Cutcliffe Era off to a rousing start (corrected)

When Coach Cutcliffe was announced as the new football coach at Duke University, he wasted little time in an attempt to change the culture surrounding Duke Football.  If last nights 31-7 victory over James Madison is any indication he has succeeded to do so on the field.

 

There were more areas to improve upon besides on the field performance, namely the game day atmosphere.  Folks, some people actually complained about the traffic despite getting to Wallace Wade three to five hours before kickoff.  What a pleasant departure that was from days gone by when gripes were related to the lack of atmosphere.

 

There was no shortage of activities to participate in.  Everywhere you looked, tailgates were hopping.  While some enjoyed the company of familiar friends and family, others chose to mingle about campus where the buzz was evident from the Chapel to the stadium.

 

The smell of freshly cooked food permeated the air on this humid August day, but new found hope has it’s own unique smell.  Hope is what Blue Devil faithful have lived for going into  many seasons only to have that optimism dashed shortly after kickoff.

 

I was amazed at how many fans were wearing Duke Blue.  While a few students dressed in various entertaining outfits, the rest adhered to Cut’s wishes.  Those who didn’t got free t-shirts as they walked in and they too were a part of many hits on this day.

 

The biggest hit besides the eventual on field performance was by far the Blue Devils Walk which started at the Chapel and ended at Wallace Wade.  If you missed this inaugural walk, you missed a lot, but not to worry, you have a chance to be there for next weeks Northwestern game.

 

Kids were playing on various inflatable and students munching out and socializing.  New Duke Athletic Director Kevin White was there with the Chapel as a backdrop.  The new Blue Devil Mascot was posing on the steps just behind him and former players and fans were all gathered to greet the 2008-09 Duke Football team.  You could look in all directions and see smiles throughout the courtyard which was filled to the hilt with music and activities.

 

All of a sudden sirens blared through the air.  Two motor cycle policemen came rolling up with two buses in tow, one carrying the offense and one the defense. Fans all started to gather as Coach Cutcliffe was first off the bus.

 

Coach then gathered his team for a brief talk and then a moment of silence.  He wasted no time afterwards turning and leading his team to the sidewalk where fans had gathered in a thick manner on both sides.   Some screamed adoration in a way that was normally saved for the basketball team. 

Speaking of the basketball team, Kyle Singler, Olek Czyz, Nolan Smith and many others were there with various frats, sororities and classmates.  It didn’t take the average observer long to realize that Coach Cutcliife had sold his team and the fact that it was indeed the dawn of a new day

 

As the team walked through, they were greeted in a most genuine way.  The smiles were wide and the emotion and joy was almost shocking compared to events of the past.  The march went all the way through the quad, but it was far from over.  The team was then led across the street by their Coach where another bevy of fans awaited them. 

 

This time the band started playing and the cheerleaders who flanked them led cheers as Coach was escorted by the Blue Devil mascot past Cameron and into Wallace Wade Stadium.  Many coaches would stop to hug their families and players like Thaddues Lewis would reach out to catch many high and side fives. In short, it was an amazing scene of support two and a half hours before the supposed kickoff.

 

I did say supposed kickoff for the game was delayed by storms and lightening just fifteen minutes before kickoff.  The delay ended up being one hour and fifteen minutes, but on this night not even rain could dampen the newfound spirit.

 

Inside the stadium there was indeed a sea of blue on the home side and the return of the students to the home side was both natural and exciting.  The new unified base impressed more than a few as chatter was overheard.

 

I worried when the rain came in as some scrambled for cover.  I worried even more as students headed back to campus in droves.  The wait was difficult and don’t think Coach Cutcliffe didn’t know it   He took the time to come out from the tunnel to talk to the students after the delay was announced.  I then thought to myself, well this will keep the core together and it did.

 

Soon thereafter, music blared and the team rolled out of the tunnel in a cloud of smoke and the start of the season was finally at hand.   Players exhorted the fans and the fans res poned in kind. And the students, to their credit came rolling back through the gates.

