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Dogfight awaits in Charlottesville

Duke’s defense will need to keep the Blue Devils in the game Saturday in what is likely to be a low-scoring contest in Charlottesville.
Duke’s defense will need to keep the Blue Devils in the game Saturday in what is likely to be a low-scoring contest in Charlottesville.

Thaddeus Lewis called this weekend’s matchup against Virginia at Scott Stadium a clash of the titans.

Vincent Rey said it will be a dogfight.

And head coach David Cutcliffe said it will be the most physical, hard-hitting game his team will play all season.

But it’s also a chance for Duke (4-3, 2-1 in the ACC) to grab one of the three victories it needs to play in a bowl game. And to do so, it must get past a Cavalier squad that has won three of its past four games employing a defense that likes to pummel its opponents.

“They are loaded for big hits,” Cutcliffe said. “They pushed us around last year and they bullied us pretty good.”

Virginia (3-4, 2-1) dominated Duke defensively last year, keeping the game tied 3-3 going into halftime. But the Blue Devils’ defense was even more suffocating, forcing four second-half turnovers en route to a 31-3 win and Duke’s first conference victory since 2004.

Lewis said a fast start would be crucial for Duke’s chances Saturday, as it could give the Blue Devils a mental edge over the Cavaliers.

“If we go in and make a statement early, that’ll bring memories back of, ‘This team did beat us last year,’” Lewis said. “It won’t be easy, but it is doable.”

But it is Virginia’s defense that will make that task so difficult. The Cavaliers employ a 3-4 defense that will cut off many of Lewis’ passing lanes and force the Blue Devils to run the ball to be successful. Further complicating the issue for Duke’s offense is senior nose tackle Nate Collins, whom Cutcliffe said has a future in the NFL. Collins won last week’s ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week award along with Rey for a 16-tackle performance against Georgia Tech.  

Lewis said Virginia will drop back as many as eight defenders to flood the field and make it difficult to find passing lines. Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils have yet to see a defense like Virginia’s 3-4 scheme that relies heavily on zone blitzes.

But while respectful of the Cavaliers’ defense, Duke’s head coach didn’t seem worried. In fact, Cutcliffe spoke with certainty that his offense would continue to produce at a high level.

“We will find a way to throw the ball,” he said. “They can make it hard and make it a challenge, but that just changes our course of how we throw it.”

If the passing game can’t get going, the running game will need to pick up the slack, but it has yet to do that so far this year. In its three ACC contests, Duke has averaged just 34.6 yards per game and 1.1 yards per carry.

But Cutcliffe sounded confident that his running backs would find a way to break out against the Cavaliers.

“We’re going to run the ball better,” said Cutcliffe, adding that his team has practiced the run well of late.

A win Saturday would give Duke a 5-3 record and allow it to play just .500 ball over its final four games to qualify for a bowl. The Blue Devils were in a similar situation last year, but failed to find a way to win in the waning moments against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech or North Carolina, all games that could have helped them get to a bowl.

Cutcliffe said his team actually played better in its 0-5 stretch than at the start of the year but simply didn’t get the bounces it needed. If those bounces go Duke’s way, however, a bowl game becomes a much more realistic possibility.

Lewis said thoughts of a bowl game have crept into his and his teammates’ minds. He, Rey and Cutcliffe all emphasized one thing, though—those thoughts won’t matter if they can’t top Virginia for the second year in a row.

It’s a game they will have to brace themselves for—both metaphorically and physically.

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