Last week, Duke stomped N.C. Central 49-14 to get a badly needed win.
Duke finally got its running game going thanks to major contributions from sophomore Patrick Kurunwune and freshman Desmond Scott. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis also had his best game of the year, accounting for three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground.
This week, No. 6 Virginia Tech comes to Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils will have to play their best to break their eight-game losing streak against the Hokies. While Virginia Tech is looking to improve to 2-0 in ACC play, Duke is looking to get conference play started with a win.
“It’s a new season to me,” linebacker Vincent Rey said. “We’re 0-0 in the ACC.”
The Blue Devils dominated their ACC opener last year, crushing Virginia 31-3. That was Duke’s first ACC victory since beating Clemson 16-13 in 2004. Saturday, the Blue Devils look to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Duke Football history.
“By far the biggest test we’ve had to this point is Virginia Tech,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “They are a complete football team.”
Last time the Blue Devils faced the Hokies, Virginia Tech was victorious by a score of 14-3. The now-departed Zack Asack started at quarterback for Duke and completed just two passes. Lewis was sidelined with an ankle injury, and the Blue Devils were forced to play a run-heavy offense utilizing the quarterback option throughout.
Entering this year’s contest, Duke has two capable quarterbacks in Lewis and redshirt freshman Sean Renfree, but they are faced with several injuries at running back. Fifth-year senior Re’quan Boyette and sophomore Jay Hollingsworth both missed last week’s game, and Desmond Scott tweaked his hamstring in practice Tuesday.
Cutcliffe told the media Tuesday that Boyette practiced at close to full speed Tuesday, and he thinks Scott should be ready to go Saturday. Although the Blue Devils may be missing depth at running back this week, Cutcliffe stressed the importance of having his starting quarterback healthy, a problem that clearly set back Duke’s offensive unit last season.
“We are much healthier at this time this year than we were at this time playing them a year ago,” Cutcliffe said.
The Hokies also have a healthy starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. Last week, Taylor rushed for 75 yards on 10 carries, passing Michael Vick for third-most career rushing yards for a Virginia Tech quarterback. Taylor is an excellent game manager too, throwing just one interception all season against stingy defenses including Alabama’s and Miami’s.
“Great player,” Rey said of Taylor. “He puts the ball where it needs to be, and he can obviously run the ball very well.”
Taylor exhibited his playmaking ability down the stretch last season when he outplayed Sean Glennon to secure the starting job at quarterback. The Hokies won their last four games of the season in 2008, and the highlight of the season was Taylor’s 73-yard run against Virginia. This season, Taylor orchestrated a game-winning drive in the final seconds against then-No. 19 Nebraska, and led Virginia Tech to a 31-7 win against No. 9 Miami last week.
Taylor is not the Hokies’ only running threat. Freshman running back Ryan Williams is sixth in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 123 yards. He also has found the end zone eight times already. The Blue Devils will have their hands full with the Virginia Tech’s athletic backfield.
The Hokies play power football on offense, yet pride themselves on special teams. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer emphasizes the importance of excellent special teams units and defensive units. The Hokies have the most defensive and special teams touchdowns in the FBS since 2006, and blocked a punt last week against the Hurricanes.
On the Blue Devils’ end, Cutcliffe credited special teams for Duke’s win over Army, specifically citing a great punt return by Johnny Williams and a punt coverage play by Matt Daniels as sparks that carried Duke to its win. Cutcliffe also believes that one day Duke’s special teams will be respected like Virginia Tech’s special teams are now.
“We feel like we spend an inordinate amount of time compared to most teams [working on special teams],” Cutcliffe said.
One thing that is for certain is the Blue Devils will not be discouraged by the Hokies’ recent results.
“I think we’re going to come out and we’re going to compete,” senior cornerback Leon Wright said. “We’ll do all we can to get this victory.”
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