 

The student body is to be commended with major props.  It was the best student atmosphere in recent memory for some of us and the best ever for anyone under thirty years of age.  Quite simply, the students added to the experience and more importantly enjoyed themselves.

 

The joy was shared by the hardcore fans and those who decided to give Duke another shot.  Some fans worried that the new car smell would rub off quickly with a loss, but this is the kind of attitude which needs to change.

 

Duke started the game a bit slow and it was obvious they were getting use to playing another team and shaking off some rust during actual game activity.  A nice drive sent the Devils to a 7-0 lead, but JMU responded with a score of their own in just five plays riding the legs of QB Rodney Landers.

 

Duke would score again as time ran out in the first half on a Lewis to Riley pass.  The momentum was huge going into the locker room and Riley and Lewis would hook up again in the second half.  It seemed as if Duke had started to gain their confidence as the half was ending, but with recent history, wait and see was a must.

JMU had a big run back on the opening kickoff opening the 2^nd half.  All of a sudden it looked as if it would be a game that would go to the wire.  Duke not only survived that with the help of an Marshall interception, they went on to shut out the Dukes outscoring them 17-0.  The great thing about this was the fact that Coach Cutcliffe showed the ability to make halftime adjustments and those moves locked up the Dukes passing game.

 

How long has it been since Duke made positive adjustments?  The answer is that most cannot remember!  Then there is the fact that Duke looked fresh – real fresh.  Duke dominated the second half and the 31-7 final could have been worse.

 

As the game wound down, Cutcliffe made his way over to the students and once again thanked them for their support.  He also made it clear that he was changing the culture and that the pulling down of any goal post would come at a later time in  the season.

 

So, Duke Football shined on this rainy night as many walked away happy as fireworks lit up the night sky.  It had been a long time since fans had been the part of a decisive win. 

 

On this same day UNC beat McNeese State in a close game and Maryland slipped past Delaware as well.  Both McNeese State and Delaware were ranked in the FCS top ten, but neither of them was considered to be as good as JMU, a team Duke handled easily.

 

Add disappointing losses by Virginia Tech and Clemson and one could make a case that Duke has the most impressive win during the opening weekend.

 

In ending I would like to give props to all.  Coach Cutcliffes work payed off handsomely, the fans were great and the promotions were on target.  The best thing is that we get to do it all next Saturday evening against Northwestern.  So, come on out to Wallace Wade early and wear your Duke Blue.

Are you ready for some football?

 

 

I’m ready for some football?  Trust me, there will be a lot of newness tomorrow.  New Coach, new hope, new attitude, new uniforms, new cheerleaders in new uniforms, new Devil (you’ll see), new entrance, new traditions born, new closed end scoreboard, new sounds, new promotions, new student section, new programs … you get the picture yet?  Folks, this is the dawn of a new era, so be there early to greet the team during the Blue Devil Walk and soak in the new traditions.  As always the Blue Devil Nation is on the scene and here are a few pictures that may just get you riled up.  That said, be loud, be proud and wear DUKE BLUE!

Game Week – Coach Cutcliffe talks of a new beginning and more

The Blue Devil Nation was once again on hand after this mornings practice and we chatted briefly with Coach Cutcliffe.  This was the last time the media could talk to him during opening game week.  All of the question were asked by Brian Strickland of the Herald Sun and myself.

It’s just over fifty hours before kickoff on Saturday.  What are your feelings at this time?

I feel like we’re prepared.  Today’s practice looked that way.  I thought defensively, offensively and  the kicking game had people where they were supposed to be and knew what to do and were pretty crisp and focused.  This is your dress rehearsal every week on Thursday and you find out a lot about your team.  It’s the first time they’ve seen the way we do things, so I was pleased with it for the most part.

Do you get nervous before the games?

Not really.  I get butterflies like anybody does on occasion from the excitement.  I wouldn’t call it nervousness.  There’s too many things to do to be nervous with last minute things going on.  I enjoy game day and try to enjoy that experience and I want the players to enjoy it.  We’re pretty intense as you guys know that are around here during the week.  On game day, I am going to be intense, but if they’re not ready after this, it’s not their fault, it’s mine.

