If Duke's 20-game losing streak is a drought, then Duke head coach Ted Roof and his team are dying to slake their thirst with a win in Saturday's season opener against Connecticut.
"When you have a team that hasn't won much, you're like a thirsty man walking through the desert," Roof said. "You're looking for water, and we're certainly looking for that. The goal for our program is to win the next game."
When the Blue Devils line up for their 2 p.m. matchup against the Huskies at Wallace Wade Stadium, they will be searching for their first win since a 40-14 victory over Division I-AA VMI in 2005.
A win Saturday would also be Duke's first season-opening victory since a 23-16 win over East Carolina in 2002. That win snapped Duke's school record 23-game losing streak, and senior defensive lineman Patrick Bailey knows that snapping the current slide would be a major shot in the arm on the eve of the 2007 campaign.
"It'd be a huge boost of additional morale," he said. "This summer, I was watching baseball, seeing how Barry Bonds was just struggling to get that home run record. But once he got it, the next couple of nights it was just, 'Bam, Bam Bam,' with home run after home run. Once you get over that hump, it just makes it a lot easier. Once we get that win, I think it will help propel us to greater things."
Bailey and the Blue Devils' goal, however, will be complicated by the absence of junior linebacker Mike Tauiliili, who was suspended for one game after being arrested for driving while impaired, gun charges and simple assault Aug. 4. Tauiliili led the Duke defense with 94 tackles in 2006, and has started in the middle of the Blue Devil defense since his second collegiate game
Although Tauiliili is expected back for next weekend's conference opener at Virginia, the burden of replacing him on Saturday will fall on sophomore linebacker Vincent Rey. The Far Rockaway, N.Y. native saw only minimal playing time in his freshman season, but Bailey has already noticed growth in Rey during his short stint as a starter.
"Vinnie Rey has been doing a great job," Bailey said. "He's really impressed me with his leadership abilities. Its pretty incredible to see how he's matured in just the past three weeks."
Duke's opponent will also be hampered by suspensions. UConn announced Aug. 16 that running back Andre Dixon and linebacker Corey Stringer would be suspended indefinitely for violating team policy. Although neither was a starter or of Tauiliili's caliber, the loss of the pair may sap at the Huskies' depth.
Of the players on the field Saturday, Duke's offensive line may be the most critical. Seen as a strength with five returning starters, the group will open the season without senior offensive tackle Fred Roland. The 6-foot-8, 310-lb. Roland is still recovering from back surgery, so true freshman Bryan Morgan will get the nod at right tackle. Morgan, a 6-foot-3, 255-lb. tackle out of Hoover, Ala., has impressed coaches and his fellow lineman during practice and should shine on Saturday, according to senior center Matt Rumsey.
"I'll speak for Brian-he's a fantastic player," Rumsey said. "He's probably one of the most gifted players as a freshman that I've seen since I've been here. I'm real excited for him. I think he's going to do great things here and he's going to have a great career, and I think he'll have a great day come Saturday."
With a bitter taste still in his mouth after last year's 13-0 season-opening loss to Richmond, Bailey is determined to make sure that Saturday is not just a great day for Morgan, but for Duke.
"Last year, the Richmond game, in a way, set the tone for us," Bailey said. "We came out kind of thinking that we were going to win, and I don't think we learned how to pay the price. But this year, we have to pay the price, be disciplined and be able to go out and play."
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