BullCityCoordinators

2023 Game Recaps – Spring Ball

It may not be a game that counts in the win-loss column, but it’s still football. And Duke’s Spring Game was a lot of fun. After a late time change to Friday night, the Blue Devils kicked off a fun night. Now, I’m not going to do the kind of game recap I would do for a regular season, nor am I going to do my Five Things. Instead, I’m just going to list a couple of things I noticed that stood out to me about the game.

No. 1 – Wide receivers. With Hagans, Calhoun, Jordan Moore and Robertson, this unit looks stacked. Eli Pancol didn’t take the field till late, which may be him easing back in from his injury last season, and looked faster and more skilled than last year. And that’s saying something because last year was his best season in Durham. To conclude, it looks like Riley Leonard will have a lot of weapons headed into next season.

No. 2 – Kick returns. There weren’t a lot of those last night, but I liked seeing Hagans on the opening return. None of us understood why he didn’t get more involved in the return game last season given what he did against Georgia Tech. Let’s hope Coach Elko & Co. heard our collective griping and has decided to give Hagans chances to make plays on returns.

No. 3 – All the quarterbacks looked good. Leonard and Loftis looked to be quarterbacks 1 and 2 on the depth chart. Henry Belin looked okay, but a little shaky at first. Once he got a few runs underneath his belt, he started to look a little more comfortable. If Belin can keep running the ball like that and get a little more comfortable in the passing game, he could be real hard for other teams to defend in the coming seasons. Of course, if Loftis can toss bombs like he did in the fourth quarter, the QB battle will be something to watch over the next few years.

No. 4 – Ja’Mion Franklin looks like a man among children. Dude looks like an NFL nose tackle. I think he may cause a lot of problems for the opposing offense.

No. 5 – The linebackers. The unit looked pretty good although it’s hard to know how much we can expect from them. Dillon got a hit or two in as did fan favorite Mem Factor. They also looked much improved from a depth perspective over the last few seasons. It’ll be interesting to see what that group can do as the year unfolds.

Wait, did I just do my Five Things?

Overall, the team looked pretty good. Our safeties played pretty well and showed the ability to put some hits on people. While you can’t always project out too much from the Spring Game, you can get a sense of which guys are ready to play and which guys aren’t. From what I could see, our starters are ready to play and we didn’t have any glaring gaps.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

2023 Season – Five Things I’m Looking Forward To

Man, but it has been a while since I posted anything here. I could give you the excuses about how crazy work has been, but you know what excuses are good for. Instead, I’m getting out of the been too busy to post doldrums by putting out a list of the Five Things I’m Looking Forward To for the 2023 season.

No. 1 – An increased level of competition. This has been a hot topic of conversation amongst Duke fans this offseason. 2022 saw the Blue Devils beat a lot of sub-par teams en route to a winning season, a bowl game and a bowl championship. The 2023 schedule looks to be much tougher than last season’s level of competition. Duke will face Clemson, Notre Dame, NC State, Florida State, Wake, Pitt and Louisville this year. Plus there’s the pale blue tools down the road. That’s a tough assignment for any team. Seriously, we’ve got to play powerhouses Clemson and Notre Dame in the first first five weeks of the season. That’s crazy!

If the Blue Devils want to go bowling, they are going to have to beat some of the teams I just mentioned and go undefeated against Lafayette, Northwestern and UConn. Given that this is an older team, Duke has a decent chance of being able to win enough games to get back to a bowl. But it won’t be easy. And that’s why we’ll know a lot more about what Coach Elko & Company are capable of by the end of the 2023 season. While you always have to be beat the teams in front of you, the 2022 Blue Devils benefited from from playing a lot of teams that weren’t that good. That doesn’t appear to be the case this season. If the schedule turns out to be as tough at it looks, we’ll know a lot more about how just how good Duke can be under Coach Elko. I can’t wait to see this group face that challenge. These guys are fighters and you know they will compete on every down this season.

No. 2 – The lines. I’m not talking about gambling, folks! I’m talking about the defensive and offensive lines!