Coach, you’ve been doing a lot of promotion in the off season.  Do you think that’s been a success?

Absolutely!  I think we’ll see that Saturday night.  I think we’ll see more than a full house.  I don’t say that to keep people from coming, but to encourage them to come for I think it’s going to be mpore fun than they’ve had in Wallace Wade Stadium in a long time.

Coach K had some nice things to say about the program during his press conference yesterday.  Can you give me a brief comment about that?

Certainly!  I appreciate his support from the start, the very beginning.  Here’s a guy bringing home the Gold and he sets his press conference on Wednesday.  I know he’s still tired and just to make the comment that he want’s the press conference  out of the way and everything to be focused on the football team is just unbelievable.  It doesn’t surprise because of who he is.  I sat and kind of measured him up during the press conference … here’s a guy who is a graduate of West Point who played for the winningest coach of all time.  He’s won over 800 games himself, three national titles and now Olympic Gold.  I’m just kind of looking at him saying, “whats next?” 

Can you talk about OL Kyle Hill and what he’s done?

He’s done a really nice job to come out and start in his first game as an offensive lineman.  He takes a lot of pride and he is athletic.  I think it gives us one of the most athletic sides of the line with him and Cameron Goldberg.  I like athletes, you guys know that.  Neither one of them have an ounce on them.  I look forward to seeing Kyle compete.  I’m sure he’ll make some mistakes, but if you are going to make them, do it is full speed which is one of my motto’s.

You will be back on the field as a head coach this weekend which is something you wanted to get back to …

I’m not going to be arrogant, but I will tell you that I feel very natural doing that.  It’s what I prefer.  When I have coached as an offensive coordinator, I’m the head coach of that offensive team and I’m focused.  From a competing (as an OC) standpoint, we had a plan from the get go.  I mean no disrespect to the coaches I’ve coached for, but (being in charge) is my nature and I’m very, very comfortable around this staff.  I look forward to really going out and competing with them.

We’ve had quite a bit of rain of late.  How might that paly into field conditions?

The field will drain.  It’s a sand based field and I think it’ll be fine.  I’m not sure what’s coming up, but we might have a couple of thunder busters between now and the game.  We all surfed in here yesterday.  It was the largest amount of water I’ve ever dealt with in a practice situation.  I really don’t care what the fields like.  If we play well and take care of the football and do the things we’ve got to do I will like watching our team compete.

An aside, the field was being painted as I left and the North Carolina sunshine started to burst between the clouds.  The field looked to be in good shape.  It’s been a crazy week of coverage where this site has been burning the candle at both ends.  Next week should allow us to get back to more writing, instead of the interview formats we’ve adopted for times sake.  Lastly, wear blue and turnout foe the game on Saturday evening.  I’ve been tipped off about some new experiences that should please Duke fans.  You will want to get into the stadium early to catch the full effect.

Duke Football Practice Report #7 Cutcliffe talks defense and more

The Blue Devil Nation was once again on the scene for today’s practice where Coach Cutcliffe took the time to give us a synopsis of the practice.

Coach Cutcliffe on today’s practice- We had our second day in a row of physical practice in preparation for James Madison.  I think we are on pace.  We’ll pick back up next week.  Tomorrow we’ll have a workout that’s dedicated to the kicking game … all phases and aspects.  So we will cover every situation.  I don’t like putting a team out on a field when they haven’t been put through every situation that can arise in a ball game.  Coach Middleton and I met kind of late last night and developed a nice script.  So we will add some strong meeting time and get that worked out.  We’ll do some heavy physical conditioning in the morning and we’ll be ready to start game week on Sunday. 

On the defense-  I think there is a significant difference in our linebacker play because of our speed.   Vinnie and Mike have totally different body types than they had a year ago.  I think Coach Hobby has the defensive line playing really hard.  I’m concerned about our depth there.  Charlie Hatcher has put himself in a position to really help inside.  Ayanga and Egboh are showing progress outside.  I’m real pleased with the secondary.  The consistency has been good, the tackling has been good.  They’re liking the tighter coverage … the press coverage.  There getting use to it now, it’s fun to watch it work.  I’m pleased, but the biggest concern I have with this football team is injuries.  Knock on wood, we’ve been relatively injury free on defense and we need to stay that way.

