When Duke heads into Death Valley at noon Saturday, it will have to contend with a loud, hostile and aggressive crowd eager to see Clemson's first home win since Sept. 20.
But the intensity of the fans and the various traditions at Memorial Field-from touching Howard's Rock to "The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football" when Clemson runs onto the field-will not be the most overwhelming aspect of Saturday's contest.
"I think I'm going to start the game by calling timeout on the first play to get over the shock of what [the Tigers] look like across from us," head coach David Cutcliffe said. "They have absolutely got a talented team-some great players, some future NFLers. They provide a lot of challenges in that regard."
The biggest obstacle for Duke (4-5, 1-4 in the ACC) will be right up front when it faces off against Clemson (4-5, 2-4), as the Blue Devils must see improved line play if they hope to pull off the upset.
The lack of a push from the offensive line cost the Blue Devils dearly last week against N.C. State on fourth-and-short. Twice they were stopped-once on a Jay Hollingsworth run when the Wolfpack broke through and stopped him behind the line of scrimmage, and then again on fourth-and-goal when their defensive front forced Thaddeus Lewis into an off-balanced throw that skidded in front of an open receiver in the end zone.
But for the offensive front, improving its performance against a Clemson team that has a history of producing NFL defensive linemen is easier said than done. Tiger nose tackle Dorell Scott has a 60-pound advantage over center Bryan Morgan. Only Tiger defensive end Kevin Alexander is lighter than any of Duke's offensive linemen.
The ability to stave off Clemson's linemen will be especially crucial in the red zone, because at that point, the Tigers' obvious athletic advantage will make Duke's play less about scheming and more about execution, Cutcliffe said. The first-year coach was less than eager to find out that Clemson actually has the best red-zone defense in the ACC.
"That's great news for the No. 12 team in the league in red-zone offense," Cutcliffe said. "What you'd like to do 100 out of 100 times is line up, run the ball and score, but it doesn't happen. Safeties are closer to the line of scrimmage. Plus, we're not going to line up and just whip Clemson's front. We have to be very conscious of our opportunities."
The Blue Devils' defensive front four will have an equally tough time when Clemson has the ball. Every Clemson lineman weighs more than 300 pounds, but that's not where the battle ends-in fact, it will have just begun. "Thunder and Lightning" will be roaring at the defensive line, and it's up to the front four to stop running backs C.J. Spiller and James Davis from hitting full momentum.
But if you ask defensive tackle Clifford Respress, the task of stopping arguably the best running duo in the conference isn't asking the impossible.
"It all starts up front," Respress said. "I don't look at these guys and think, 'OK, they're too big to handle.' It's going to be a physical game up front, but I feel like they're going to have to go to the air."
Forcing Clemson to an aerial assault has almost always produced positive results for its opponents. In the opener against Alabama, the Tigers had zero rushing yards and lost 34-10, with their only touchdown coming on a 96-yard kickoff return from Spiller.
"I saw the [game] and I called Nick Saban and I asked if I could borrow ten of his players," Cutcliffe said.
More than stealing players, though, the Blue Devils could really afford to borrow some time for their offensive linemen to allow plays to develop.
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