Cutcliffe revels in Manning family’s Super Bowl exploits
(02/08/10 10:00am)
Quarterback Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts into Super Bowl XLIV yesterday to take on the New Orleans Saints.
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Quarterback Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts into Super Bowl XLIV yesterday to take on the New Orleans Saints.
The Blue Devils’ conference schedule never poses many surprises.
The Blue Devils have primarily relied on their perimeter shooting this season to put points on the scoreboard. And though Duke’s outside shooting struggles continued against Boston College, the team’s frontcourt stepped up in a big way and made large contributions on both sides of the floor.
Few teams will measure up to the Blue Devils’ size this year, with the Duke roster featuring four players over 6-foot-10 in what will amount to one of the team’s tallest squads in recent memory. The player with the biggest presence on the court this season, however, is none other than a lanky, high-energy forward who carries himself as if he were well over seven feet tall. Lance Thomas, who was named captain along with fellow senior Jon Scheyer in the offseason, enters his most involved role on the team in his four years at Duke. And as far as his teammates are concerned, Thomas is more than ready for his new leadership position. “[Thomas is] unbelievable,” senior center Brian Zoubek said. “He’s definitely one of, if not the, best leader I’ve had since I’ve been here. I’m in the same class as him and have grown up with him for four years. He has just stepped it up a notch this year, both as a person and a player.” The 6-foot-8 forward worked extremely hard this offseason, especially in the weight room. Through numerous strength and flexibility workouts, Thomas added between 10 and 15 pounds of muscle to bulk up to 225 lbs. With Mason Plumlee, a projected starter, out with a broken wrist, Thomas has reprised his starting role, and often guards the opposing team’s biggest offensive threats due to his athletic ability and extremely determined style of play. And though Thomas is not one of the Blue Devils’ most flashy players, he has solidified himself as a strong leader on the team who knows what is expected of him both on the court and in the locker room. “I need to be a vocal leader,” Thomas said. “I need to be able to guard the opposing team’s best player. I need to be able to finish and hit open shots. Basically, adding off of what the defense gives me and in return guard the other team’s best player.” Throughout his career at Duke, Thomas has demonstrated his abilities as a resourceful defender, guarding every position on the floor. His versatility is essential to the team’s success because the Blue Devils do not possess another player who can effectively guard as many positions as well as Thomas can. As a leader, Thomas began his emergence as early as his sophomore year. He always had one of loudest voices on the team, constantly encouraging teammates during practice. Last season, Thomas not only expanded his vocal presence on the team, but also learned the ability to lead by example. The latter skill came easy to the senior captain, who always puts forth his best effort and pushes his teammates to reach their full potential. Thomas’s charisma and extroverted nature enables him to mold nicely with Scheyer, who was also a captain last season. The senior guard has found that sharing the leadership responsibilities with Thomas has assisted him greatly in his own captain role. “Lance is naturally very vocal, which helps me out a lot,” Scheyer said. “In practice you always hear his voice. It always takes a lot of pressure off me—we compliment each other very well.”
With two games left in its season, Duke can still attain bowl eligibility, needing victories in its final contests to realize this tremendous feat. The next step for the Blue Devils to maintain these aspirations comes Saturday at 12 p.m. against No. 21 Miami (7-3, 4-3 in the ACC), a team that is the fastest and most athletic Duke (5-5, 3-3) will face all year. And adding in all the injuries that have recently plagued the Blue Devils, weathering the storm against the Hurricanes will not come easy. “Bowl teams have to beat good teams to get to that point,” head coach David Cutcliffe said. “You are supposed to be a good team to have the reward of playing in a bowl game.… You have to beat a team like Miami somewhere along the way.” The most glaring setback for Cutcliffe’s squad occurred at quarterback in the team’s blowout 49-10 loss to Georgia Tech when backup Sean Renfree tore his ACL late in the third quarter. Renfree’s absence has stirred concerns for the Blue Devils, especially with regard to the depth at his position. Behind senior Thaddeus Lewis, who did not practice earlier this week due to a leg injury, the team’s other two quarterback options are true freshman Sean Schroeder and redshirt freshman Alex King, neither of whom has ever played a down under center. Though Lewis will start Saturday against the Hurricanes, Cutcliffe and the rest of his staff have come up with a contingency in the event that Lewis has to come out at any point during the game. “If [Lewis] were to be lost for a brief moment, we would go with King to get us through a series or a play or two,” Cutcliffe said. “If we lose Thad, then Schroeder will play.” Despite his lack of game experience, Schroeder saw extensive time at quarterback this offseason when Lewis did