On the defensive of the ball, with Carter and Franklin back, we should have a formidable DL. If those guys can maintain gap control and put pressure on the opposing OL, we should get what the TV guys call coverage sacks. In addition to those two, I’m excited to see what the rest of our guys like Anthony, Oben, Reese, etc. do this year (and I think Nelson is back for one more season per the roster at GoDuke.com. I had it my head he had graduated, but I must have been wrong). The experience of the line should also make it harder for the opposing team to run the ball. And, as we all know, making a team one-dimensional is a great way to win games.

The Blue Devils’ OL should also be good this season. The unit returns Monk, Barton, Pickett and McIntyre, among others. If this unit can be as effective as it was last year, Duke should be able to hang around and win some close games. If the OL can create holes for the RBs and Leonard, this team will be able to run the ball, control the clock and open up the passing game for an explosive play or two. That’s a recipe for winning football.

No. 3 – Todd Pelino. You all know about Josh Cox’s man crush on the Blue Devil kicker, so I’ll leave the gushing about Todd to Josh. What I will say is that Pelino solidified what had been a question mark for Duke last year. If he is as good as he was last year, and especially if he is just a bit better, look for the Blue Devils to get two or three wins thanks to clutch kicking in end-of-game situations. As I’ve said numerous times here on the site and probably on the podcast, and forgive me for being repetitive, the kicking teams can win you two to three games a year. It can also lose you a lot more. Expect Pelino and the rest of the kicking teams to try and win more games than they lose.

No. 4 – An older team with a lot to prove. Despite Duke’s success last season, there’s a sense of caution heading into 2023. There’s good reasons for that (see No. 1 above). At one point or another this offseason, we’ve all said that Duke could win fewer games in 2023 than in 2022 but still be “better” than last year. We’re saying, or at least thinking, that because of how much tougher this schedule looks to be. And I bet you that the Blue Devils are sick of hearing those comments and are ready to come out and prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. Duke has done well in the past with older, experienced teams (think of Goldsmith’s first year, the 2012 season and 2018 which, had it not been for injuries, could’ve been a special year) and that’s exactly what this group is. Look at the WR corps, the experienced OL and DL and the TEs. We have some older guys at key positions. Those guys are going to want to go out winners and are going to do everything they can this season to do just that. In addition, programs like ours are at their best with older teams. All that experience usually pays off. And I’m hoping to see it happen this year.

No. 5 – Getting people to Wallace Wade. I am excited to see what the second season of the Elko Era brings. Last year saw more empty seats than we would’ve liked, so hopefully last season’s 9-4 campaign will bring more people to the games this year. As for me, I just booked the tickets for the Duke-NC State game. I can’t wait to see those teams play each other again. And while that’s the only game I’m currently going to, I may just make another game (or two) this season. Wallace Wade is a fun place to watch a game and I want to be there as much as possible. It will all depend on my work schedule.

So, that’s what I’m looking forward to this season. What are you looking forward to? Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Brett from Pick Six Previews

Listen here.

Brett from over at Pick Six Previews stopped by to talk about his yearly Power 5 previews, how great season preview magazines used to be, mini-helmets, how Duke turned it around last year and why the ACC needs to make the annual game with Wake more important. We also get into the 2023 season and the future of the ACC. This was a fun talk with a die-hard college football fan and top-notch analyst.

One thing that I found to be of particular interest was our discussion of the differences between the Blue Devils’ 2022 and 2023 schedules. This year could see the team lose more games, but still be a better team than last year. I can’t wait to see what happens and I’m hoping that Duke builds on the success of last season.

If you haven’t yet, check out these sweet Blue Devil helmets Brett put together!

Order here.

Let me know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

New Song – Minimum Wage

As indicated in my Whirlpool post, We Are Number Three did a cover of TMBG’s Minimum Wage. You can listen to Greg’s episode about Minimum Wage over at This Might Be A Podcast by following this link. In that episode, you can listen to the We Are Number Three cover and some other covers, too.

