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(11/20/13 12:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those fans loyal enough to stick around for the end of Saturday's game against Miami got to experience the most awe-inspiring event in all of sports—storming a college football field.Up 48-30 with just four minutes to play, the Blue Devils kicked off to the Hurricanes, and fans started their descent to the the wall, anticipating the postgame charge. Miami turned the ball over on downs with less than a minute left to play, and Duke supporters located where they would jump over the wall onto the field. The announcer reminded the crowd several times that only "authorized personnel" are allowed on the field after the game.Yeah, right.Anthony Boone took a knee and the clock started to tick down toward zero. The cheerleaders got out of the way, and armed policemen stood beside yellow-clad security guards facing a daunting task. Those brave souls charged with keeping fans off the field looked as outnumbered as the Spartans in 300 but without the resolve to hold back the tidal wave of Blue Devil faithful. The final seconds ran of the clock, and a thousand newly "authorized personnel" went over the wall and rushed onto the field. The celebration was on.No one really knows what to do once they are on the field. The team rushes towards each other at the 50-yard line, and everyone else follows. State troopers encircle Coach Cutcliffe like he is the President of the United States, and general pandemonium sets in. Some people take pictures, some tear up the turf to take home as a souvenir and some brave souls might even go for the goalpost to tear it down—a tradition that colleges have put a stop to for safety reasons. Something akin to a rave starts up in the middle of the field, as fans swarm the players, jumping up and down and slapping them on the helmets and shoulder pads.There is nothing as exciting as pouring over that wall and streaming onto the field with friends and strangers alike, everyone caught up in the excitement and bonded together by a common sense of euphoria. Duke fans have been lucky enough to participate in this unique celebration two years in a row.Last year's game against North Carolina was the first time in a long time Blue Devil fans got to storm the field. The showdown with the Tar Heels ended in dramatic fashion. Jamison Crowder caught the game-winning touchdown pass with just seconds left, and the crowd took to the field in celebration of Duke's first bowl berth since 1994.After the dust settles, a lot of people will say that they were the first one on the field following the victory. I am one of those people. After Crowder scored, I ran down to the front of the student section and took my place in the first row. As my legs dangled over the wall waiting to jump, a security guard politely asked me to use the stairs to access the field once the game finished. I don't know if he was required to say that, or if he was just naïve. Either way, using the stairs never even crossed my mind, or anyone else's. Where's the fun in calmly storming the field?After last year's experience, people were ready this year. As the game came to a close Saturday, fans knew exactly what was about to happen and exactly how to do it. And it was a beautiful sight, watching everyone come together to celebrate the victory. For the second year in a row, the Blue Devils last home game ended in the best way imaginable.In typical Duke football fashion, some students left the game after halftime to get ready for their Saturday night out, even though the Blue Devils went into the locker room with the lead. Some fans even left after the third quarter with Duke up by one. Those poor unfortunate souls missed out.When I was 15 years old, I went to watch Kentucky play No. 1 LSU in Lexington, my hometown. The Wildcats knocked off the undefeated Tigers in three overtimes, and Kentucky fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts. Although my dad probably would have let me go onto the field, I didn't. I stayed in my seat and watched one of the coolest things I've ever seen in sports. But to this day, my biggest regret as a football fan is that I didn't take to the field that night.I told myself I would never make that mistake again.Thankfully, Duke has given me two opportunities to repent for my sin. I will be a senior next year, and I might never get another opportunity to storm a football field. I can live with that. Thanks to the incredible seasons the Blue Devils have put together the past two years, I will remember for the rest of my life the times I got to go over the wall and onto the field at Wallace Wade Stadium like a Civil War solider rushing into battle.At the N.C. State game two weeks ago I heard chants of "football school" coming from the home crowd in Wallace Wade. Saturday I chanted it along with most of the stadium. We may not be a "football school" for a long time, or ever, but the Blue Devils gave us a chance to celebrate like it Saturday, and that's good enough for me.
(11/20/13 2:46am)
Highlights from Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's weekly press conference
(11/14/13 11:28am)
The Blue Devils have not beaten the Hurricanes since Miami joined the ACC in 2004.
