BullCityCoordinators

2020 Game Recap – Duke Loses in South Bend

It was a familiar script for the Blue Devil’s against a highly ranked team. They started strong, punched above their weight class and took an early lead. Despite looking like world beaters and going up 6-0, the Blue Devils’ offense stalled out and Notre Dame ended up with a 27-13 win. The final score is somewhat misleading as this was a tight game until the fourth quarter. But a loss is still a loss.

My five takeaways from the game are:

1) Poor execution in the red zone.

Duke got there three times but only got one touchdown. That won’t get it done. The plays Cutcliffe called were predictable and easy to defend. Why roll Brice out on third down instead of a spread package? Why pitch to Durant on the short end of the field? Why not do an RPO with Jackson? This stuff may be due to a lack of Spring ball and a new QB, but if this continues over the next few games, we have a problem. It may be time to do a serious OC overhaul.

And speaking of the offense…

2) Free Deon.

Other than a few missteps (Calhoun’s fumble and repeated throws to the backup TE), the offense looked pretty good. Duke had long drives and got into the red zone. But the offense struggles the minute Deon is off the field. He brings speed and quickness the defense has to account for. He’s also a good receiver. While I like Durant, he doesn’t do what Deon does. This isn’t like the Stable days when Cut had to rotate guys in and out because they lacked talent. Deon is a top-level back. Give him the carries he deserves and make the defense defend the entire field.

Game Observations: Notre Dame Defense vs. Duke

3) It’s deja vu all over again.

The defense played great but wore down as the game went on and a close game ended up getting away from the Blue Devils late. If you feel like you’re watching a movie you’ve already seen, it’s because you have. This has been the story of Duke football for the last four years. Cut needs to slow the offense down a bit and give his defense a breather. If he doesn’t, this defense is going to fall apart. Which would be unfortunate because I liked everything they did. The line was good, the LBs hit hard and the secondary should have had two picks (Rumph can’t jump offside like that). They have the tools, they have the talent. Don’t waste it with a hurry-up scheme when the defense needs to rest.

4) Mistakes.

There were a few. Calhoun fumbling, Rumph jumping into the neutral zone, play calls in the red zone. Just some typical first game sloppiness. What is bad about the mistakes is that they happened in a tight game in which Duke was a 20.5 point underdog. If the mistakes go the other way, the Blue Devils could have kept it at one possession. These mistakes can’t continue if Duke wants to have a good season.

5) Mark Gilbert.

I can’t say enough about how great it was to see him back on the field. Just tremendous. He played well. Congratulations, man. You’re writing one heck of a story.

2020 Season – Duke versus Notre Dame

We’re back! It’s been a while thanks to COVID-19 and all the upheaval we’ve dealt with. But that’s over. The season starts today at 2:30 p.m. on NBC. Duke travels to South Bend to take on the 10th ranked Irish. This is going to be a tough game, there is no question about it. The Irish dominated the Blue Devils last year by a cool 38-7. We’ve covered all the changes during the off-season, so while we can’t say things will be the same as they were last year, there’s also reason to expect a loss. Notre Dame is ranked 10th. Duke isn’t. Notre Dame consistently outperforms Duke. The game is at South Bend. Jack Wohlabaugh is out for the season. Need any other reasons to be pessimistic?

How about reasons for optimism? It starts with Chase Brice.

Chase Brice - 2020 - Football - Duke University

A good quarterback will elevate your team and get you wins you shouldn’t. Remember Daniel Jones against UNC? We do because we were there. It was one of the greatest performances by a Blue Devil we ever saw on the football field. So, there’s one reason.

The WR corps is also better than it has been throughout most of Cutcliffe’s tenure. While he may not have a Jamison Crowder just yet, this is a deep group (Damon Philyaw-Johnson, Jalon Calhoun, Darrell Harding, Jr., Eli Pancol, etc.). And Noah Gray at TE is a big plus. There are a lot of weapons for Brice to get the ball to. If Duke can keep the defense honest by running the ball effectively (Deon Jackson and Mataeo Durant, anyone?), Cutcliffe’s next NFL QB may have one heck of a season. The weapons on offense give us a second reason for optimism.

The defense, while it had some turnover, should also be strong (especially with Mark Gilbert coming back which is freaking great).

Mark Gilbert on Twitter: "How's Reconstruction Going?? Me: 😁👍🏾🌴… "

Ben Albert is a heck of a coach and the talent level has consistently improved especially since he came on board. These guys can make plays and will give the Irish their best. Cutcliffe has generally gotten his team ready for big games at the start of the season. Remember how well an undermanned team played against Alabama last year? Remember the year before that when, while it was later in the season, Duke actually lead against Clemson? Cutcliffe, with time to prepare, can give better teams fits. So that’s a third reason for optimism.