not practice due to injuries. King, the team’s starting punter after an injury to starter Kevin Jones, also brings versatility to the quarterback position and participates in the team’s weekly quarterback drills. “Back during camp when we lost Thad… Schroeder was running with the [second team],” Cutcliffe said. “I kept telling [offensive coordinator Kurt Roper], ‘This is great. It’s force-feeding him and us to have to teach him and put him on an accelerated path.’” In recent weeks, the Blue Devils have experienced other significant losses on both sides of the ball. On offense, left guard Mitchell Lederman had season-ending foot surgery Monday. The team’s entire receiving corps is also banged up, but with the exception of Johnny Williams, all will play Saturday. Running back Re’quan Boyette, who has been hampered by injuries all year, is also out. Duke’s defense has not fared any better. Linebackers Abraham Kromah and Vincent Rey have both sustained leg injuries and will play through pain against the Hurricanes. Standout defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase, though, will miss his second straight game with a more severe leg injury. The Blue Devils already face tremendous challenges in attempting to defeat the more athletic and experienced Hurricanes. Having key players not at 100 percent physically just adds another obstacle for Duke, but it is one that the Blue Devils have to overcome if they have any chance of keeping their bowl hopes alive. Since injuries and other setbacks make it unlikely that the Blue Devils will defeat Miami on physicality alone, it is clear that Duke must win mentally by taking advantage of every opportunity and not making costly mistakes. “When I get on that plane, I want to believe that we are going down there not with the hopes of winning, but planning to win,” Cutcliffe said. “The most powerful thing you have is your mind. If you put all of us out there on that field and you put the same number of lions and tigers out there on the field with us, the only chance we have is our mind.” And though Cutcliffe’s squad will not have to play any wild animals, possessing the mental strength of one is the only way his team can overcome the physical challenges it faces against Miami.
For the past two decades, North Carolina has completely dominated its rivalry with Duke. The Tar Heels have won 18 of the previous 19 contests over the Blue Devils and it has become almost the norm for North Carolina to take a victory—and the Victory Bell—back to Chapel Hill.
Nasty weather usually forces teams to revert to a more run-oriented offense due to the difficulty of throwing and catching a wet ball in strong winds.
Offense: A+ Rush: The Blue Devils’ rushing game was anemic, as the team totaled only 43 yards on 35 carries for a disappointing 1.2 yard average. Senior Thaddeus Lewis scored Duke’s lone rushing touchdown late in the first quarter, which was just one of his six touchdowns on the day. Though the running game was virtually nonexistent for the Blue Devils, Lewis’s stellar play and a potent aerial attack more than made up for the inability to run the ball against N.C. State. Pass: Lewis had his best day in a Blue Devil uniform and one of the most remarkable games in school history. The senior quarterback completed a school record 40 passes and tallied personal bests of 459 yards and five touchdowns. He also broke Duke’s school record for career touchdown passes. Sophomore Donovan Varner caught seven passes for a career-best 154 yards and freshman Conner Vernon had 86 yards on 10 catches, the most of his young career.
When Duke traveled to Blacksburg, Va. last season to take on Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils raised eyebrows when they narrowly fell to the reigning ACC champions.
After mustering a less than inspiring performance last Saturday in what amounted to a rough loss against Kansas, the Blue Devils needed all the help they could get as they looked to bounce back against cross-town rival N.C. Central in the first-ever Bull City Gridiron Classic.
Actor Mark Wahlberg starred in the 2006 film “Invincible”, detailing the true story of Vince Papale, a local bartender who made the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster after attending an open tryout in 1976.
In his first game at Wallace Wade Stadium, head coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils pulled off an impressive win over James Madison in what seemed to be the start of a new era for Duke Football.
David Cutcliffe's reputation is that of a quarterback guru, but he gives as much attention to the often-overlooked third element of the game--special teams.
For the first time in the last five years, Duke will not be playing in the Final Four as its championship aspirations ended Saturday.
This year's Mother's Day had the opportunity to prove especially sweet for Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel.
Two blowout victories can certainly get a team back into its rhythm.
In the NCAA Tournament, the teams that rebound and play solid defense are the ones that advance to the later rounds.
Any good team is measured by how well it responds to a loss.
Most students spend Spring Break traveling home to see their family and friends. Two Blue Devils, though, plan to see their family-not in the comfort of home, but rather, on the field.
Playing against a rival is always difficult-and even more so when a team has to travel to a hostile environment and face one of the best teams in the country.