(11/13/13 3:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last Saturday against N.C. State, Duke had the chance to win its seventh game of the season and secure the program's first winning record since 1994.Thanks to late-game heroics from DeVon Edwards, and a more subtle, but equally important, performance by Brandon Connette, the 7-2 Blue Devils edged out the Wolfpack by scoring three touchdowns in less than 30 seconds in the fourth quarter.Duke heads into Saturday's matchup against Miami with the chance to win their eighth game of the season.The Blue Devils are on pace to have a season unlike any the program has seen in recent history. To find precedent for what Duke has done, and could potentially do, this year, one has to dig deep into the archives of Blue Devil football.The first important historical date is 1994. That year Fred Goldsmith's team won eight games and finished tied for third in the ACC final standings. Duke has won eight or more games in a season 14 times, but all but two of those seasons occurred before 1962.It has been even longer since the Blue Devils had a nine-win season, but of Duke's three remaining opponents, two have losing records and all three are without their best offensive player for the remainder of the season. The Blue Devils could very well take two of their final three games, finishing the season 9-3 and with five wins in the ACC.Typically I am not one to speculate about where a team could end up at the end of a season or start marking games down as automatic wins or losses. But the magnitude of what Duke could do with its remaining three games has to be noted, and it's important to understand the potentially historic season the Blue Devils are putting together this year.It's been a few years since Duke won nine games in a season. Oh did I say years? I meant decades. The Blue Devils last finished the season with nine victories in 1941, the same year the U.S. entered WWII and large crowds were banned on the West Coast for fear of a Japanese invasion. It was just that fear, and a great football season, that allowed Duke to host the Rose Bowl that year at Wallace Wade Stadium (it was called Duke Stadium until 1967) instead of at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. In the only Rose Bowl ever played outside of Pasadena, the Blue Devils fell to Oregon State 20-16.Duke has only won nine games four times in program history. After the Blue Devils started playing at least ten games a year in 1928, Duke secured all four of its nine-win seasons from 1933 to 1941, all with legendary coach Wallace Wade at the helm. The Blue Devils were a national powerhouse for roughly a decade, but have not reached the nine-win plateau since the 1941 season.Nine wins would be a huge achievement for the 2013 Blue Devils. But if Duke wins out it will do something it has never done in program history—finish the regular season with 10 wins. Initial odds have Miami as a three point favorite this weekend, and the Hurricanes will present a tough test for the Blue Devils, but a win against the Hurricanes would make the 10-win mark a very attainable goal.What's more, Duke controls its own destiny in the ACC as long as Clemson beats Georgia Tech this weekend—the Tigers are a 10.5-point favorite. Duke will play for the conference championship against Florida State if Clemson wins Saturday and the Blue Devils beat Miami, Wake Forest and North Carolina.Prior to 2005, the ACC championship was crowned at the end of the regular season without a final matchup between the leading team in each of the conference's two divisions. Duke has never played in the conference championship game.The Blue Devils have been ACC champions several times, though. But it has similarly been a long time.With eight wins on the year, Duke tied for first place in 1989 under head coach Steve Spurrier, but that was before Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech joined the conference. The Blue Devils haven't won the ACC outright since 1962, before even Georgia Tech was a member of the conference.Of course all this talk of precedents and the potentially historic implications of Duke's season is speculation. But even if the Blue Devils lose all three of their final games—unlikely—this year has already been one for the record books. For the freshman class—many of whom were born after the magical 1994 season—this is the best year Duke has had in their entire lifetimes. Only a handful of upperclassmen might have been old enough to remember the Blue Devils' last winning season.Regardless of where Duke finishes at the end of November, the Blue Devils have already made 2013 a historic season—Duke will play in a bowl game for the second year in a row, something no other Blue Devil squad has done. The final three weeks of the season will determine if Duke can achieve other program firsts. For Blue Devil fans everywhere, 2013 will certainly be a year for the record books, no matter how it all ends up.
(11/13/13 3:48am)
Sights and sounds from Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's weekly press conference.
(11/08/13 3:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Remember, remember, the month of November.Fresh off an undefeated October, the Blue Devils will head into the final month of the regular season looking to improve upon a 1-19 November record during head coach David Cutcliffe's five years at the helm.When Duke welcomes crosstown foe N.C. State to Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday at 4 p.m., the Blue Devils will have a chance to pick up their seventh win of the season—securing a winning record for the first time since 1994."Win or lose, it's still the best part of college football," Cutcliffe said about the final month of the regular season. "It's never easy, but it's not supposed to be easy. It's not for the average teams. We want to do something special, and we know what we have to do. Whether we will or won't, that's anybody's guess right now."Not only are the Blue Devils (6-2, 2-2 in the ACC) trying to improve their standing for potential bowl bids, but they are also trying to assert themselves as North Carolina's premier football team. Last year Duke won both of its conference matchups against in-state rivals, defeating Wake Forest and North Carolina. Three of the Blue Devils' last four games this year are against in-state opponents, starting with the Wolfpack."It's a big game