“Meet the Devils” Photo Gallery

The Blue Devil Nation strives to bring the best coverage available for Duke Football and Basketball.  Here is another photo gallery which features the festivities of the Meet the Blue Devils Day (be sure to click slideshow to the bottom left of the picture in this link) where fans gathered for autographs from players and coaches.  Among the pictures are Coach Cutcliffe’s SEC Western Division Champions ring and a more personal look at the new staff.

Practice Report #4 – Duke holds scrimmage

Today’s Duke scrimmage started with a penalty, but as the session went on, some positives emerged. 

Quarterback situation -  It has become obvious that Zack Asack will push Thadeus Lewis which is a good thing in that competition generally makes for a better starter.  Lewis was 9 of 13 for 92 yards.  He showed accuracy and stayed in the pocket.  Asack wasn’t nearly as accurate going 6-14 for 67 yards.  However, one of those passes was for a T.D.  He also had 4 carries for 55 yards thanks to one big play.  If he can get a little better with his footwork and confidence in the pocket, he will be a nice dual threat.

Running Backs- Duke lacked depth at this position coming into the season.  It has gotten worse.  Boyette was penciled in as the starter but is out indefinitely.  To make matters worse, Clifford Harris is nursing an unknown knee problem and sat out the scrimmage.  Cameron Jones had a nice 35 yard burst on one play.  Jay Holligsworth a true freshman got some reps as well gaining a team 54 yards high on 10 carries.  Tony Jackson added 5 totes for 22 yards and Patrick Kurunwune, another freshman rolled off some blocks well with a couple of runs.  The team was better hitting the holes on the outside than the interior.

Tight Ends- In another depth challenged position, Tielor Robinson could be a go to guy.  He had 2 catches for 11 yards.  Brett Huffman also contributed with a couple of nice catches.  Brandon King is still sidelined and there is no timeline established for his return.

Receivers- A relatively quiet day for Riley who played sparingly.  Raphael Chestnut had 2 catches for 18 yards.  Jeremy Ringfield had an 18 yard scoring reception.  There were a couple of single catches as well.

Offensive Line- The team mixed and matched some linemen today in an effort to get players acclimated to playing together.  Upper class men played well.  They held up more often than not, but sometimes missed assignments which led to the QB.  Of course, this could also be blamed on the backs who may have missed their assignments.

Defense- Eddie Morgan (S) recovered a fumble and fellow safety Adrian Aye-Darko had an interception.  I focused mainly on the offense today.

Kicking Game-  Before the scrimmage, I saw some pretty good punts which showed increased hang time from last season.  During the scrimmage, Surgan continued his struggles from last season, missing one long field goal and a short one.  In fact, Cutcliffe as promised went for two on one XP situation and it was converted where Tony Jackson ran it into the end zone.

Freshman watch – Jay Hollingsworth averaged over 5 YPC today.  Also, Johnny Williams has really impressed me so far.  You can bet that freshmen will play big roles in the running game.

Cut Quotes -  Overview of the scrimmage – “I think we got what we wanted out of this scrimmage.  We had some two minute drills which were pretty dynamic.  We got some goal line work, we got a lot of third down work.  The offense took the ball right down the field making big plays but they turned it over in a forced error by the defense.  One big glaring thing right now is we’ve got to find somebody to run the football.”

On current running backs - “Tony Jackson hasn’t had a lot of practice at running back, because I moved him in spring practice from defense.  Jay Hollingsworth, Patirck Kurunwune and Cameron Jones are behind that, but nobody at this point has asserted itself.  So, I am kind of scouring the team looking at every situation to try to find help in that position.”

On injuries – “I just don’t dwell on injuries in football.  It’s an unhealthy thing to do and I learned that early in my career.  We won’t ever do that as a team.”

