Stumble It!
When Coach Cutcliffe took to the podium inside the Spike Yoh Building, the first thing he said was, "Welcome to March Madness!" He was referring to of course, Duke Basketball just about to begin the NCAA Tournament. If you looked around the room, you would see just two TV crews and only a handful of journalists. Yet if you looked just outside in front of Cameron there were three more local TV vans and a bevy of others awaiting the basketball PC. The odd thing is that they seemed unaware of the Spring Football Kickoff Press Conference or either they had ignored it altogether.
I couldn't help but look around wondering what David Cutcliffe was thinking. I mean he is from the SEC where football is King. At his former school Tennessee, they get over 100,000 fans to each football game by boats and cars. Spring Football likely drew three times as many folks in Knoxville than was at last seasons opener for the Blue Devils versus Connecticut where 17,251 attended.
If Coach Cutcliffe was thinking about the lack of media, he hid it well. Much like the day he was introduced as the new football coach he exuded something Duke fans and media weren't use to which was undeniable air of confidence. More importantly, he stayed consistent with what he had said earlier, verbally displaying a plan and letting those there know that the process of revival had already started.
The new era of Duke Football gets underway on the field this Wednesday where 77 players will be drilled in a way that should separate those who want to play and those who will play. "We are going to take a fair and honest look and evaluate everybody on our team," said Cutcliffe. He went on to say that everybody was going into Spring healthy. He also said that to have some order in that a first, second and third team would be created. "You may be third team one day and second the next," said Cutcliffe. He went on, "We are going to make it a very competitive situation," which I took to mean that spots open for those who have the desire to succeed.
It's no secret that not only last seasons special teams, but those in years past have lost several close contests for the Blue Devils. That will be immediately addressed. Cutcliffe and his staff will put early emphasis on special teams. He stated, "No one is hands off. We're going to put the best players on our team out there and our entire staff will assist Coach Middleton. We are going to get a lot of quality work early in protection, coverage and returns as well as evaluate our specialists."
Ron Middleton is a burly fellow who is no nonsense when it comes to football. He readily admits he likes to have fun, but when the whistle blows it's all business and no, well I can't say what he said but you can imagine. There is a reason he has been named Duke Associate Head Coach and it's because his goal is to run a team one day. A huge stepping stone to that goal would be to turn around one of the worst special teams in the country, especially at the skilled slots.
According to Cutcliffe, the goal is for Duke to compete from the first horn to the final horn in every phase of the game. He admits that his team is not there yet, alluding to how disappointed he was with the overall shape of the team when he arrived in Durham. "We will have really intense high tempo, challenging practices and the easy thing to do is give in. That's kind of become a habit here, so early on they didn't know how to respond." He went on to say the team was better but that fatigue was the contributing factor in last seasons inability to close games out in the fourth quarter.
How hard has Duke worked thus far? "The team on a whole has lost 302.6 pounds. They look different and they are moving differently," said Cutcliffe. He was to put his team through a workout this morning to see how far they had come. "If you don't plant well come Spring, you better learn to beg well come Fall," said the coach who then said he was intending to plant well.
How hard will Duke work? Coach says they've had a really good six weeks leading up to Spring, but that they must have a great Spring -- not good, but a great five weeks. "I have to watch myself for we don't have a lot of players. During my first practice at Ole Miss we had to have 19 taken off for IVs, but I am not going to do that his time .. I am a little smarter and older," said Cutcliffe.
The staff will attempt to tweak a defense which returns 19 starters from a team that allowed 33 ppg last season. "Getting people in the right places and to get our speed on the field will be critical for us to be successful," said Cutcliffe. He wants to see how much this side of the ball can absorb, alluding to an "extensive package." "We are going to settle in and find out who does what well. How much coverage we play will depend on what we are capable of being defensively."
The staff will also make sure that a lot of people will go to the ball in an effort to improve tackling. I don't have to tell Duke fans how many attempted arm tackles resulted in big gains over the years. They will also try to take the ball away. "That's not an option not to and we are going to work hard at taking the ball away," said Cutcliffe.
On the offensive side of the ball, Duke will try to establish some sort of a running game. The teams 64 ypg average last season allowed defenses to play off the line of scrimmage, making big plays hared to come by. Offensive Coordinator, Kurt Roper has already been studying last seasons games on film and he will be one of the chief architects in finding a solution for a glaring weakness.
"We have to become a more physical football team to compete in this league," said Cutcliffe and that means along the line of scrimmage. It's no secret a solid line which can work as a unit can allow plays to happen. The Devils's boss knows that Eron Riley (20.8 avg, 9 T.D.'s) is a proven commodity, but he will seek others to step forward. "I am anxious to see where our play makers are going to come from." While nobody may immediately come to mind, a different offensive scheme will certainly allow a motivated young man to come into his own.
Duke returns Thadeus Lewis at quarterback and it's top two backups. Lewis threw for 202.5 ypg to go with 21 touchdowns. He will now develop under the man which coached the last two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in Peyton and Eli Manning.