for us for lots of reasons, but mostly because it's a crosstown rival," Cutcliffe said. "I think it's fun for the fanbases to have this opportunity, for both schools, to have this game."Duke enters Saturday's matchup on a four-game win streak, and the Wolfpack (3-5, 0-5) are on a four-game losing streak. Plagued by injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball, N.C. State is winless in conference play and only has two wins against FBS teams.Quarterback Brandon Mitchell broke his foot in the Wolfpack's season opener against Louisiana Tech and missed five games before returning to action against Florida State two weeks ago. But Mitchell has looked out of sync since his return, throwing two picks and no touchdowns against the Seminoles and then again against North Carolina last week. Backup Pete Thomas threw for more than 1,300 yards in Mitchell's stead, completing 60.8 percent of his passes. Duke will most likely see a combination of Mitchell and Thomas Saturday.Although struggles at quarterback and injuries to key wide receivers Bryan Underwood and Johnathan Alston have hampered the Wolfpack offense, N.C. State's running game has found some success. The Wolfpack averages 184.1 rushing yards per game. But N.C. State only scores 23 points per game despite its success on the ground.One bright spot for the Wolfpack this year has been its special teams, especially its kicking game. Junior Niklas Slade has hit 17-of-19 field goal attempts and has only one miss from inside 50 yards."Their place kicker is tremendous," Cutcliffe said. "Their punter is doing a good job. They're second in the conference in punt returns. They're doing a lot of things really well there."The Blue Devils took advantage of a bye week to get healthy following their upset victory against Virginia Tech two weeks ago.Senior cornerback Ross Cockrell went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter against the Hokies and only played one snap in the second half. Linebackers Kelby and Kyler Brown, who have both battled injuries this season, also spent much of the bye week working to get back to 100 percent."One of the biggest issues we've faced since we've been here is having enough players to stay healthy for November," Cutcliffe said. "We can't hide behind that right now. That's not who we are. We're a pretty healthy football team for November."With a slew of healthy running backs, Cutcliffe and his staff made the decision to utilize senior tailback Juwan Thompson as a linebacker. Thompson recorded three tackles in one series against Virginia Tech, and will continue to see action on the defensive side of the ball. Thompson adds an element of speed to the banged up linebacking corps, a unit that has proved effective this season despite health issues.Duke's experienced line and youthful but talented secondary have also contributed to the best Blue Devil defense in the Cutcliffe era. Duke has held its opponents scoreless in seven quarters during its past three games, including a first half shutout against Virginia Tech and second half shutouts against Navy and Troy. The Blue Devils are giving up just 22.5 points per game, the 36th-best scoring defense in the nation."This goes all the way back to spring practice and rebuilding this defensive system," Cutcliffe said. "[Defensive coordinator] Jim Knowles has done a tremendous job in that regard. I think it has made it easier for us to adjust and apply a few new things and find things that we need in the second half."Duke has not played in Wallace Wade Stadium since its Oct. 12 matchup against the Midshipmen. The Blue Devils return to Durham for the first of four remaining games against ACC opponents and a chance to knock off an in-state rival that they have only played three times in the past decade."Human nature is going to take over when you play North Carolina State or North Carolina or Wake Forest, anybody that there is a close tie to," Cutcliffe said. "I like to see the [fans] get cranked up.... When I was at Ole Miss, it was LSU and Mississippi State. If you didn't change, then you didn't belong there. There is something wrong with you. Fan or player or coach, that's the kind of mentality you expect to see."
(11/06/13 10:20am)
Duke secured a bowl bid last season by beating North Carolina Oct. 20, and Blue Devil fans rushed the field to celebrate the landmark victory. But Duke could not capitalize on this momentum and proceeded to lose its last four games of the regular season.
(11/06/13 4:06am)
Duke head coach David Cutcliffe discusses the upcoming matchup with N.C. State in his weekly press conference.
(10/30/13 9:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As soon as I entered the press box in Lane Stadium last weekend I saw a sign making it clear that cheering for either team would result in immediate removal. I have seen these signs and heard similar announcements at every college football game I have covered.If you have ever been a true sports fan, you know what it's like to scream at the top of your lungs until your voice is hoarse, jump up and down until your calves are sore and pour every ounce of passion and energy into cheering for your team. If you have ever spent time in a press box or media room at a major sporting event, you are aware of the very professional, almost stuffy atmosphere that characterizes the working environment of the sports journalist.By now, I'm used to this setting, and I can control my fanatical urges to jump and chant and scream for my team.But it's been a long process, and there have been slip-ups along the way.Last year I travelled to Blacksburg to watch the 5-1 Blue Devils try to make history—Duke had never beaten Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium and a win would send the Blue Devils to a bowl game for the first time in 18 years. While I sat in the press box preparing to cover the game, I fought to mask my excitement and optimism with a sense of professionalism.But as the game began, the fan in me quickly started to take control. Duke scored the game's first touchdown. Then the Blue Devils added a field goal, then another field goal and then another touchdown. Before the end of the first quarter, I looked out across the stadium at more than 66,000 Hokies fans sitting in silence, their team in an early 20-0 hole.Although it appeared that a rout was underway, I didn't stand up and cheer or yell out loud as Duke dominated