On Vince Oghobasse – “Vince is a very talented player that was injured after he came.  When we came, to be quite honest with you, he wasn’t in good enough shape to play like I think the guy can play.  He’s now coming around.  Conditioning is a little challenging for him with his health status, bet he’s coming around to becoming a pretty disruptive football player.  I’m real anxious to see what kind of year he has.”

On the quarterbacks- “Thad has his best day today.  He’s really done a good job getting a grasp of the offense.  His conditioning level is way beyond what it was.  Zack has shown he can make big plays.  What Zack has to do is show me more consistency in managing the offense and putting guys in the right place and more consistent running the football.  He’s very capable of doing that.”

What they’re saying about Coach Cutcliffe

The final tour stop on the Cutcliffe Express stopped at Tyler’s Tap House where Coach  Cutcliffe addressed aproximately 250 Iron Dukes.  He  later threw out the first pitch during the Durham Bulls game.  We’ll have an in depth article up tomorrow where you will hear all the positive things said. So be sure to check back.   During the event, I was able to talk to some Duke players and fans.  Here is what they had to say about David Cutcliffe -

Hal McElhaney (Former Duke Football Great)- I’ve been to practice sessions all spring and observed his coaching style.  There is so much familiarity in the ways he does things to Coach (Bill) Murray that it’s scary.  I think Coach Cutcliffe is what I term a throwback.  He grew up under the Bear Bryant regime and there is a lot of style in him.  I know we are going to improve.  I will guarantee you we will improve.  He’s such a methodical well planned thinker.  He’s demanding, he’s tough, he’s kind of ornery, but he also puts his arms around a player.  I have a tough time tempering my excitement. 

Bob Harris (Voice of the Blue Devils) - I have been on the tour with Coach Cutcliffe and he’s got people interested and excited about Duke Football again.  Listening to him talk, you can see just how committed he is and how much he believes they’re going to win.  He’s the ninth head coach that I’ve worked with and only two others have been a head coach prior to coming to Duke.  David brings a pedigree that none of the others can touch.  The job he did at Mississippi, going to four straight bowl games which is phenomenal.  I’m not predicting anything like that for Duke but he will have them much better quicker some might think.  I’m excited about the way he does things, the way he conducts himself and the changes within the team in the short time he has been here.

Roger Neighborgall (Former Duke Quarterback 72-75)- Coach Cutcliffe is going to focus the kids priorities.  That’s very important at Duke.  In the past they have put their focus in a lot of different directions.  These kids are going to know they have a proven winner.  I liked that he mentioned faith and family as two of the key points.  What Coach Cutcliffe was saying is that he is going to respect which ever faith you may bring to the table or encourage you to have some kind.

Don Fowler (Former Duke Baseball Player)- What has most impressed me is that Coach Cutcliffe has figured out that there are kids in North Carolina that can play.  As a North Carolina native that played at Duke I know the importance of having in state kids.  I like that he said he was going to be out there visiting every town and getting to know the coaches.

Don McClintock (Fan from Durham)-  He’s doing exactly what I think needs to happen.  There has to be a change of culture and that’s exactly what he is trying to instill.  We’re excited … all of my family has tickets and we are looking forward to go watch Duke play.  Obviously, the Duke fans want to win, but they really just want to see a good brand of Duke Football.  If they win they’re going to be really excited.  If they don’t win and play a good brand of football, that’ll be okay in that they understand it’s going to take a little while to get it turned around.

Stan Ellis (A fan from Durham)- I think its great having Coach Cutliffe at the helm.  It’s motivating and that’s something that Duke has lacked for a long time.  I’ve been going to Duke Football games all my life and it’s good to see someone come in that can motivate and get them back to where they use to be.  I invite all Duke fans to “Charlies,” a Duke friendly place.

Check back in for the best Duke Football coverage on the web. Oh! And since Charlie’s was mentioned I have to plug my bud Gene Devines place, Devines.

Duke Football Practice Report #2 – First Unit Offensive Line Pleases Cutcliffe

Coach Cutcliffe sang the praise of the number one offensive line unit on Wednesday evening.  “It was good to put the pads on where we could get some work on the line of scrimmages with the offensive line against the defensive line.  It really starts telling the tale of who is ready to play,” said Coach Cutcliffe.  He continued, “I was encouraged by the offensive lin in our inside running drills today.  It was the best I’ve seen them play since spring.”

