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(11/19/13 10:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Here at Stat Chat, we often break down individual games and players to give you an inside and out statistical breakdown of what you've seen on the field. Well this week, we feel as though it's time to remind our loyal readers just how special this team is. For starters, let's talk about the team's overall record. At 8-2, Duke football has owns its best record since 1994. With one more win this season, whether it be from either of their regular season games or their bowl game, the Blue Devils will secure their first nine win season since 1941. If you want to get crazy, how about the fact if the team wins two of those contests, Duke will win double digit games for the first time in school history. And if we get really crazy, the Blue Devils have a chance to win their first bowl game since 1960.Or perhaps you'd rather talk about the matchup agains Miami. The win marked the first time since 1988 Duke defeated a ranked team at home. It also was the first time the Blue Devils defeated Miami since 1976. To put that into perspective, that was the first ever meeting between the two schools. The game itself brought about some statistical significance as well. Duke football racked up the highest rushing yardage total in the 21st century last Saturday, amassing 358 yards on the ground. The running game had its best game since, you guessed it, 1994, when the Blue Devils ran for 324 yards against Wake Forest. The leader of the charge was Brandon Connette, who scored five touchdowns for the second time this season. Four of those scores game on the ground, tied for most rushing touchdowns scored in a single game. The performance catapulted Connette to the top spot in Duke's all-time rushing touchdowns list at 29. He also became the first quarterback in the history of the school to both throw and run for double-digit touchdowns in a season. Perhaps the biggest number of the game was zero. Coming off of back-to-back games of at least three interceptions, Anthony Boone, along with Connette, did not turn the ball over once. A solid rushing game in all likelihood contributed to their efficient play, but it is worth noting it's the first time since playing Navy more than a month ago that Duke did not have a single turnover.As the Blue Devils travel to Wake Forest and North Carolina, they can feel a bit of comfort knowing that they have yet to lose on the road this season. Regardless of the outcomes, however, players, coaches and fans alike recognize that this Duke football team is rewriting the record books.
(11/14/13 9:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Champions Classic brought a lot of wonderful things to the forefront. We saw that teams like Kentucky have a lot of potential that needs time to fully be realized. We saw that Michigan State and Kansas, despite being bigger teams, can run up and down the floor with any team in the NCAA. And let's not forget the slew of impact freshmen that may come to define this college basketball season. However, in Duke's first real test of the season, one problem in particular stuck out like a sore thumb: free throw shooting. The Blue Devils shot better from behind the arc (6-for12) than they did from the charity stripe (6-for-13) in the first half against the Jayhawks, on their way to a 16-for-28 performance from the line. While Duke missed 12 free throws and struggled to convert one-and-one chances, Kansas made its final seven free throws in a 63 second span to close out the game. Advantage Jayhawks. Despite being called a "free throw," making a shot from the line isn't a guarantee; there's just nobody guarding you. Since 1969, the national free throw percentage average in Division I is 69 percent. Duke teams, however, tend to shoot above average on a yearly basis. Since head coach Mike Krzyzewski arrived in Durham, the Blue Devils have shot below the national average only five times, with the lowest season average rounding out to 67 percent. Overall, Duke has shot 71.3 percent in Coach K's tenure as head coach.When analyzing the team's performances against top-five teams, we see that poor free throw shooting may not be an outlier. In Duke's 10 meetings with top-five teams leading into the game against Kansas, the team shot a little higher than 67 percent from the free throw line, four percentage points lower than Blue Devil team averages under Coach K. Duke went 7-and-3 in those games, losing to Ohio State in 2011 and UNC twice in 2009. In their three losses, the Blue Devils shot a little less than 63 percent from the line, while they shot 70 percent in their seven wins.How does a team that shoots so well from the field shoot at an average level from the free throw line? If history has shown us anything, it's that great shooters don't necessarily make free throws. Some of the greatest Duke shooters have shot very differently from the free throw line. Jon Scheyer (86 percent from the line) and JJ Redick (91) were two of the best shooters in the school's recent history, shooting 40.6 and 43.3 percent from the field respectively. However, hall of famers Jay Williams (67) and Art Heyman (65) struggled mightily from the free throw line, despite shooting 45.1 and 45.3 percent from the field respectively. Thus, we find that there may be no direct correlation found between shooting well from the field and shooting well from the free throw line.It's early in the season and free throw shooting is an easier fix than most other problems a basketball team can have, but it is, nonetheless, something that Duke needs to improve upon in order to compete with the top teams in the country.
