After Duke became eligible for a bowl game for the first time since 1994 in 2012, Duke signed head coach David Cutcliffe to an extension. It was announced on Wednesday that his extension runs through June 30, 2019.

2019!

That’s about seven more years.

Hopefully the team plays better than it has of late over the course of those years. They are currently 5-1 at home with their home finale on Saturday against Miami.

Here is what Duke University Vice President of Athletics Kevin White had to say about the extension (via goduke.com):

 “Without question, we have already made great discernible progress since David’s arrival,” White stated.  “However, as we assess our future – based on prospect evaluations, ongoing recruitment activity and player development – we are extremely excited, if not euphoric!  To be sure, ‘Coach Cut’ represents just a great fit at Duke.  David and the staff have done an exemplary job of leading the program, while subscribing to the highest instuitional ideals, both academically and athletically.”

Duke receiver Conner Vernon became the ACC’s all-time leader in yards receiving when he passed former Florida State star Peter Warrick’s 3,517 yards. He had five catches for 38 yards, bringing his total to 3,520. Vernon set another record on the first play of the game, a two yard reception, which gave him a catch in 46 consecutive games.

Unfortunately, the Blue Devils lost at Georgia Tech, 42-24 to end their chance at playing in the ACC Championship Game. They have now lost three games in a row.

Duke had actually cut the deficit to 28-24 in the second half before the Yellow Jackets ran away.

GT quarterback Tevin Washington had a record setting day of his own. He set a school and ACC record for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 36. He carried the ball 19 times for 62 yards and a TD. Washington was 6-for-10 for 102 yards and three passing TDs. This came a week after he played just two downs.

Sean Renfree completed 24-of-36 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception. Desmond Scott caught ten passes for 124 yards and a TD.

GT was just another team that shut down the Duke rushing game. They rushed for just 77 yards, compared to 330 for the Yellow Jackets. Jela Duncan was the leading rusher with just 39 yards (on six carries). Four GT players rushed for 60 or more yards (including the QB).

Duke finishes the regular season next Saturday at home against Miami.

The Duke football team FINALLY had a bye week on Saturday, so it is a great time to look back at their 2012 season to date.

Back on October 20th, the Blue Devils became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994, which was reason to celebrate. In that game, they beat rival North Carolina for the first time since 2003, another reason to celebrate. That win put Duke at 6-2 and in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Yet another reason to celebrate.

Unfortunatley, the Blue Devils came back down to earth in their next two games against ranked conference opponents Florida State and Clemson. The disappointing part was that they were blown out from the beginning of both games.

Those losses dropped them to third place, so they have some ground to make up if they want to play in the ACC Championship. Next Saturday, they head to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. Duke then finishes the regular season at home against Miami. If they win their final two games, they will finish with a 5-3 ACC record (8-4 overall). That could be enough to put Duke in the ACC Championship game against either Clemson or FSU.

Heading into Saturday’s matchup, the Yellow Jackets and Hurricanes are tied atop the Coast Division at 4-3. UNC dropped behind Duke after a loss to GT this past Saturday. In that game, GT scored 68 points (but allowed 50). Saturday’s game could be wild. Miami was upset by Virginia.

The Blue Devils are averaging 40.7 points per game, but are allowing 32.6 points. Rushing has been an issue all season for Duke. They average less than four yards a carry. Jela Duncan leads Duke with 41.3 yards a game and has four touchdowns (which is second on the team). Josh Snead gets 31.8 yards a game. Brandon Connette, who is their goal line rusher but has been injured, leads the team with five rushing touchdowns.

The warrior has been quarterback Sean Renfree, who has been battered all season, but keeps getting back up. He has completed 67.3% of his passes (200-of-297), but has thrown seven interceptions. He does however average 236 yards per game and has thrown 12 TD passes.

» Continue reading “Let’s Look Back and Ahead for Duke Football”

Duke freshman kicker Ross Martin was named as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate PlaceKicker Award. Twenty players were named as semifinalists.

Here is what you need to know about the award’s namesake:

The award is named in honor of one of the all-time great kickers in football history, Lou Groza. Groza played 21 seasons for the Cleveland Browns setting numerous franchise records, including most games played, most points scored, and an amazing 107 consecutive games in which he scored a point. Groza was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Martin has made 16-of-18 field goals in his first season at Duke and connected in all 35 of his extra point attempts. He has also totaled 83 points through ten games. He is second in the ACC in field goal percentage (.889).