“Get up, get up, get up!,” echoed in the background from various parts of the field as dusk closed in on Duke Football’s third practice of the season.  In short, when a player hit the turf, they we immediately encouraged to get up so that they could still make the play.  “One of our rules is to treat the ground like a hot stove.  Nobody has ever won a football game laying on the ground.  I think it’s critical that our guys understand.  That’s how we play football, we’re back on our feet.  That’s the biggest emphasis we have right now, that everybody get back on their feet, stay on their feet and keep moving.  There is an old saying I like from the years I heard from old Jim Neyland, “No feet, defeat,” and I think that’s very true in football.  If you don’t have good feet you’re gonna get beat.”

With regards to the passing game, Cutcliffe stated, “We have miles to go, but we are making a lot of progress in throwing and catching the ball route running and understanding spacing versus zone and separation versus man.”  Coach then said that they had slowed the process down and got back into the teaching mode saying,  “We don’t want the cart to get ahead of the horse trying to do too much.”  This was in reference to similar mistakes this unit had been making in Spring ball which once again caught his watchful eye.  He also mentioned that the receivers were starting to learn how to separate and that the quarterbacks were starting to play a little faster saying, “It’s a fast mans game and we’ve got to get to that point.”

While a lot of the focus has been on the offense, it’s defense that often wins you the ball game.  “I see our defense managing our zone blitz game and disguises.  You can tell they’ve done a lot of group and individual work on it,” said Cutcliffe.

Notes- Much like Coach K, Cutcliffe is active when talking about changes he feel will help the college game.  He feels there should be some sort of exhibition game in order to work out the kinks, stating the NFL got four games to work with.  He also talked of some rule changes which I will elaborate on later.  A couple of freshman caught my eye and it is being discussed on the BDN Premium Message Board.  Tielor Robinson is running with the tight ends.  There is no word on the status of Brandon King.  Coach Cutcliffe will be speaking at Tyler’s Tap House in Durham tomorrow with tickets still available.

BDN’s Duke Football Practice Report #1 (corrected)

Duke Football held their second practice of the season last evening and it was evident that some changes have been made.  I’ve been going to practices for many years having seen every coach run their version since Mike McGee.  Wallace Wade would often be right beside me, yet he never commented but so much.  There was one exception which was Red Wilson’s 1981 season which was the last time Duke beat Virginia Tech on a Dennis Tabron interception.  Wade stated, “now that’s good football,” after a play fake which resulted in a forty yard scamper by the tailback.

I couldn’t help but wonder what Wade might have said about David Cutcliffe.  Wade of course coached Alabama before coming to Duke and Cutcliffe graduated from ‘Bama in 1976.  While Wade was a man of few words at practices, he always had that “legend” thing going on, where he commanded attention.  It got to the point where I could almost tell when he was not impressed by reading his facial expression and there were quite a few times when he must have been thinking what happened to the once proud tradition that was Duke Football.

A lot has changes since the days when Wade stalked the sidelines, but good football is still good football.  Wade always talked about protecting the ball and the advantage of a good kicking game.  He would often crack a slight grin watching  Scott McKinney nail field goals on a consistent basis in 1981.

Well, Coach Cutcliffe preaches ball protection too.  And he also knows how important the kicking game is for Duke this coming season.  I couldn’t help but gravitate towards the kickers where I watched the footwork of Joe Surgan and incoming freshman Paul Asack.  Cutcliffe most recently stated that he would go for extra points if their wasn’t significant improvement.

That is but one of the concerns the new staff will address.  North Carolina is known for it’s sometime schizophrenic weather  and on this evening, the humidity increased as the night went on.  So, did the intensity of the pace which ended with the dreaded one legged suicides while pulling a significant amount of weight.