(11/12/13 10:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Duke football is red hot. Coming off of the team's 38-20 win over N.C. State, the Blue Devils have now won five in a row leading up to their showdown with No. 24 Miami this Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. What's interesting about this current win streak is that Duke's offense, usually the catalyst for success, has sputtered as of late, turning the ball over several times and failing to accrue an average amount of yardage. This begs to question: how the heck does Duke keep winning despite uncharacteristically bad performances? Let's start with the play at quarterback. Daniel Carp wrote recently about the tough decision head coach David Cutcliffe will face Saturday choosing between Anthony Boone and Brandon Connette. While Boone has been the starter anytime he is healthy, his last two games specifically are worth forgetting. Against Virginia Tech and N.C. State, Boone has thrown zero touchdown passes while also tossing seven interceptions. You don't need to be a statistician to understand that's bad. Boone has also struggled to move the chains, converting a mere 25 first downs over the past two games. To put that in perspective, the team averaged roughly 22 first downs per game before those contests. So if the starting quarterback completes only 43 percent of his passes and the running game has averaged nearly 60 yards per game less than the season average over the past two games, how has the team managed to keep winning? For starters, it has been outstanding play in the second half of games. Duke has outscored its opponents 166-to-82 in the second half this season, including a +59 point differential in the fourth quarter alone. Harp on Boone for his overall statistics, but in the four games he has played since returning from injury, he'sconverted on 74 percent of his passes with one touchdown and one interception in the fourth quarter. However, the Blue Devils' recent success has to be attributed to the defense. The defense has allowed only 30 points over the past 10 quarters they've played, a big reason why Duke now ranks 33rd in points allowed overall (22.2) in the country. Pass protection was a concern for Duke coming into the season, but a mix of quality secondary play and improved pressure from the defensive line has erased such concerns as of late. The Blue Devils have actually managed to break even in turnover margin the past two games, despite eight turnovers by the offense. Throw in the fact that the defense scored as many touchdowns as the offense last Saturday—both units scored twice—and you've got a quality defense for the first time in years. Offense helps, but despite the mishaps, Duke still is rolling into this weekends contest against Miami.
(11/08/13 1:36pm)
It’s been a while since head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has had a young team.
(11/26/13 10:30am)
Imagine that you’re a freshman at Duke and are stepping inside Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time. You look around and soak in all that college basketball’s mecca can offer, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the men’s basketball game. Then, for a brief moment, you wonder why your best friend, the biggest Duke fan you know, isn’t in the stadium. Of course, you’d never expect that your friend was actually in the stadium all along, jumping and dancing frantically around the court. Who would ever expect that your friend was actually the Blue Devil?
(11/06/13 9:44pm)
Duke's transition offense, while faster, still leaves room for plenty 3-point attempts.