During the conference Cutcliffe commented on Lewis, "Thadeus has a presence that I like and he throws a nice ball on tape." He went on to say that he didn't know what he was looking at or what his thought process was which I took to mean this is an area which must be improved. "The decision making process is what separates a quarterback. It's not only when you do it but where and I am anxious to see if we have a guy who has that," said Cutcliffe.
With two solid backups and the starter back, quarterback should be a strength. You can soon add blue chipper Sean Renfree to the mix. At 6-4 and 210, Renfree fits the mold which Cutcliffe likes. In the end, he will play the best at that position come the home opener on August 30th against James Madison.
As for the offensive line, Duke will install very few blocking schemes in an effort to get them to execute proper techniques. "We are going to get two guys on a board and find out who can whip who and they will do that until they learn how to be physical and learn how to win," said Cutcliffe.
Duke will not try to install their entire offense this Spring, focusing more on evaluating each player on noth sides of the ball. They will lay down a base and build upon it. What you can expect are intense physical tests. "We will still throw a lot on them. We are going to put in five days of offense insertion which will be more than enough plays than you would need to run a game. The goal is to see how the team and individuals handle the load.
"When I have watched tape, I've seen us coming close, but then missing a tackle or falling to the ground." said Cut. His staff will attempt to enforce new work habits by watching players on tape from start to finish. Unlike seasons past, he will close the majority of practices which is an expected step towards big time college football.
Duke's new coach promises a different product than fans have been use to. "We are going to have a (Spring) game and I think it is going to be interesting for people to come see," he said. Duke will attempt to encourage the students and locals to come, even going as far to have a concert after the event. There is no secret that Duke has gone to great measures to put Duke in the minds of many. If you are anywhere around downtown Durham, you will see Coaches face plastered on all of the buses. Heck, there is even a billboard in Charlotte which is known for it's UNC alumni.
Coach conceded that Duke may be the least talented team in the league, but he had an answer for that. "We just have to become the best in the league at a lot of things. We just have to make the plays at opportune times to win games. He went on, "We've got enough good football players to win. Let's stop making excuses."
Despite the lack of hullabaloo on opening day, Duke has garnered more interest in football than it has in quite some time. There is no reason why this program cannot turn around and with some sprucing up of Wade it'll be one of the better backdrops for college football around.
So, perhaps the media overlooked the start of Spring Practice, but true fans didn't and in a complete turnabout from the past, Duke fans are talking about more than the basketball team. They are anticipating football and as a long time follower of the many Spring and Fall practices, I can tell you that it's refreshing. Still, as Coach Cutcliffe said, I will be watching March Madness, but I will be checking out football practice in between games.
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2008 Spring Football Game - April 19th, 1 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium, attendance is free! Season ticket packages available on site or or you can go to this link. Game Day events to be announced.
Open Scrimmages - Saturday March 29th
Saturday April 12th
Saturday April 12th
I asked Coach the question about the players who had developed the most since conditioning was introduced and he was kind enough to go down the roster for me. Here are the players mentioned -
Cliff Harris has made a significant difference in his quickness. Raphael Chestnut even though he is hurt has made huge strides. Marcus Jones, Zack Asack, Eron Riley with his speed and his quickness, Re'Quan, Brandon King, , Tony Jackson, Catron Gainey. Vincent Rey moves like a different guy and his lost 15 or so pounds. Tauiliilli has made some strides and fell back a little. He needs to get a little weight off. Akinbiyi ... I call him Greg. I like what our two tackles have done with Fred Roland and Cameron Goldberg. I'm real, real pleased with those guys. Sheldon Bell and Jeremy Ringfield have made some progress. Oghobasse has worked more and made progress, Ayanga. A number of offensive lineman look different. Repress, Harper ... Rucker is starting to move like an athlete again ... Jeffrey Cowart ... a lot of weight. I am missing some ... now I have got to put shoulder pads and helmets on them and see if they can play football. I've seen a lot of them that have made shorts All American team, that just doesn't quite get it later.
More Notes -
- Deep snapper- This position will be a priority. I will be looking out for who mans the center position as well.
- Duke will have two days in shorts this week before they put on pads.
- The format will be 12 minute quarters with limited kicking situations. The goal is to divide the teams up into a Blue and White team and let them compete. Cutcliffe promised an entertaining game on three occasions during the press conference.
- Cutcliffe stated he had learned a lot from watching basketball practices.
By the Numbers -
Returning Starters - (19), Offense 7, Defense 10
Returning Letterman - (50) Offense 20, Defense 27 Special Teams 3
Letterman Lost - (15) Offense 7, Defense 6, Special Teams 2
Cutcliffes Record (HC) - 44-29 Six Seasons Record at Duke - 0-0
Home Games in the Fall - (7) James Madison, Northwestern, Navy, Virginia, Miami, N.C. State, North Carolina
Away Games - (5) Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Clemson, VirginiaTech
If you want more on football and the latest on hoops, join Blue Devil Nation Premium where you'll get extended coverage. I will be at Spring Practice in the coming days and have reports and impressions. There will be an exclusive interview with offensive coordinator Kurt Roper coming and as always the latest on basketball recruiting.