the early stages of the game. But I definitely got on the nerves of the sullen Virginia Tech student writers sitting next to me in the press box. I could sense their disbelief and anger, but I didn't care—I could not hide my excitement. I was toeing the line between a professional sports writer and a college sports fan, and they weren't happy about it.Then it all came crashing down, and I watched in horror as the Hokies scored 41 straight points. For the final three quarters of the game, I was a model of professionalism, totally silent. The two Virginia Tech writers smirked as the onslaught worsened. I probably deserved the cool contempt I felt from them for the game's final three quarters, a penance for my lack of self-control during the first quarter. But it was not easy to sit through, and I learned not to wear my emotions on my sleeve while working.Last weekend I got the opportunity to return to Blacksburg, and the whole experience felt a lot like it did last year.Like last year, a five-win Blue Devil squad traveled north to try and make history by winning in Lane Stadium. The sixth win would make Duke bowl eligible for the second year in a row, a program first.And just like last year, the Blue Devils got the better of Virginia Tech to begin the game. At halftime, Duke led 6-0 thanks to two 50-plus-yard field goals by sophomore Ross Martin. The Blue Devil defense held the Hokies scoreless for the entire first half, something not even Alabama's defense could do. Despite the slim lead, things looked pretty good for Duke, and the creeping optimism of a fan began to eclipse my sense of professionalism. I managed to keep my emotions in check, barely, as the third quarter got underway.After Anthony Boone's 9-yard touchdown run put Duke up 13-0 midway through the quarter, I was so excited that I could barely sit. But unlike last year, I remained calm, even though it looked like everything was going the Blue Devils' way.But at the end of the third quarter Virginia Tech marched 99 yards down the field for a touchdown, cutting Duke's lead to six. The Hokie offense started to pick up steam, manufacturing drives that just barely missed in putting points on the board thanks to two blown field goal attempts by Cody Journell. It was beginning to look like the Blue Devils would fall apart like they had a year ago.Duke's offense was nonexistent, and the defense was holding on by a thread. With 5:09 left to play, Logan Thomas and the Hokie offense took over near midfield, and there was an inevitable feeling that Virginia Tech would score and escape the upset, once again dashing Duke's hopes of a historic win.But on the second play of the drive, Kelby Brown intercepted a pass from Thomas and everything changed. With momentum in their favor, the Blue Devils held onto the ball for the rest of the game and secured their sixth win and a landmark upset.Needless to say, I could barely control myself when Brown came down with the ball. I kept quiet, made all the preparations to write my postgame story and then headed down to the field for interviews. Elated on the inside but all business in outward appearance, it was roughly an hour-and-a-half after game's end that I finally left the stadium.Last year's trip to Blacksburg ended in disappointment and embarrassment, both for myself in the press box and for Duke on the football field. This year the Blue Devils came out on top and I also got the last laugh—outside the press box, of course.
(10/29/13 8:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Redshirt junior linebacker Kelby Brown and sophomore kicker Ross Martin both earned ACC Player of the Week honors after their performances against then-No. 16 Virginia Tech Saturday. Both Brown and Martin played integral roles in Duke's 13-10 win in Blacksburg, Va., where the Blue Devils had never won until Saturday's matchup.Brown, who also earned Walter Camp Foundation National Player of the Week honors, racked up 14 tackles and one tackle for loss against Virginia Tech. But Brown's shining moment came late in the game, with an interception that sealed Duke's landmark upset.Down just six points with 5:09 left to play in the fourth quarter, Logan Thomas and the Hokie offense took the field. Starting the drive at its own 44-yard line, Virginia Tech looked poised to score and crush the Blue Devils' upset hopes.On the second play of the drive, Thomas dropped back to pass but could not find an open receiver downfield. He tried to dump the ball off underneath the secondary's coverage, but linebacker David Helton tipped the pass and sent the ball high into the air. Brown jumped up, snatched the ball and came to the ground, where he was immediately planted by a Virginia Tech offensive lineman. But Brown held on, and Duke would hold the ball for the rest of the game to secure the upset."[Duke's linebacking corps] contributed a number of big plays," Blue Devil head coach David Cutcliffe said. "Kelby is getting healthier. When you see Kelby playing at full strength, you're going to see a guy who I think is an All-American football player."After a scoreless first quarter, Martin got an opportunity to put Duke on the board early in the second period. The Blue Devils started their second drive of the quarter on their own 45-yard line, but made just one first down before the drive came to a halt. Facing a fourth-and-7 from the Hokies' 33-yard line, Martin trotted onto the field for a 51-yard attempt. Martin nailed the kick and gave Duke the 3-0 lead.At the end of the second quarter, Martin would get an opportunity to extend the Blue Devils' lead. The Duke offense took the field with just 42 seconds left in the half, and moved the ball 37 yards to the Virginia Tech 35-yard line before sending Martin out for another try. With two seconds remaining on the clock, Martin lined up for a 53-yard attempt. As time expired, Martin's kick sailed through the uprights to give the Blue Devils a 6-0 halftime lead.Martin is the only player in the nation this year to knock down two kicks of 50-plus yards in one game, earning him ACC Player of the Week honors."The other day I tested him on one, and he was able to hit a 59-yarder with room to spare," Cutcliffe said. "We've put him under pressure in practice and he responded in practice. That's one of the reasons I went ahead and attempted the first kick, was I felt good about him making it. He didn't disappoint, that's for sure."
