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 Day – James Madison @ Duke – A dozen things to watch for on Saturday evening

1- Wear Blue! -The word is out and the word is blue!  Coach Cutcliffe spent the summer doing all he could to promote Duke Football.  The latest, if you haven’t already hear is to show up for the game wearing your Duke Blue.  “I expect to see a sea of blue,” said Coach Cutcliffe during his most recent press conference.  What to watch for-  The students have been moved back to the home side and will be behind the players for the first time in years.  It will be interesting to see if the cheers are coordinated in the sea of blue.

2- Get there early!  Duke is expecting a big crowd and more traffic than usual.  Duke will have a team walk from the Chapel to Wallace Wade, where fans are invited to get involved.  Duke will also have kid activities and music.  It’s always fun to walk about the multiple tailgates too.  It’s a new season and a new tradition and it starts with you, the Duke fan! What to watch for- Coach Cutcliffe has promised a new game day experience.  This includes a secretive new way of the team entering the stadium.  Stay late for fireworks and at halftime Coach K and Duke Olympians will be honored.   Also, the students are notoriously late in years past.  Will this change?

3- Concessions- Sounds odd?  Well, Duke has not been prepared for large crowds in the past and this year studies have been made to keep this from happening.  What to watch for – Will they run out of H20 before halftime in what might prove to be a humid evening?

4 – Atmosphere and Emotion- It’s clear that Duke wants the typical game day atmosphere you get at some other schools.  Much work has gone into the planning and you can bet there will be changes, perhaps even a little noise to elicit cheers.  This is not an opera folks!  So, don’t worry about the polite claps and feel free to let out a scream or two.  Bring your yahoo in and leave your worries of what others might think at the gate.  Crowd emotion drives the players, player emotion drives the crowd.  Let’s get emotional!  What to watch for – When it’s third and one on offense or defense, will the crowd be passive or a little amped up?

5 – James Madison- JMU has been known to hit a team square in the mouth from the outset.  They possess quickness and confidence and desperately want this win.  The Dukes are ranked no lower than 3rd in the country in any Division I-A poll and 1st in two.  Last years edition was one of the youngest under Coach Mickey Matthews and they all return.  This team lost by one point to Appalachian State in last seasons Championships and had it won if not for a late turnover.  What to watch for- Will JMU come into the game with a swagger?  More importantly, will they leave with one?

6 – James Madison on offense-  Expect to see an offense that spreads the ball around a lot.  Their backfield runs a lot of motion and fakes and is as hard to prepare for as the option.  Quarterback Rodeny Landers will run and run and run.  He’s big and hard to tackle and will be the center of attention at all times.    JMU has several players capable of making big plays with their speed.  What to watch for -If Duke shows the ability to contain the run, how accurate can Landers be in the air?  He completed 63% of his passes last season and threw for 12 scores.  Will Eugene TB Holloman run roughshod over the Duke defense?

7- James Madison on defense -These guys like to stack the box and try and shut down the run.  In last seasons loss to UNC, JMU effectively shut down the run, ultimately losing the game to turnovers.  This team will play a lot more physical than many expect.  What to watch for -JMU feels their secondary is a strength.  Can they shut down a Duke team that will likely pass more this season?

8 – Duke on offense -There is a new sheriff in town and he his own deputies in tow.  Duke will spread the ball around tmore this season and go to Eron Riley often.  Thaddeus Lewis has shown the ability to be a leader and the offensive line has improved.  Al eyes will be on the running game where there are depth issues and freshman or newcomers slated to get reps.  What to watch for -Coach Cutcliffe wants to see a crisp offense ran to precision.  Can Duke run the ball enough to take pressure off Thaddeus Lewis in the pocket and will the offensive line hold up?

9- Duke on defense- Duke has a pretty good starting lineup, but will be breaking in a new safety which is a critical position.  Depth as always is an issue.  Tackling has been better than I remember in the pre season and a slimmed down unit should be quicker to the ball.  During the pre season, Coach told the players to treat the ground like a hot stove.  “You can’t make a play if you are on your back,” said Cutcliffe.  The defense will be the most interesting said that it was not the attention of the media in the pre season.  What to watch for -Coach Cutcliffe knows there is little depth on the front and in the linebacker positions.  Will this unit hold up for an entire game?