But, in this post, you get to hear the version that me, Co-Coordinator Tim and my family put together titled “Minimum Wage Can’t Buy You Shortnin’ Bread.”

So you know who contributed what part of the song, my daughter yells “Minimum Wage”, followed by my son yelling. Then it’s me and Tim for the instrumental followed by me with the song title and my wife banging a pan.

We took the lyrics from Minimum Wage and combined it with the song Shortnin’ Bread. This was a fun project for a lot of reasons, but especially because the two songs fit together thematically. Shortnin’ Bread has a very, very interesting backstory that I would encourage everyone to learn more about. I’m serious – you can learn a lot from that song’s history.

Enjoy!

Interview – Chris Combs

Listen here.

Those of you who watched Duke football in the mid to late 90s know just how dominant of a force Chris Combs was. There’s a reason that he got drafted by the Steelers in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL draft. Well, there’s more than one. Those reasons include, but aren’t limited to, his work ethic, his leadership and his ability to dominate the game as a defensive tackle.

Chris Combs gets ready to make a play against the Lions.

Unfortunately, because of the era during which Chris played (Coaches Goldsmith and Franks), we sometimes forget just how great of a player he was. This interview is a perfect way to refresh our recollection of an all-time Blue Devil.

During our almost 1.5 hour interview, we covered a wide range of topics. These include Chris’ work as a strength and conditioning coach during the Ted Roof era. That gave Chris the chance to work with other teams including Duke LAX. Chris was there for the Duke LAX scandal which we talked about. In addition to that, we learned about Chris’ current career and how his playing days at Duke gave him the strength to persevere through a slow start. We also talked about how great Roanoke is, how much I continue to hate Maryland and one of the worst calls in the history of Blue Devil football. And for all you young fans, we’ve got a pretty good argument that the ACC refs have always been out to get us. Fun fact, I called Dad the day after the interview, mentioned the call and then listened to him get real, real upset at the officials when I brought it up. It’s been more than twenty-five years and he’s still mad about it. Safe to say, Dad is of the opinion that the refs made a horrible, horrible call. Which they did – there was no reason for the penalty flag on that play.

If all that weren’t enough, we also talked about the historic Flu Game against Florida State in 1998. For those of you who many not remember, pretty much every Duke player got a case of food poisoning and became violently ill during the game. Naturally, the team absolutely fell apart against the Seminoles. What I didn’t know is that the Flu Game resulted in a CDC and North Carolina Department of Health investigation. The Blue Devil players transmitted the Norwalk virus to Florida State players during the game which was the first time that mass transmission of a virus occurred on a football field. The New England Journal of Medicine published an article about it.

Here is what Coach Goldsmith had to say about how he felt during the game (this is taken from his book, “Comeback Coach“):

“I was walking around the FSU field when all of a sudden I felt the sickest I have ever felt in my life. I thought something was wrong with my heart and I was going to die right there in Doak Campbell Stadium.”

Now, you may question some part of Coach Goldsmith’s recount of his symptoms because he goes on to claim in that same paragraph of his book that the Blue Devils only lost to the Noles by a touchdown or two. That’s not remotely close to being accurate. The final score was actually a much closer than it looked, according to Coach Goldsmith, 62-13. However, after listening to what Chris had to say about the game, I’ve concluded that Coach Goldsmith’s memory of the final score is colored by the severity of his symptoms.

I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Chris and to talk to him about an era of Duke football that I spent a lot of time watching. It’s great to have guys like him be part of the Blue Devil family.

Let me know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

New Song – Whirlpool

If you want to skip straight to the music, scroll down to the end.

As some of you may remember (or try to forget), I’m part of a trio that covers They Might Be Giants tunes. We take TMBG song lyrics and match them up with old-time tunes. I think we’ve been a hit as part of the Covers Crew over at This Might Be A Podcast (“TMBP”), but I’m a little biased. Since I made my debut on TMBP to discuss Yeh Yeh, our little group, We Are Number Three, has covered TMBG’s Prepare, 32 Footsteps, House At The Top Of The Tree, Minimum Wage (the episode is going to drop soon!) and a secret one for a charity compilation that is in the works. (All the links are to the podcast episodes where are covers, and others, are played.) Well, we just did another cover and that is what this post is all about.