(11/01/13 11:00pm)
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(10/30/13 8:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Over the course of my career writing this column, there has been one offensive strategy that I have analyzed countless times: the drive and kick. Ladies and gentlemen, while this offensive scheme will still be used, it is no longer the primary strategy of the Duke men's basketball team. Let me be the first to welcome you to what may be the fastest Blue Devil team in the storied history of the program. The points in transition era has begun at Duke University. Since 2002, successful Blue Devil squads have surrounded strong interior players with sharpshooters. For every Shelden Williams, there was a JJ Redick. For every I'll-play-up-to-my-potential-the-second-half-of-senior-year Brian Zoubek, there was a Jon Scheyer. For every Mason Plumlee, there was a Seth Curry. However, you may notice that this Duke team, ranked No. 4 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll, lacks any kind of dominant big man. This squad is better served not to have a big man.Let's break it down statistically. Athletic teams can usually be broken down by two primary categories: field goals attempted per game and points in transition. Other statistics, such as points per game and forced turnovers, can be connected and almost intertwined with each of these two categories respectively. Over the past few years, more and more teams have adopted the speedy, small-ball strategy. Look no further than the Miami Heat to see how a team with versatile players can not only win, but dominate their competition. No, Duke doesn't have LeBron James, but rest assured, the Blue Devils will improve in each category significantly this year.Teams that are more athletic inevitably will play at a faster pace than the average team. However, the question is how fast will Duke play. Last season, the Blue Devils averaged 77.13 points per game on 56.39 field goal attempts per game, shooting an impressive 47.3 percent from the field. These numbers came in an offense that was largely ran in a half court set, with several shots coming 15-20 seconds into the shot clock. This season, I'll be introducing the Mike D'Antoni statistic: shots within the first seven seconds of the shot clock. Simple math—the more shots early in the shot clock, the more overall shot attempts per game. Scoring quickly also means more points in transition. As a team, Duke averaged 13.89 assists per game, but look for the team to average closer to 18 assists this season. Quinn Cook's natural ability to create plays in transition will increase his individual assist numbers and allow a slew of athletic wing players to score at ease. When you account for the versatility of players like Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, no individual player may be competing for most assists per game; however, as a team, the Blue Devils will be right up there in the ACC. The small sample size of one exhibition game is in no way enough to justify my predictions, which is why I did not use this past weekend's game against Bowie State as an example. However, I truly believe this team will average the most points, field goal attempts, forced turnovers and points in transition per game since Jay Williams ran the show in Durham in the early 2000s. Fast, flashy and fun, Duke will be entertaining to say the least this season.
(10/29/13 8:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Duke is historically an offensive team, scoring at will, but also giving up a ton of points. We've seen it this year numerous times already. In a three-game span, the Blue Devils gave up 127 points (42.33 points per game). However, something changed after halftime of the team's contest against Virginia two weeks ago, Not only did Duke's defense play better, they played arguably one of the best defensive stretches on the road in the history of the program. Consider that coming into the contest, Blue Devil defenses under Coach Cutcliffe allowed 56.5 points per game when playing back-to-back games on the road. The 32 points given up by Duke the past two weeks on the road is the lowest total allowed since the 1994-95 season.So how did we reach this point? What changed? Some have pointed to a different mentality in the locker room, but the linebacking core's play is what has made the difference. Starting linebackers David Helton and Kelby Brown have combined for 48 tackles, over the past two games, accounting for nearly 27 percent of the team's total tackles. The duo's 33 tackles last week alone accounted for nearly a third of the Blue Devil's tackles. The defensive scheme hasn't appeared to have changed, so it is not out-of-bounds to wonder if improved health has helped both Helton and Brown play to their full potential. Helton's numbers this year overall have been scary. His 78 tackles this season lead all defensive players in the ACC. Interestingly enough, Duke has the most defenders in the top 10 in tackles, with safety Jeremy Cash ranking second with 72 tackles and Brown ranking ninth with 61. The numbers provide significant evidence that while the past two defensive performances have been great, the Blue Devils have the talent to produce every time they take the field.Helton has the edge, but it's Brown that found himself with the national defensive player of the week honors. In what may have been the play of the day, Brown intercepted Logan Thomas with 4:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Fittingly, Brown's first pick couldn't have come at a better time, as the Hokies never got the ball back following that turnover.By the numbers, the Blue Devils had no business competing in Blacksburg. Anthony Boone had a terrible game against Virginia Tech. He managed only seven completions (none coming in the second half), threw four interceptions and failed to lead the offense to a third down conversion. Thankfully for Boone, he had Ross Martin, who after a sluggish start to the season has made five kicks in a row. Martin hardly had favorable conditions with double-digit winds swirling around Lane Stadium, but still managed to knock down 51-yard and 53-yard field goals, the first to hit from 50 or more twice in a game in the FBS this season. Defense may have been the key, but Martin's leg was the x-factor for Duke.Duke's next opponent, NC State (3-4, 0-4), should give the Blue Devils another opportunity to improve their defensive numbers. However, the only other time the Blue Devils returned from the road this season, they lost by 24. But after the past few weeks, is it possible for anyone to have any concrete predictions as to what will happen? One thing is for sure: they're bringing the Boom to Durham.
