, they certainly gave the crowd something to cheer for.
Down 17-0 at the half to a depleted Miami team, it looked as though Duke had found another way to lose. With three seconds left in the game, however, just six yards separated the Blue Devils from upsetting the Hurricanes in what would have been the biggest win in recent school history.
Before throwing an interception on the final play, Thaddeus Lewis conducted a successful two-minute drill that moved Duke 83 yards down the field to put the offense in position for the win. This came after he orchestrated two earlier fourth-quarter drives for touchdowns to bring the Blue Devils within range of their elusive first victory.
"He has certainly, from the day he got here, exhibited his leadership potential," head coach Ted Roof said. "That's what you want out of your quarterback, regardless if he's a freshman or a senior or anything in between. But particularly for a freshman, that's a big step and I'm proud of him."
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After several dropped catches by receivers earlier in the game, Lewis said he was telling his receivers to be resilient and focused while on the sidelines between drives. In the final huddle of the game, he called the play, and then he offered his teammates some final words of encouragement.
"I told them to give it all they had," Lewis said. "As long as you can look yourself in the mirror and say you gave 100 percent and you're satisfied with your performance, then I'm satisfied with your performance.
"I basically just encouraged them to keep going, keep fighting," he added. "As long as you keep at it, I'm proud of your effort."
In the fourth quarter, the defense allowed Miami to run just 11 plays for 38 yards while the offense produced 14 points on 217 yards. As the players came on and off the field, each squad fed off the other's success, linebacker Codey Lowe said.
"It's unbelievable how much motivation they give us and we give them," he said. "We're always talking to Thad and the offensive line, telling them, 'Come on guys, keep going. We'll take care of you on the other side.' They do the same for us. They're like, 'We're going to put it in the end zone.' It's probably one of the best groups of guys I've ever been around to keep on motivating each other."
As the Blue Devils cheered each other on, Wallace Wade Stadium's normally dormant cheering section was alive for the first time in recent memory. Chants of 'Let's go, Duke!' and 'Here we go, Devils!' inspired the team during its comeback quest.
"It gets your adrenaline running," Lowe said about the crowd's participation. "It gets you pumped up and ready to play. It's a feeling I probably can't explain very well, but you just excited and the guys around you get excited, and that just adds to it."
During Duke's fourth quarter tear, players were regularly seen egging on the crowd and trying to increase the fans' involvement. The crowd's energy was like a 12th man for Duke, which translated the absorbed excitement into successful plays, running back Re'quan Boyette said.
The Blue Devils are resilient despite their winless start but certainly not satisfied. Lewis said Duke remains convinced that it can compete with any team in the nation if it can simply eliminate its mistakes. The young quarterback hopes to lead the Blue Devils to a successful remainder of the season by doing his part to keep the team united.
"We're all brothers' keepers in that locker room," Lewis said. "We just keep together and close-keep fighting, and don't give up."
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