(10/28/13 9:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>BLACKSBURG, Va.—The Duke defense did something amazing Saturday, making a Spartan-like stand to come away from Blacksburg with a landmark win.After Anthony Boone scampered nine yards into the end zone to put the Blue Devils up 13-0 with 6:14 left in the third quarter, the defense dug in and held off against Virginia Tech's late-game comeback to seal the upset victory."Before the game I told our players this isn't just going to be 60 minutes and that it was going to be a three-and-a-half hour game," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "They were going to have to be mentally tough the entire game. We played a very physical football team, and I thought our guys matched the physicalness tonight and at times took the lead."The Blue Devil defense took Cutcliffe's message to heart, and put together a complete game effort to stifle the Virginia Tech offense.Just looking at the postgame statistics, it remains somewhat of a mystery how Duke was able to pull off the historic upset.The Hokies dominated time of possession, holding the ball for almost 40 minutes of the game. The Blue Devils maintained possession for just 20:33, barely half the time of possession of Virginia Tech. In the second half alone, as Duke clung to a slim lead, the Hokies held the ball for more than 19 minutes, keeping the Blue Devil defense on the field for long stretches of time.Duke failed to convert on third down only once during the entire game, going 0-for-11 on third down attempts. Boone didn't even complete a pass in the second half. The fact that the Blue Devils knocked off a ranked opponent despite these offensive numbers is a testament to the toughness and determination of their defense."Numbers are great and all, but they don't matter," linebacker Kelby Brown said. "What matters is that one, and that's a win."Lane Stadium is a hostile environment for any team to enter—Duke had never won there before Saturday. A sloppy first half by both teams' offenses kept the crowd of more than 63,000 in check. The Blue Devil defense picked off Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas twice—including once in the end zone—continually frustrating Virginia Tech's offense. The Hokies headed into the locker room at halftime scoreless for the first time all year, and the home fans seemed shocked at the first half's results.Virginia Tech took the second half's opening kickoff and began its march down the field, looking like a different team than the one that came out to start the game. The Hokies took to the ground and pounded the ball all the way to Duke's 37-yard line, where they faced a fourth-and-1. Thomas handed the ball off to tailback Trey Edmunds on the right side, but the Blue Devils stretched the play out and took down Edmunds for no gain, killing Virginia Tech's best drive of the game to that point.For the rest of the half, Duke's defense would continue to bend but not break, allowing the Hokies to rack up yardage, but making the big plays necessary to limit their scoring.Despite the defense's valiant game-long effort, Virginia Tech scored a touchdown to cap the third quarter and the final period began to look like it belonged to the Hokies.Down just six points, Virginia Tech received the ball on its own 44-yard line after punter Will Monday shanked a punt for just 29 yards. With 5:09 left in the game and all the momentum in their favor, the Hokies looked ready march down the field and kill Duke's upset hopes.After Virginia Tech running back J.C. Coleman took the first down handoff up the middle for a 4-yard gain, Thomas dropped back to pass on second down. With the pocket closing in around him, Thomas threw the ball short over the middle, where it was tipped in the air by Duke linebacker David Helton and grabbed by Brown. Helton jumped up in the air to catch the ball, came to the ground and took a big hit from a Virginia Tech offensive lineman. But Brown held on for the interception, effectively sealing the Duke victory."I got hit pretty hard," Brown said. "I was just glad to have that ball when I got up. That's all that mattered."The Blue Devils picked off Thomas four times on the day, made two big fourth down stops and held the Hokies to just 4.6 yards per play. When it looked like Virginia Tech was on its way to a comeback victory, the defense made huge plays to secure Duke's biggest win of the season—one of the most important victories in program history.After the game, Cutcliffe held a somewhat unorthodox press conference—even with a small group of reporters gathered around him for an informal postgame availability, he was too excited to sit down."I'm just not in the mood to sit," Cutcliffe made clear before discussing the significance of the win. "The first thing I said in the locker room is, 'that's a historical victory that you young men just pulled off.' They should be proud of that."
(10/23/13 9:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In his weekly press conference Tuesday, head coach David Cutcliffe talked about the annual meeting of ACC football coaches, held on Amelia Island off the coast of eastern Florida. Cutcliffe described what goes on behind closed doors when the conference's coaches get together during the spring.He indicated that while most people see college football in terms of numbers and statistics, the ACC coaches' meetings focus more on the individual student-athletes. The talks revolve around issues like player safety, fair recruiting practices, academic standards and what policies are best for the league in general.The spring meeting serves as the primary venue to have conference-wide discussions about these important issues. Cutcliffe referred to the growing number of reality shows on television and indicated that he would like to see some cameras at the Amelia Island meetings to capture the true nature of what is really important to the ACC's coaches.Cucliffe's comments drew polite laughter from the media in attendance at the press conference then quickly took a backseat to the possibility of Duke winning its sixth game of the year this weekend against Virginia Tech and becoming bowl eligible.But I lingered on what Cutcliffe said. There really are an absurd amount of reality shows on television today. If Alabama's Hoover High School football team can have its own show (Two-A-Days aired on MTV in 2006 and 2007), then I think it is high time Cutcliffe had a show of his own.Without further ado, I present the weekly reality show based on David Cutcliffe's exploits as the head coach of the Duke University football team.We'll call it 'Life of Cutcliffe.'Week 1In the first episode, we are introduced to Coach Cutcliffe, or simply 'Coach Cut.' We also meet some of members of the football team, who are trying to make it to a bowl game for the second year in a row. This has never been done at Duke, and the potentially historic accomplishment has the football program buzzing. Coach K is caught on camera wearing a Duke football shirt.Cutcliffe steals the show from its very first scenes. The shows initial viewer ratings get a huge boost thanks