 The practice seemed much more uniform than last season.  Players would run to their stations and if they let up, a coach was sure to be in their ear.  In fact, watching Coach Middleton at work broght back memories of old school discipline.  Middleton is an imposing figure that will not hesitate to tell a player what he feels.  During one drill with the tight ends he let one player know that his intensity was as soft as, well, you get the idea.

Watching the intensity of Vince Oghobasse and others on the defensive front was a refreshing sight.  It was nice to see Ayanga Okpokowuruk return to his natural position of defensive end as well.  No matter where you looked, each coach was focused and on the same page.  Simply put, there is more organization.

Cutcliffe lets his coaches do a lot of the work.  He will float from offense to defense, from lineman to backs, letting them know what he expects.  Cutcliffe will insist certain plays are run over again or that an individual players take more reps.

The team as a whole looks svelte.  They are not that imposing physically on the whole, but they are in good shape.  Duke will employ new schemes which will require mobility and of course the emphasis has been on being fresh in the fourth quarter since Spring.

Cutcliffe mentioned that he was anxious to see what the team carried over from the Spring and his reaction was mixed.  “I thought our team was fresher from start to finish tonight,” said Coach when comparing it to the first nights practice.  He was ready to get off the field and get right into watching the tape.  “Okay, let’s make it quick, I have work to do,” he bellowed as print media gathered after and extended local TV piece.

The work ethic was also mentioned again by Senior leader Eron Riley, “We worked really hard in the off season conditioning wise.  We made it through practice, we’re tired but we are making it through it.  We need to be more consistent, but we’ve got good work in the last two days.”  Riley was gasping for breath having just completed the aforementioned suicides to close Duke’s second practice.

Cutcliffe mentioned that he felt there was balance to the practice and that he would have to look at tape to reaffirm that.  “We really went back and focused on fundamentals on both sides of the ball which I think payed dividends,” he said.  After watching the first nights tapes he mentioned, “We were making some of the same mistakes that we made in Spring.  We can’t go another day making the same mistakes.”

Cutcliffe also mentioned that he threw in some unexpected changes on both sides of the ball to keep the team on it’s toes. he then segued into the secondary after being questioned about it.  “I think we’ve really gotten off to a good start.  We talked about it as a staff this morning … Coach Jones and Coach McIntyre.  We’ve got to get settled, Glen Williams is a good cog.  We are trying to get the best four or five on the field.  We are not a team that’s afraid to play nickel and dime and getting our best guys in the game for we want our speed on the field.”

He went on to sing the praises of Leon Wright who had a good start.   He also mentioned that he wanted to become more physical and consistent at safety, then mentioning Catron Gainey.

The Blue Devil Nation will continue it’s coverage of practice and we have plenty of notes and quote which we will share in the coming days.  If you are a football fan, be sure to check in often and get an almost daily fix of information and analysis.

Pictures - (1) Coach Cutcliffe instructs Patrick Egboh, (2) there will be a battle foe the place kicking job.  Joe Surgin looks on with freshman Paul Asack looming over his shoulder, (3) Coach Middleton is all business when running drills, (4) Vince Oghobasse shows off his quickness after trimming down in the off season.  No reproductions are allowed without prior permission from BDN staff.

 

**- My faulty memory was off six years on Wade in the original print:)

Team USA, Kenny Boynton and Duke Football

When Kobe Bryant mentions the “joy of the game,” you get an idea of what Coach K has done to make sure the players are enjoying themselves in preparation for the Olympics.  Most of the players remember little of the last time the USA won Gold.

In this blurb, the author says Team USA has that special something that is missing from most NBA teams.   There is some worry about the overall team health.  And here is CNNSI’s Chris Ballard on long range planning for the USA Basketball program.

Kenny Boynton has no shortage of confidence judging from his comments in this link.

With kickoff to football season just over a month away, Coach Cutcliffe caught the attention of coaches on Wednesday’s Operation Football.  Here is ESPN’s Heather Dinich on Duke’s “Catch 22.”  Richmond edged out James Madison in the pre season polls which is a departure from the pre season magazines which all have JMU on top.  TSN picks them #2 in the nation, Lindy’s #3 and Phil Steele has them number one.