Not too long ago, TMBP did an episode on a somewhat obscure TMBG tune, Whirlpool, which is a cover of a Meat Puppets song. The original version of the song is here

The TMBG version is here

Pretty different, right? We set out to cover Whirlpool because it’s always been a favorite of mine. It’s such an odd little song and the weird nature of it has always stuck with me.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the song together in time for the episode. But, after a little bit of time, we finished it up. And I am glad that we waited. As we were putting it all together, my Grandmother got sick and passed away. Her time in hospice care gave me a new interpretation of the song. As I read the lyrics over and over again, I concluded that the song is about someone passing from this life to the next. As a result, our cover of Whirlpool turned into a tribute to my Grandmother.

Here are the lyrics:

There was a swirling mass of water that lived in a quiet pond
It asked permission from its master to visit the lands beyond
And its master allowed it to fly
So the wind swept the whirlpool across the sky

Whirlpool
Whirlpool

Whirlpool
Whirlpool
Whirlpool

Our version of Whirlpool is below. The old-time tune we paired it with is called “Old Grimes.” It’s a good tune. We all hope you enjoy our cover. Love you, Grandma!

Duke History – 2012 Season

In our third installment on great seasons in Duke History, we’re focusing on the season where David Cutcliffe and his staff turned the team around and made the Blue Devils relevant for the first time in a good long while — we’re talking about 2012. This season has already been covered extensively in Part II of the David Cutcliffe Era. Given that, I probably won’t have as much to say as compared to other seasons. That said, there is no way that 2012 can be overlooked in its importance to the Duke Football Renaissance which continues to this day.

We all know the story – the Blue Devils had been generally trash from about 1990 to 2007. Under Coaches Wilson, Goldsmith, Franks and Roof, Duke produced no ACC Championships, one winning season and one bowl game. On top of that, the Blue Devils went winless four times. Yep, just let that sink in for a bit. Four winless seasons. Then combine that with two one-win seasons and four two-win seasons. Eek.

And, let’s be honest, it isn’t like Coach Cutcliffe had rattled off much in the way of success during his first four seasons in Durham. His teams went 4-8, 5-7, 3-9 and 3-9. Six conference wins in four seasons isn’t much to write home about, either. But as a wise, old attorney colleague of mine once remarked, “Victory is all in how you define the parameters.” Given where Duke had been, 15 wins in the span of four years was pretty darned good. But, still, it didn’t make the Blue Devils relevant. It just meant they weren’t as bad as they had been.

That all changed in 2012. Duke raced out to a 5-1 start with ACC wins over rivals Wake Forest and Virginia. After a loss to the Hokies, the Blue Devils bounced back with an amazing win at home against the Cheats. That’s been covered pretty extensively on this site and on the podcast, so I won’t go into it here other than to show the highlights from the game that clinched the win and punched Duke’s bowl ticket for the first time since Fred Goldsmith roamed the sidelines as head coach

We all know that the season went a little downhill after that. After jumping out to a 6-2 start, the Blue Devils finished with 5 straight losses. Part of that was because of the tough opponents Duke faced – Florida State (ranked 10) and Clemson (ranked 9) come to mind. The Blue Devils also went up against Georgia Tech (this was in the early part of Paul Johnson’s tenure when the Yellow Jackets were pretty darned good) and Miami. And then we all know how the bowl game ended so I won’t revisit that here.