to Cut's smooth Alabama accent. (Shortly after the first episode airs, Bojangles hires Cutcliffe on a one-year contract to appear in their sweet tea advertisements due to the public's infatuation with his Southern drawl.)Week 3Duke has started the season off 2-0, something the program hasn't done since 1998. The university's student body population seems somewhat unconcerned with the team's early-season success, but the football program is clearly on the upswing.By this point the show's fans are growing accustomed to some of Cutcliffe's habitual sayings and personal anecdotes. When Cut talks about 'explosives,' viewers no longer wonder what bombs have to do with college football (explosives are Cutcliffe's term for big offensive plays). After hearing countless stories, viewers also have a decent idea of how much backyard football Cutcliffe played as a child and how those experiences have translated to the college level.Week 8The highlight of this week's episode is a phone conversation between Coach Cut and Thad Lewis, a former Duke quarterback now starting for the Buffalo Bills. Viewers get a sense of how much Cut cares about his former players as he congratulates Lewis on his recent victory over the Miami Dolphins. Cutcliffe also gets a call from Eli Manning, his star quarterback from his days at Mississippi. Cut congratulates Manning and his first win of the season, and the two share a laugh about Peyton's new underwear commercial (Cut also coached Eli's older brother.)The show's producers decide to get a better idea of what the football players are up to off the field. After hearing that the team is headed to a western-themed bar called Shooters II following the big win on Saturday, the cameras trail the Blue Devils there. After some debate, it is decided that if the footage is aired on major television networks the show might be cancelled. The producers were nervous about airing content that might violate the FCC's restrictions on indecent programming prior to 10:00 p.m. Duke students who watch the show respond in droves, expressing their gratitude for the decision not to air the footage.Week 16Duke finishes the year with a winning record and receives a bowl bid. The show finishes on a high note and brings home the Emmy for best reality television program, barely edging out 'The Voice' for the top spot. Cutcliffe signs a new contract and the show makes plans to follow the Blue Devils in 2014.Unfortunately someone leaks the forgotten-about footage from Shooters II, and a strong public outcry results in the show's cancellation. Coach Cut is relieved to be out of the limelight and the Duke football team gears up for the 2014 season and a chance at a third-consecutive post season appearance.
(10/22/13 10:51pm)
News and notes from Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's weekly press conference.
(10/18/13 10:14am)
Since head coach David Cutcliffe came to Durham in 2008, Duke has defeated Virginia in four of its five matchups.
(10/16/13 10:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>"It's a great win for Penn State," head coach Bill O'Brien said just minutes after his team's four-overtime game against rival Michigan.The Nittany Lions battled back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, tying the game on true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg's 1-yard run with just 27 seconds left to play. Michigan's Brendan Gibbons, a fifth-year senior, missed a 52-yard field goal with two seconds left to play in regulation, sending the game to its first overtime and foreshadowing his team's eventual downfall.The Wolverines should have won the game. Penn State kicker Sam Ficken pushed a 40-yard field goal wide right in the first overtime period, essentially ensuring Michigan's victory. But on the ensuing drive, the Nittany Lions blocked Gibbons' attempt, sending the game to a second overtime.Both teams traded field goals before once again, the Wolverines seemed on their way to victory after Penn State lost a fumble on its first play of the third overtime period. But Gibbons, who holds the Michigan record with 16 consecutive made field goals from 2012 to early 2013, missed a 33-yarder wide left.Gibbons would nail a 40-yarder to start the fourth overtime period, but it would not be enough for the Wolverines. It took the Nittany Lions eight plays to move the ball 25 yards for the game-winning touchdown, a 2-yard run by Bill Belton.Game over. Cue the eruption of 107,884 Penn State fans all participating in one of Happy Valley's famed white-outs. The entire Nittany Lion football team sprints towards Belton in the end zone, and Penn State moves to 4-2 on the year and garners it first victory against a ranked opponent in the O'Brien era.But Saturday's victory was much more than that for O'Brien, the Penn State football program and the university as a whole.One of the most historic football programs in the nation, the Nittany Lions also fell harder than any other program in football history in 2011. The Jerry Sandusky scandal shocked the nation, tarnished the program and forced the winningest coach in college football history out of his job.That's Joe Paterno. Before the NCAA forced him to vacate 111 of his career wins as head coach, Paterno had racked up 409 victories, all at the helm of the Nittany Lions. JoePa died just months after his dismissal, after 62 years on the Penn State coaching staff.Sandusky's arrest and Paterno's death left the program in turmoil. Thanks to the NCAA's decree that Penn State transfers would not have to sit out a year if they left Happy Valley, which as you can imagine, wasn't so happy anymore. Fifteen players bolted from the crumbling program. A slew of recruits also decommited. After all, no one wants to spend four years playing for a team banned from postseason play. If not for O'Brien and the strong internal leadership of the coaching staff, the exodus of talent away from Penn State could have been even worse.Despite the program's epic fall from the legendary Paterno era to the shameful Sandusky scandal and the brutal NCAA sanctions, O'Brien managed to lead his team to an 8-4 campaign in 2012. Capping the season with a 24-21 overtime victory at home against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions finished the year on a high note, despite the postseason ban.This season brings renewed hope to Penn State, and the NCAA has even reduced its scholarship sanctions. The Nittany Lions will be allowed five additional scholarship players each year, until they reach the normal allotment of 85 by the 2016 season.Despite this small concession, the program still remains in the shadow of perhaps the NCAA's most infamous scandal. But O'Brien's team is slowly making its way back into a positive light, and Saturday's victory was one of their biggest steps thus far.I am not really a Penn State fan. Nor do I dislike Michigan. But I was rooting for the Nittany Lions on Saturday. And who wouldn't be?Yes, what Sandusky did at Penn State was atrocious—unforgivable even. That Paterno probably knew something was wrong and did nothing to stop it is also terrible. And