(10/22/13 5:58am)
The Kansas City Chiefs have been making headlines this season thanks to surprisingly dominant play on the field; however, it was the fan base that was making noise…a lot of noise. Chiefs fans generated a crowd roar of 137.5 decibels during the team’s contest against the Oakland Raiders, breaking the record for loudest sports fans in the world.
(10/15/13 9:25pm)
On Duke Student Broadcasting’s football preview show Four Downs, Daniel Carp and Zac Elder talked about how Anthony Boone being listed as questionable was a good sign, but that he would most likely sit out for another week or two. After all, this is the starting quarterback of a bowl-caliber football team. Why on earth would you rush him into play?
(10/10/13 6:49am)
Fantasy football is awesome. Fantasy football is awful. What brings us back every week?
(10/08/13 9:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The government may still be shutdown, but Duke football is back to play one of the nation's finest military institutions in the Naval Academy. However, bickering between a bipartisan Congress will not have any impact on the play of the Midshipmen, evident by their win last week over Air Force. Navy is considered by many to be an average team this year, but the style of play they bring to the field is terrifying. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this team runs the triple option offense. Uh oh.It was only three weeks ago that Georgia Tech steamrolled the Blue Devils 38-14 in a contest that could have further gotten out of hand. Much of the last few weeks, the topic of conversation has been Brandon Connette's development as the starting quarterback, but if Duke's defense can't stop anyone, this team isn't going to a bowl game this year. Period.What exactly is the triple option? Teams that run this style of offense will place two running backs and a mobile quarterback in the backfield, making defenses guess which player will run the football. To put this scheme into perspective, the Midshipmen's starting quarterback Keenan Reynolds has attempted considerably more runs (81) than passes (31). No receiver has 100 yards receiving for the season and the team averages nearly 300 yards rushing per game, ranking eighth in that particular category. Bottom line, they're running the ball at least 75 percent of the time this Saturday. This offense is fast and they are fully capable of putting points on the board, putting up 92 points in the first two weeks against two solid squads in Indiana and Delaware. So how in the heck are the Blue Devils going to stop this offense? They were outgained by more than 200 yards against the Yellow Jackets and followed that performance with 58 points allowed against Pittsburgh. Oh, and by the way, both of those uninspired performances were at home. In order to conceal the triple option, the coaching staff will have to prepare the linebacking core for a whole lot of running. One of Duke's strengths this season has been tackling at the linebacker position. David Helton, second in tackling on the team, and Kelby Brown, third, have combined for 81 tackles through five games this season. Only safety Jeremy Cash has more tackles individually at 51. The key may not be stopping the offense entirely, but rather containing it. Navy will put the ball on the ground and will get plenty of yards. The goal for Duke is make sure they limit the length of each drive by containing the ground attack on first down. For a run first team, third-and-8 is much harder to convert than it is for a balanced offense. So, the matchup to watch for is the linebacking core against the running attack, containing first down plays to only two to three yards and forcing the offense to consider passing. As the numbers show, the passing game may be a little rusty to say the least. It should also be pointed out that there's no need to blitz or force additional pressure. Keep as many people around the line of scrimmage as possible. Remember, containment is the name of the game. It's not the sexiest gameplan, but with an improved offensive attack, it is certainly a smart one.
