The David Cutcliffe era at Duke opened with a bang.
With more than 30,000 people packed in Wallace Wade Stadium, the Blue Devils won their first home game since 2005, trouncing James Madison 31-7 Saturday night.
Even though the kickoff was delayed for more than an hour because of rain and lightning, Duke emerged from the tunnel with an energy rarely seen under former head coach Ted Roof, and it maintained that enthusiasm throughout the game. The Blue Devils (1-0) endured a tight first half but struck with five seconds left in the first half when quarterback Thaddeus Lewis hooked up with wideout Eron Eiley for a five-yard touchdown to put the home team on top, 14-7.
They pulled away after the break, scoring 17 points in the third quarter off of two turnovers, effectively shutting the door on any James Madison (0-1) upset bid.
Despite the inclement weather, Duke saw one of its biggest crowds-and student sections-in years. With just more than three minutes remaining and the Blue Devils' 1-0 start safely in hand, students began a raucous chant of "David Cutcliffe!" Cutcliffe even came out before the game, during the delay, and pumped his fist three times in front of the newly moved student section.
With the win, Duke snapped its five-year opening game losing streak and beat an opponent at home for the first time since 2005, when it edged VMI. The Blue Devils last won at Northwestern in Sept. 2007. The Wildcats come to Durham next Saturday at 7 p.m.
Check back with The Chronicle Monday for a full game story and analysis, and check out The Chronicle's Sports Blog at www.dukechroniclesports.com for more reaction and audio analysis Sunday.
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