yes, the Nittany Lions probably did deserve sanctions from the NCAA, although no punishment could truly compensate for what Sandusky did to his victims over the years.O'Brien, who also served as Duke's offensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006, left the New England Patriots to resurrect a program that had sunk as far as a college football program can go. I am a Bill O'Brien fan. And the man was voted ESPN Coach of the Year in 2012, so apparently I am not alone.Hackenberg, the true freshman who led the Nittany Lions on their improbable fourth quarter comeback drive, signed knowing that he would not have the chance to play in the postseason until his senior year. One of the top quarterback prospects in the nation, he could have accepted scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida or Miami, to name a few. But instead, Hackenberg chose O'Brien and the project that is Penn State football. I am a Christian Hackenberg fan.The Nittany Lions' victory against No. 18 Michigan means more to the program than just another tally in the win column. It shows signs of overcoming the worst of circumstances. It is another step in the rebuilding process that will take years. But Bill O'Brien and Christian Hackenberg certainly have Penn State on the right track.Moving forward, the Nittany Lions still have a long way to go to overcome the atrocities of Sandusky's deplorable transgressions and Paterno's fall from grace. But they are headed in the right direction, and beating Michigan was a sign of promise for a program trying to find its way back into the light.Long after the game's end, Happy Valley rang out with Penn State's trademark cheer. Some people, like me, might have even joined in from home.We are, Penn State.
(10/15/13 10:36pm)
Generic Script
(10/09/13 9:40am)
Without a doubt, college football provides the most exciting tiebreaker in the world of sports.
(10/08/13 8:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jeremy Cash's most vivid memory on the field as an Ohio State football player came in the Buckeyes' 2011 matchup with Michigan. Wolverine wideout Jeremy Gallon fielded a first-quarter kickoff and returned it almost to midfield before Cash made the stop.It would be his last tackle in an Ohio State uniform.
(10/02/13 8:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following week five of the college football season, pundits across the nation have ramped up discussion about Heisman Trophy candidates. Now that most teams have at least four games under their belts, players are starting to build the jaw-dropping statistical figures necessary to merit consideration for college football's greatest individual honor.Some of the names at the top of the lists thus far include quarterbacks Marcus Mariota of Oregon, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Tajh Boyd of Clemson. Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Georgia's Aaron Murray also sit close to the top of many early-season Heisman rankings.If I were to say that Brandon Connette's name should also sit atop these Heisman lists, people might think me a crazy person. But just for discussion's sake, let's look at how Connette's numbers this season stack up to some other Heisman contenders.Through five games this year, Connette has thrown for 1,022 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 64.1 percent of his passes. His 11 passing touchdowns are tied for the 11th-most in the nation. Murray has also thrown 11 touchdowns, while Boyd and Mariota only have nine passing touchdowns apiece.Connette has also racked up 259 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Only 11 players in all the BCS have more than six rushing touchdowns thus far, and none of those players are quarterbacks. Connette has as many scores on the ground as Murray, Bridgewater and Manziel combined.Duke has posted 180 points this season—Connette is responsible for 102 of them. Only Oregon State's Sean Mannion and Utah State's Chuckie Keeton have scored more points for their teams. Manziel, who currently sits at either No. 1 or No. 2 on the majority of Heisman rankings, also has 102 points to his name this season. Bridgewater, Marieta and Murray only have 84 points scored this season.When analyzing these gaudy numbers, keep in mind that Connette didn't even start the first two games of the season, although he did see significant action against N.C. Central in the season opener and played almost three full quarters against Memphis in week two.Anthony Boone threw for 275 yards and also scored two rushing touchdowns in five quarters of play before going down with a collarbone injury against the Tigers. Presumably some of that production would have fallen to Connette, thus improving his statistical numbers, had he been the starter from day one.Connette is scoring points for the Blue Devils at a rate similar to that of Peyton Manning, a David Cucliffe product from his days at Tennessee, for the Denver Broncos. But Connette's status as a capable quarterback is, curiously enough, still up in the air.On top of his monster touchdown numbers, Connette also has six interceptions to his name this season, good enough to tie for the seventh-most thrown by any BCS quarterback. Four of those interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, came in a week four loss to Pittsburgh.After Connette assumed the role as full-time starter with Boone sidelined by injury, it became unclear how Duke's offense would perform without its lead signal caller. Connette certainly does not have Boone's arm strength and has struggled a bit throwing the deep ball. He also does not have the pinpoint short-to-medium range accuracy that 2012 graduate Sean Renfree possessed. But Connette continues to put up big numbers, despite naysayers that criticize his unrefined throwing skills.Yes, Connette still has a long way to go before he should actually be compared to Heisman favorites like Manziel, Boyd or Murray. His decision making is improving—he threw only one interception against Troy after four against the Panthers—but Connette is still not the polished quarterback that we would expect to see when observing huge numbers on the stat sheet. Connette will still let go of some errant passes that end up slightly behind receivers or bouncing off the turf.But Connette has also shown flashes of brilliance, like his completion on third-and-20 to freshman Johnell Barnes last Saturday against the Trojans. With two defensive backs blanketing Barnes, Connette floated the ball beautifully into Barnes' hands as he streaked down the sideline. The 50-yard gain from Duke's own 18-yard line sparked the Blue Devils' fourth touchdown drive of the day and increased the lead over Troy to 14 points—a lead the Trojans would not be able to overcome.The jury will likely remain out on Connette for the time being. His offensive numbers are hard to ignore, but also not proof that Connette is an elite quarterback. One thing that is certain, though, is that the new Blue Devil signal caller is improving every week thanks to first-team reps in practice—a scary thought for Duke's upcoming opponents.