(10/01/13 6:01pm)
Last weekend's game against Troy taught us a lot about this Duke football team. The defense improved in the second half, despite playing another abysmal first two quarters. Brandon Connette seems to have settled into the starting role, accounting for 11 touchdowns in two games. Hell, even more people are starting to make it out to the home games. However, as a Blue Devil football fan, the most entertaining and intriguing player on the team is wide receiver Jamison Crowder. Crowder teamed up with all-time ACC receptions leader Conner Vernon and much-improved slot receiver Desmond Scott last year to complete a dangerous receiving core with an above average quarterback in Sean Renfree. Thus, the question coming into this year, with all of Renfree, Vernon and Scott gone, was would Crowder follow up his breakout campaign with another impressive season? No, he hasn't had quite the success of Denver Bronco's wideout Wes Welker, but Crowder's numbers are impressive to say the least. Thus far, Crowder has garnered 37 catches, putting him in a tie for fifth among wide receivers in Division I-A. The junior wideout also is tied for sixth in total receiving yards with an impressive 530 yards. Crowder ranks first in the ACC in both categories. Here's where things get interesting. Not only does Crowder rank outside of the top 40 in yards per catch (14.3), but total touchdowns as well (2). You're probably wondering, "where have I seen this before from a Duke football player?" Oh right, last year! Vernon was considered by many in the conference as an All-American caliber receiver before the season started, and he did not disappoint, opening with 34 receptions, 462 passing yards, and three touchdowns. He also was in the midst of a record-breaking year in the ACC, so every play felt as though it could have been the one to get the job done. Duke's receiving core had been solid overall, with six different receivers averaging more than 10 yards per catch. Vernon may have the edge from a historical perspective, but Crowder's numbers suggest he may be just as good, if not better, than Vernon was a year ago. Which leads me to this point: Crowder has better potential to do well in the pros than Vernon does. The knock on Vernon in his four years was that he could do everything well. He had good hands, good speed, etc. What we see out of Crowder, while it is still earlier in the season, is an extremely fast receiver that could help out any team in need of a slot receiver. The Duke football season may be at a crossroads, but Crowder, regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, will be one of the marquee receivers at years end.
(09/25/13 5:43am)
Rivera’s musical ritual is well known, but his theme song is hardly the first for a closer. Trevor Hoffman, considered perhaps the second-best closer of all time, never stepped on the mound without walking out to AC/DC’s “Hells Bells.” Eric Gagne, the Major League Baseball record holder for most consecutive saves, was escorted to the mound to the tune of “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N' Roses. Even Major League star Rick Vaughn trotted to the mound with “Wild Thing” echoing through the Cleveland Indians’ stadium.
(09/24/13 8:07pm)
I have not been shy about my disdain with the Blue Devil offense over the past few weeks. Duke looked slow, confused, even befuddled whenever they were on the field. However, when a team scores 55 points, I have to give credit where credit is due. For the Blue Devils, this past weekend’s performance against Pittsburgh epitomized a roller coaster day, and it starts and ends with the performance of quarterback Brandon Connette.
(09/17/13 9:05pm)
The main storyline going into this past Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech was how Brandon Connette would do at starting quarterback filling in for Anthony Boone. Against the Yellow Jackets, it was made clear that Connette, one of the most versatile players on the roster, was not the man Duke should have at the helm.
(09/03/13 9:12pm)
The outcome was never in question. It was obvious that one team that took the field this past Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium was overmatched. It was yet another loss for a team with seemingly little hope for a winning season.
(03/16/13 5:27am)
No. 2 Duke trailed most of the game and was upset by Maryland 83-74 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.
(01/16/13 11:00pm)
Let's just get the obvious out of the way: Duke is one bad Seth Curry ankle away, not to mention an injured Ryan Kelly, from becoming nothing more than a very good team with unfortunate health issues. However, if Curry can remain productive (22 points against N.C. State Saturday), Coach K's attention can be turned to the power forward position. Luckily for him, he has three candidates that may prove to be suitable substitutes for Kelly in Josh Hairston, Amile Jefferson, and Alex Murphy.