What I will revisit is why this season is so important to Duke football history. The obvious is the first bowl game since 1994, the first victory over UNC since 2003 and the first home victory against the Cheats since 1988 when Coach Spurrier got suspended for the game. But, beyond that, the 2012 season was the first season of the greatest era of Blue Devils football in the modern era – 2012-2018. After getting to a bowl game, Duke knew what it took to win games and what it took to get back to a bowl. Put another way, it gave the team confidence. And we saw that confidence play out over the next three seasons – 10-4 in 2013, 9-4 in 2014, 8-5* in 2015, three bowl appearances, a bowl victory in 2015 and, the crowning jewel of the Cutcliffe era, an ACC Coastal crown in 2013. After a down year in 2016 due to a lot of injuries, the Blue Devils bounced back with two bowl appearances and two bowl wins in 2017 and 2018. Further, Duke beat Carolina three straight times from 2016-2018. That’s a heck of a run – an ACC Coastal title, 6 bowl games, 3 bowl victories and 5 wins over UNC. None of this happens if the Blue Devils don’t turn the corner in 2012.

So, that is why 2012 is so important, the 6-7 record notwithstanding. The 2012 team built a winning culture that continued for a long time (relative to sports, not relative to the rest of history). And I sure hope we see another era like that soon. While we all hated the way the Cutcliffe era ended, we all appreciate the excellence we witnessed from 2012-2018. Further, we should all recognize that none of that happens without 2012 and, accordingly, we should give that season the respect it deserves.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

Help Kade Parmelly

We all remember Kade Parmelly from his time at Duke. You’ve all probably seen the posts on Twitter regarding him being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kade’s loved ones set up a GoFundMe account to help with his medical expenses as he gets treatment. Please, please, please take some time from your day and donate to help one of our fellow Blue Devils out.

You can donate by following the link here.

We’re all here for you, Kade. We’ll be rooting for you during this time and can’t wait to see you in Durham again!

Interview – Desmond Scott

Listen here.

Desmond Scott, one of Duke’s most versatile players ever, stopped by for a great discussion about a wide variety of topics. In regard to just how impactful of a player Desmond was, take look at his rushing, receiving and return stats – it’s unreal, especially considering that he transitioned to wide receiver for his senior year. Unbelievable.

During this almost 1.5 hour discussion, we talk about how Desmond elected to forego the NFL to become a principal which, in turn, led him to his current career of being a life trainer. Desmond owns and operates Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute and helps develop his clients in all aspects of their lives. We discuss how Demond built his business, how he became an entrepreneur, the challenges presented to his livelihood by COVID-19 and being a new father. Oh, and did I mention we talked about Blue Devils football? Well, we did. And Desmond has an amazing recruiting story that involves an all-time “What If?” in regard to West Virginia. You’ll be amazed when you hear it.

Further, you’ll recall that Desmond was on the 2012 team that beat the Cheats and was part of the 4th and Bowl play.

And, if all this weren’t enough, Desmond has some great things to say about Coach Elko, Coach Feeley and the current state of the program. Thank you, Desmond, for stopping by and for such a great talk.

Finally, as we get to the end of the episode, you’ll hear me mention that my Grandmother passed away peacefully last week. Grandma Wayne means a great deal to me; she helped me develop as a man, as a father and in my career. I don’t have enough time to thank her for all that she did for me, so I’ll just say that I don’t mourn the passing of a woman who lived to age 94, stayed married to Grandpa Wayne for 72 years, had four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Grandma did some wonderful things and, instead of mourning her passing, I celebrate her life. In addition to raising a family, Grandma went back to school after her children got older and worked as a school teacher until she retired. She was a whip-smart woman who graduated from the College of Charleston. Had Grandma come along a little bit later, she would have been a scientist (I believe she got a Chemistry degree) or may have ended up as an attorney.

Because Grandma got sick when she did, I had time to visit with Grandpa and, as a result, I learned a lot about my family and Grandma and Grandpa’s relationship. Fun story – Grandma was so smart and so diligent about her studies that she snuck a German textbook into the dance where she met Grandpa. While Grandma may not have approved (read “strongly disapproved”) of me and my wife living together before we got married, she never mentioned it to my wife and always treated her with the utmost respect. One of the last things she said to me before she passed is that my wife “is a special woman.”

Obviously, I can’t say enough good things about my Grandmother, so I’ll just let Marcus Aurelius say it for me – “the longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.”