(09/25/13 10:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every year college football rivalry games take place across the nation. Although some of these contests are played purely for pride and bragging rights, a select handful also offer the victor a special reward—a rivalry trophy.Some of these trophies have fairly dull names. For instance, Louisville claimed the Governor's Cup with a 27-13 win against Kentucky September 14, one of the first trophy games to be played this year.But some have trophies with names that are hard to forget.Brigham Young and Utah State play for the Old Wagon Wheel. Notre Dame and Southern California introduced the Jeweled Shillelagh (What the heck is a Shillelagh?) in 1952 to commemorate an already decades-old rivalry. And Michigan and Minnesota fight over perhaps college football's most uninspiring trophy, the Little Brown Jug, year after year.The Bayou Bucket, the Beehive Boot, the Golden Egg, the Old Brass Spittoon, Paul Bunyan's Ax—there is no end to the creativity behind some of these prized trophies.Despite these absurd-sounding trophy names, their significance should not be understated. They represent the visceral, very real reward for some of college football's most heated rivalry games. Teams tear each other apart for the honor to proudly display these awards on their respective campuses until next year's game rolls around, and the battle begins again.Take Duke's rivalry game against North Carolina for instance. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have played for the Victory Bell since 1948, after a cheerleader from each school teamed up to design the trophy and acquired the bell from an old railroad train.Despite the trophy's relatively simple design—just an old bell on a small platform—its importance as a symbol of pride is immense. When Duke upset North Carolina 33-30 in Durham last year, Blue Devil players ran to the Victory Bell and joyously took turns ringing it in front of fans—including me—who stormed the field. Duke had not beaten the Tar Heels and rung the Victory Bell since 2003.With the importance of the Victory Bell and other rivalry trophies in mind, I wonder if the Blue Devils ever thought about establishing any of these other trophy games:The Battle for the BullAlthough Duke and North Carolina Central, both located in Durham, played this year for just the third time ever, there is something inherently rivalrous about two teams from the same city playing against each other. It doesn't matter that the Eagles are in the FCS, essentially the minor leagues of college football. Crosstown rivals deserve a trophy to fight over, and I have just the thing—a bronze bull.After all, Durham is the "Bull City." Prior to the Duke-North Carolina Central matchups in 2012 and 2013, cross country runners from both schools began their race, the "Bull City Classic," in Wallace Wade Stadium. The Durham Bulls, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, play underneath the watchful eye of a giant bull whose eyes turn red when someone hits a home run. To simplify, bulls are a big deal in Durham.A large bronze bull statue sits in the middle of downtown. A smaller version of this statue would serve perfectly as the trophy for the Blue Devils' rivalry game with the Eagles.The Golden CalculatorDuke has played Georgia Tech 81 times since 1933, when the teams first met. The Blue Devils joined the ACC under its original charter in 1953, and the Yellow Jackets joined in 1978, so the two programs have spent more than three decades playing in the same conference. There is plenty of history here to warrant a rivalry trophy.Since Duke and Georgia Tech are the premier engineering schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a trophy game could also draw on the academic rivalry between these two schools. What better award for the winner of the rivalry game than the Golden Calculator? Whichever school wins the game would get to etch the name of its engineering school's valedictorian on the back of the trophy so that it could be admired for years to come.The Fight for I-40North Carolina State, located in Raleigh, lies just 25 miles away from Durham down Interstate-40. Like Duke and Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils and Wolfpack have also met 81 times—only North Carolina and Wake Forest have faced off against Duke more. Additionally, Durham is almost as close to the North Carolina State campus as it is to Chapel Hill, so a trophy game between the Blue Devils and the Wolfpack makes sense.Since I-40 is the main link between the two schools, to the winner of the rivalry game would go the rights to naming a portion of the interstate until the teams' next meeting. From big corporations to boy scout troops, anyone can 'adopt a highway' and have it named after them, so it shouldn't be hard for two universities as large as Duke and North Carolina State to secure similar privileges.While the reward isn't a traditional trophy, the principle of bragging rights is the same. And if the Blue Devils win their November 9 matchup with the Wolfpack, the tradition can start this year. North Carolina State fans heading to Durham will have to drive the 'Coach Cut Wolfpack Hunting Zone' stretch of I-40, at least until the rivalry game is renewed.