He leads all freshman kickers in the nation in total points. Martin has set Duke freshman records for points in a game (15 against North Carolina), field goals made in a game (4 versus UNC), field goals in a season, and points in a season.

Semifinalists are voted on by FBS head coaches and sports information directors, national and regional football writers, and past Groza award winners. The three finalists will be announced on November 19th. The winner will be honored on December 4th at the annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet. The winner will be announced live on December 6th during the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show.

One week after being pummeled by Florida State, Duke was once again pummeled on Saturday by another top 25 ranked ACC opponent. The Blue Devils lost at home to Clemson, 56-20.

The Tigers put up big play after big play early and often, led by quarterback Tajh Boyd.

The Duke defense had Clemson at a third and 12 spot, but Boyd connected on a 34 yard pass (they later scored). On their next possession, after Duke got on the scoreboard with a field goal, Boyd connected with DeAndre Hopkins on a 58 yard touchdown pass.

After Duke quarterback Sean Renfree (yes he was back after last week’s concussion) had his own big play: a 77 yard TD pass to Jamison Crowder to make it 14-10, Boyd connected with Hopkins again. This time, it was a 45 yard TD pass.

On Clemson’s next possession, Boyd threw a 30 yard touchdown pass, this time to Sammy Watkins, to give the Tigers a 28-10 lead in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

In the middle of the second quarter, Boyd threw another long TD pass, this time for 41 yards. Late in the quarter, he ran for 21 yards to score another touchdown.

Clemson finished the game with 718 total yards. Boyd accounted for 416 of those yards. He also had five touchdowns.

On Duke’s side, they accumulated 342 yards, but just 85 yards rushing. Josh Snead had three carries for 27 yards and Jela Duncan had 28 yards on six carries.

Renfree had a decent game, as he completed 23-of-39 passes for 240 yards. Crowder caught seven passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. Conner Vernon had five catches for 47 yards. David Reeves caught two passes for 21 yards, including a 17 yard TD pass from Brandon Connette.

» Continue reading “Big Plays by Clemson Buries Duke”

Despite an positive season for the Duke football team, they still cannot beat Florida State (they have never beat them). The Seminoles came out on fire to start the game and continued throughout the second half, as Duke was pummeled in Tallahassee, 48-7.

It was 31-0 before Duke finally got on the scoreboard. They scored on a Jela Duncan 3 yard touchdown run.

There wasn’t a whole lot of good that came from the game. Duke lost starting quarterback Sean Renfree in the second quarter due to a concussion (roughing the passer was called on the play). He had just completed a fourth down conversion when he was hit. They also lost running back Juwan Thompson in the first half.

Kicker Ross Martin saw his streak of field goals made come to an end at 13 straight. He missed a 24 yard FG in the third quarter.

The Duke defense did force four fumbles (or more like FSU couldn’t hold onto the ball). They just couldn’t stop the DEEP plays. When Duke had finally scored in the first half, their scoring drive took longer than the five FSU scoring drives combined. In the first half, Duke had the ball for 19:02 minutes, while FSU had the ball for 10:58.

In the first half, FSU quarterback EJ Manuel completed just four passes. One was a 71 yard touchdown pass. Two of the others were for 52 yards and 34 yards. Manuel only completed eight total passes, but threw for 282 yards. FSU also rushed for 261 yards.

» Continue reading “Duke Still Cannot Beat FSU in Football”

North Carolina linebacker Shakeel Rashad was suspended one game for the blatant cheap hit on Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon while Vernon was lined up prior to a play. Rashad was entering as a late substitute.

If you watched Saturday night’s Duke-UNC football game, then the suspension isn’t a complete surprise. What is surprising is that NOTHING was called on the field at the time of the hit, which made Duke coach Cutcliffe go nuts.

Since nothing was called on the field, the conference took a look at the game video and suspended both Rashad and officials Tyrone Davis (the head linesman) and Angie Bartis (the side judge) for one game. The officials were suspended for failure to adhere to the rules related to player safety.