I love you, Grandma.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

Duke History – 1988 Season, An Overlooked Masterpiece

Coach Spurrier’s first season in Durham ended on a high note, 5-6 (2-5) and a thorough dismantling of the Heels by a score of 25-10. That made up for the disappointment that saw a 3-0 start sort of wasted by a 2-6 finish. But, while the final record may have been 5-6, that’s not bad for a first year head coach who took over a program that had been 13-31 under Coach Steve Sloan. The 1988 Blue Devils were determined to do better than they had in 1987. And they did just that.

Coach Spurrier’s team game out of the gate firing on all cylinders, reaching 5-0 by picking up wins against teams like Tennessee (in Knoxville), Virginia and Vanderbilt.* Duke then lost two straight to Clemson and Maryland, but bounced back with a win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Now, I can’t prove it, but I’m sure Coach Spurrier enjoyed beating the Yellow Jackets even though Bill Curry wasn’t the coach any longer. You’ll recall that Curry reportedly chose not to keep Spurrier on staff when he took over in Atlanta in 1980. While Curry denies that is what occurred, Coach Spurrier sure enjoyed beating Curry’s teams and running up the score when doing so.

*I’d like to see the Commodores as a regular rivalry again. Both schools are in major conferences and have high academic standards. It’s similar to playing Northwestern which we do regularly. Make it happen, Nina King!

But I digress. After racing out to a 6-2 record, the Blue Devils needed to lock down two more wins to guarantee a bowl berth. (The first player I ever spoke to who played on this team reminded me that they didn’t give out bowl berths “like candy” back then.) The remaining three games were against Wake, NC State and UNC. And, after Duke lost to Wake, the NC State game became all the more important.

And. It. Was. Insane. The final score was 43-43, Coach Spurrier got angry over a 4th down call, a defensive holding penalty called against his team, that led to a game-tying field goal by the Wolfpack. The call so irritated Coach Spurrier that he complained about it on the field and after the game. At some point, he said the call was “the worst call ever.” He also referred to it as “the worst call in the history of Duke football.” (Until Miami in 2015, right, Coach?) Coach Spurrier’s actions resulted in a suspension for one game, the season finale against the Heels. While he may not have been on the field for the game, Coach Spurrier had a hand in the offensive play-calling. Despite the suspension and being prohibited from coaching the team, Coach Spurrier invited the director of the Blue Devils’ golfing club, Ed Ibarguen, to watch the game with him. Since the game was at Wallace Wade, Coach Spurrier sent Ibarguen to the press box to give Carl Franks, who called the plays that day, “suggestions” on what to do. Most of the “suggestions” were to run the ball more. It worked and Duke beat the Cheats for the second year in a row and finished the season with a 7-3-1 record.

As a side note, Clarkston Hines isn’t ready to talk about what occurred during that game in regard to who called the plays.

While that call may not have been the only reason the Blue Devils didn’t go to a bowl game that year, it came too late in the season for Duke to overcome it. And, because the Blue Devils didn’t go bowling, we often forget about how good that team was and how great of a season it was. The seven wins, while pedestrian for a lot of programs, were the most since 1962 (that’s 26 years, folks!). And in 1962, Duke finished 8-2 (6-2), were ACC Champions and finished 14th in the Coaches’ Poll (not ranked in the AP which, excuse me, what???). The fact that the Blue Devils were knocking on the door of eight wins made it clear that Duke had turned a corner and began to move towards being a relevant football program again.

While the 1988 team didn’t get to a bowl, there is no way that the 1988 season can be overlooked in its importance and historical significance. Unfortunately, because the Blue Devils didn’t go bowling, and because of what happened in the historical season that was 1989, we overlook what a great season 1988 was. And it’s unfortunate because these guys were good.

So, where would I rank this team in the context of the modern era (which is Shirley Wilson to the present)? That’s a great question. And, because of the ongoing nature of these posts, I’ve decided not to answer that right now. What I’ve decided to do instead is wait until I’m done chronicling these seasons and then do a final ranking which will include my reasons for ranking each season where I do. If there are any seasons you think I should recap, let me know. There are some obvious ones which will be discussed, but there may be some others which don’t make the cut.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!