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(03/31/10 8:00am)
The offense stole the show in Duke’s spring game Saturday, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has become accustomed to head coach David Cutcliffe’s methodical, efficient offensive scheme.
(03/03/10 10:00am)
What started as a sunny February trip to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. took on a bit of a sour note Tuesday, as Duke posted a 16-over 304 on the last day of competition to fall back to a third-place finish at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational.
(02/22/10 10:00am)
With 7:12 remaining in No. 6 Duke’s clash with Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils were holding on to a thin 49-47 lead. The teams had been within four points of each other for nearly eight minutes, but neither squad could find the spark to pull away.
(02/02/10 10:00am)
This past Sunday’s contest in Chapel Hill was emblematic of a shift in power in the ACC. One team was fighting to stay in contention at the top of the conference, the other desperately trying to keep its season from spiraling further downhill.
(11/23/09 10:00am)
Duke faced perhaps the toughest test of its young season Saturday, taking on what head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a “really, really good” Radford team. The Highlanders were a force inside, led by dominant center Art Parakhouski, but they made one critical mistake.
(11/17/09 10:00am)
Offense: C-
Rush: Duke was dismal on the ground yet again, rushing for only 25 yards on 24 attempts. Frequent stops at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield on first down crippled the Blue Devil offense for the entire game. The Yellow Jackets never gave Duke any openings, and poor first-down efforts led to lengthy third downs that Duke could not overcome. Freshman Desmond Scott did show glimmers of his terrific potential, gaining 20 yards on six carries, including a 12-yard scamper on which he slipped out of several arm tackles.
(09/21/09 8:00am)
Compiling 394 yards of total offense would usually make a team competitive against any opponent.
(09/08/09 8:00am)
OFFENSE
Rush: The Blue Devils had trouble running the ball from the start, finishing with a paltry 19 yards on 16 attempts. Much of the blame falls on the offensive line—the promising tandem of Boyette and Hollingsworth simply had nowhere to go, getting hit in the backfield early and often.
Pass: Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis put up good numbers, completing 62% of his passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns. He found eight different receivers, including Conner Vernon and Tyree Watkins, two true freshmen who seem to fit right in with the offense. Johnny Williams established himself as the leader of the receiving corps, pulling in seven catches for 115 yards including a perfectly timed 54-yard bomb for his first career touchdown.
X's and O's: A weak offensive line’s inability to hold its blocks led to a heavy dose of screens and short passes throughout the game. The absence of a running game and the pressure on Lewis took Duke out of any possible rhythm and forced that conservatism. The offense looked best when Lewis was able to string together a few intermediate level passes, but he didn’t have much time to do so.
DEFENSE
Rush: The front seven performed adequately throughout, holding the Spiders to 3.1 yards per carry. While Richmond managed 125 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, the numbers are a bit misleading because the Spiders led for the majority of the game and ate up the clock on the ground. Both rushing touchdowns came from inside the 10-yard line.
Pass: The defensive line was one of the bright spots for Duke. While the Blue Devils didn’t record any sacks, they were able to contain quarterback Eric Ward to 143 yards through the air, and Patrick Egboh swatted down a key pass at the end of the first half. The secondary did its part as well, limiting Richmond to short and intermediate gains while cutting out the deep ball opportunity.
X's and O's: Overall, the scheme was executed well against the Spiders. Falling behind early seemed to result in conservative play calling, as the Blue Devils seemed satisfied to simply contain the Richmond offense. The lack of aggression meant that Duke didn’t cause any turnovers, but it also didn’t give up any big plays. The defense was certainly not at fault in this one, as the unit kept the game in reach until the end.
Highest Marks: QB Thaddeus Lewis
Lewis demonstrated the meaning of “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Pass protection was spotty, and the Blue Devils had no running game at all. Yet Lewis completed 34-of-55 passes and threw no interceptions. Lewis made smart plays—he just didn’t have much support.
Hit the Books: K Nick Maggio
The two missed field goals were the ghosts of special teams past. Making one would have changed the tone of the game and the strategy for both teams. Making both would have meant a 15-14 lead for Duke early in the 3rd quarter. Instead, the mood went from bad to worse and the Blue Devils never recovered.
(08/24/09 7:00am)
Some would say that the best offense is a good defense. But is the best defense a good offense?
(04/01/09 7:00am)
No one won steak Tuesday by hitting the giant bull in left field at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
(03/30/09 7:00am)
On a windy day at Jack Coombs Field, early opportunities blew away from the Blue Devils, as did the possibility of a series victory.
(11/17/08 5:00am)
After being shutout in the last three games of a travel-heavy end to the ACC season, the Blue Devils showed they were thrilled to be back home this weekend.
(10/27/08 4:00am)
During halftime of the men's basketball game against Virginia Union Saturday, Abby Waner and the rest of the Blue Devils were introduced. Waner, the senior captain, guaranteed a Duke victory in her team's Blue-White game Sunday-and she delivered.
(10/15/08 4:00am)
Missed early opportunities cost the Blue Devils a crucial game against their biggest rival.
(10/10/08 4:00am)
Missed early opportunities cost the Blue Devils a crucial game against their biggest rival.
(09/22/08 4:00am)
The Blue Devils are hoping defense wins championships-and a little bit of offense wouldn't hurt, either.
(09/15/08 4:00am)
Goal scoring is the least of Duke's worries these days.