*That was not the only game that the ACC looked into and issued suspensions. In the Florida State-Miami game, the crew chief (David Epperley) was suspended one game and his entire crew was issued a letter of reprimand. They failed to properly administer the ten second runoff rule at the end of the first half.

It’s not every day that you say there are highs related to the Duke football team. But in 2012, there are plenty of highs.

On Saturday night at home against rival North Carolina for the 99th career meeting, Duke became bowl eligible for the first time since 1994, as they beat the Tarheels, 33-30. It was the first time the Blue Devils had beaten their rivals since 2003 and first time in Durham since 1988.

Second place in the ACC’s Coastal Division was on the line as UNC traveled the short distance to Duke.

It was all Duke during the first half, as they led 20-6 at the half. The game was eerily similar to last week’s loss to Virginia Tech: complete dominance by the Blue Devils early and then it was all VT.

Then came the second half comeback by the Tarheels.

With a little more than three minutes to play, UNC quarterback Bryn Renner completed a pass to Erik Hightsmith. At the four yard line, Hightsmith fumbled. However UNC running back Giovani Bernard picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown. That gave the Tarheels the 30-26 lead.

You could hear a pin drop in Durham, as the Blue Devils fans were shocked.

But the Duke players were not rattled. In their longest drive of the season, quarterback Sean Renfree led the Blue Devils back down the field. On 4th and two with 13 seconds to go, Renfree connected with Jamison Crowder for the go ahead touchdown. Crowder was surrounded by Tarheels in the end zone, but was still able to corral the pass.

That set off a celebration in the stands and 13 seconds later, the Duke players were ringing the bell.

Renfree finished the game completing 23 of 36 passes for 275 yards and the one TD pass. He did throw an interception. Crowder finished with just five catches for 41 yards. But that one catch was the game winner.

The ACC leading receiver, Conner Vernon, caught six catches for 123 yards. Desmond Scott added three catches for 38 yards.

The Blue Devils rushed for a season-high 235 yards. Juwan Thompson carried the ball 11 times for 64 yards. Jela Duncan ran for a first half touchdown and finished with 75 yards (on 22 carries). Josh Snead rushed for 99 yards on 15 carries.

Bernard for UNC, their best player, finished with 24 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 68 yards.

Next up for Duke, they travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State next Saturday afternoon.

*As of me typing this, first place Miami was losing to FSU in the fourth quarter. If the Hurricanes were to lose, they would drop behind Duke in the Coastal Division. Meaning, Duke would be in first place at 3-1.

Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder has been added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.

The sophomore has caught a team-high 46 passes for 588 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. He has topped 100 yards three times in 2012. Crowder has three touchdown passes of over 50 yards this season.

Crowder ranks among the top five in the ACC in pass receptions (fourth) and receiving yards per game (fifth).

He joins teammate Conner Vernon on the list. Vernon became the ACC’s all-time leader in receptions. This season he has 45 catches for 625 yards and five touchdowns.

With a chance to guarantee themselves a bowl game, the Duke football team got off to a hot start on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Virginia.

How hot you ask?

20-0 hot.

However that quickly changed and once the first quarter was over, the Blue Devils completely fell apart. They led just 20-17 at the half and ended up being pummeled by Virginia Tech 41-20.

That’s right. The Hokies scored 41 straight points and moved ahead of them into second place in the ACC Coastal Division (both teams are tied at 2-1).

Duke quarterback Sean Renfree returned from injury and connected with Jamison Crowder on their first drive of the game for a 62-yard touchdown pass. Two field goals later, Duke led 13-0. A Jordan Byas interception return put Duke ahead 20-0. Their first punt of the day didn’t come until their first drive of the second quarter.

Then Renfree got hurt again on an eight yard run in the second quarter and Anthony Boone entered. He was intercepted late in his first drive, but VT only kicked a field goal.

Renfree returned with less than two minutes to play in the first half. He was intercepted with less than a minute to go at the 29-yard line. On the very next play, Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas connected with Marcus Davis wide open near the end zone for a 42-yard TD pass.

That’s about how the two teams went to half, with all the momentum (and the crowd) in VT’s favor.

» Continue reading “Duke Falls Flat after First Quarter, Lose to Hokies”