10 – Special Teams -It got to the point last season where I would close my eyes on field goals and extra points.  Nick Maggio has proved to be consistent in practice and will get the call.  Punting has been a pleasant surprise in the pre season.  As for coverage, it will make or break a team in close contests.  What to watch for – Will Coach call upon Maggio in short yardage situations or elect to go for it.  This is one area that needs consistency for the teams confidence and to win close games.  How improved will this unit be under Coach Middleton?  A good kickoff or punt return could prove to be a huge spark.  As important, will they allow JMU good field position or the big play on the other end.

11- The fourth quarter - Much has been made about off season conditioning and Coach has alluded to having enough in the tank to be able to win a game in the fourth quarter and or finish.   What to watch for -A score.  Fourth quarter points were as scarce as sell outs for the past several seasons.  Can Duke take a game from beginning to end?

12- Intangibles -This category is perhaps the most important.  (A) Turnovers - This might decide the game on Saturday evening.  Duke must protect and value the ball.  (B) Clock Management – This always applies, but the NCAA has a new rule and Duke must get up to the ball in a timely manner (C) Penalties - Face it, Duke has not been disciplined in the past and shot themselves in the foot on many occasions.  Precision and attention will be important all season long. (D) The sidelines -   All too often in the past, the Duke sideline looked emotionless with many players hanging around talking about classes and after game affairs.  (E) Resilience – This is a key to being a winner.  Can Duke bounce back after being down?  Can they drive the nail into the coffin when they are up?  What to watch  for -  All of the above!

Game Week – Vince Oghobasse Interview

Game Week!

Yes sir!  Real pumped up and ready to get out there and go play some football.  We’re tired of going up against each other in practice.

Have you been watching a lot of film on James Madison?

I mean they’ve got a real good quarterback coming back from last year, very physical tough runner.  But as long as we execute our game plan, we’ll be fine.

I know everybody wants to mention weight loss all the time, but can you tell me how has it effected you?  Has your game improved and what ways has it improved?

I think from one standpoint, I’ll be able to play more snaps and catch my breath between the plays.  It’s really helped me out in that area.  As far as my speed and my quickness on my feet, that’s way, way better than what it was during the spring.  We’ll keep at it real hard in the weight room and working on on our conditioning.

So, you feel like you guys are going to be ready to go in the fourth quarter?

Oh yeah!  Most definitely.  The fourth quarter conditioning is not even a question this year.  Even when we get tired, we can push through that fatigue.

Do you consider yourself to be the leader on the defensive line?

Definitely.  I’m a third year starter and I’ve got to take those guys under my wing.  We’ve got Wes Oglesby and Akinbiyi on the front and I’ve got to make sure those guys are ready to go.

You’ve been going up against the offensive line all pre season.  Last year they had a hard time and didn’t quite come together.  What do you think of them this year?

They’re a lot better.  Coach Luke has them working hard and we are making them better.  This is alll about having heart.  If you have a great technique and a will to block a big lineman you can do it.

Vince, a lot has been said about the support around campus, can you just tell me a little about that?

The reason there is a lot is because what Coach Cutcliffe has done with going out and getting the community involved, speaking to students and getting them involved.  Coach Cutcliffe has really made the students and the staff (Administration) buy into the program.  He;s all over Durham in an effort to put Duke Football back on the map.

Talk of building a new culture …

Winning is not easy.  If winning was easy, everybody would be doing it.  Coach Cutcliffe has really go this home opner set for that to happen.  With all the people coming to the ball game, it’s going to be a record crowd for a home opener.

Coach Cutcliffe says he wants you to go in and enjoy the game.  Despite that, is there pressure to win this opener against a tough team?

You have to want to win and have the will to win.  It’s been so long since we’ve had a win.  It goes back to the win over Northwestern last year.  I think our guys want to have that feeling again.  I know I do.