But, speaking of Cutcliffe, I’ve been throwing cold water on him as the play-caller ever since he announced he was taking over the job. Just scan through our Twitter account — it’s there. Cutcliffe ran predictable plays in the red zone, messed with the offense’s flow by switching QBs and wasn’t always the best at clock management. As much as we love Cutcliffe here, we are honest about the fact that he gave up those duties for a reason. And his talking about a goal line package should give us cause for concern (he said it isn’t a priority for this week, but history tells us to be worried).

Final prediction? Irish to win, but a fun game. Go Duke!

Mark Gilbert Back?

If any of you guys follow our Twitter account (which you should, duh), you’ve noticed that Mark Gilbert has been tweeting some pretty awesome pictures lately. What are these pictures of? Him suited up to play some football.

Gilbert, a shutdown, game-changing corner who lived on the eponymous Gilbert Island, hasn’t been on the field since 2018 when he suffered a possibly career ending hip dislocation against Northwestern. That was the same game Daniel Jones broke his collar bone and what looked like a promising season turned into one plagued by injuries. While Duke finished with 8 wins, that season is forever a “What if?” season that included the Blue Devils leading eventual national champ Clemson 6-0 after the first quarter. It turned into a loss, but it makes you think. Oh well.

When Gilbert went down, I thought he may never play again. The images had a Bo Jackson feel to them. While going through the recovery process, Gilbert required a second surgery last year. We all hoped he would come back, but many of us had to wonder. And, fortunately, it looks like any of us who did have been proven wrong.

We could spend a lot of time posting about how Gilbert playing would make a tremendous impact on the secondary, the defense and the team as a whole. We could talk about what to expect from him after not playing for so long. We’re not, though.

Instead, we’re going to say how amazing it is that Gilbert may suit up and play this season. Not every player could come back from this terrible of an injury, two hip surgeries and the recovery process. It isn’t easy to come back from what Gibert went through and we here couldn’t be happier to see him making what appears to be a full recovery. Gilbert playing would be great – but him being healthy and happy is more important.

Congrats, Mark! Your perseverance is an inspiration to all of us.

2020 Outlook – Two Big Additions

It was one heck of a 72 hours for the Blue Devils. Clemson backup QB Chase Brice and Stanford OT Devery Hamilton visited on Saturday. Then on Sunday, word broke that Brice was coming to Duke. On Monday, Hamilton made the same announcement. What does this mean for the program? The only way to describe it is that these commitments are a big freaking deal.

Hamilton is 6-7 / 300 and from Maryland. He chose Duke over Pittsburgh and Indiana – no small accomplishment for the Blue Devils coaching staff. Hamilton came out of high school as a 4-star recruit which is out of step with the 3-star recruits Duke customarily lands. Hamilton also started at Stanford until the injury bug hit him.

As for Brice, he has two years of eligibility left. He comes to Durham after backing up some pretty good Clemson QBs. I’ve seen different things about Brice coming out of high school. Some list him as a pro-style QB, some say dual-threat. That said, most agree he was a 3-star recruit who isn’t the best runner, but is a smart player. The buzz is overwhelmingly positive. Word is Dabo Swinney really talked him up while he was transferring and the Clemson players love him. Around 30 schools were after Brice including Miami, Maryland and Purdue. He chose Duke.

Let that sink in. He chose Duke.

To ask my earlier question again, what does this mean for Duke? It means there is a talent upgrade and more weapons for Greg Frey, the new OL coach, to work with. It also means there will be a veteran QB to compete with Duke’s young guys, Holmberg and Diamont. This adds a level of excitement to the off-season that hasn’t been present for a while.

But more important, it signals a big change at Duke. These moves to me say that Cutcliffe & Co. are upset with last season’s 5-7 record and are willing to make big changes to prevent that from happening again. Cutcliffe doesn’t want to get caught with a QB who can’t make plays or run the offense consistently. The coaches aren’t okay with more of the same and are willing to take risks to do better. Fortune, as they say, favors the bold.

And with these big changes comes some big responsibility. My very scientific gut tells me that these moves put a lot of pressure on OC Zac Roper. He has a good group of WRs, a well-respected OL coach, some good RBs and three talented QBs (plus Katrenick who I think is better than we realize). While the QBs don’t have a lot of playing experience, I don’t see a lot of excuses for this team. If the offense continues to struggle, Roper is going to have to answer for that.

Duke made investments this off-season. If the results aren’t positive, the program will require more changes. If I’m Roper, I understand this and spend a lot of time upgrading the offense. He needs to review his own performance, figure out what worked and figure out what didn’t. The offense will need to be changed to better fit the talent.

While these 72 hours were a great start, it’s time for Duke to start capitalizing on them.

2021 Recruiting Update – New Commit

Duke landed another member of the 2021 class today. Sahmir Hagans, a 3-star WR from Philadelphia, announced that he’s committing to Duke. This brings Duke’s 2021 class to 4. His highlight reel shows that he can catch screen passes, so he’ll fit in great at Duke.

2021 Recruiting Update

Starting last night and ending today, Duke landed three commits for the 2021 class. Three-star DE Aaron Hall was the first to join the Blue Devils. He was followed today by lineman Andrew Jones and Anthony “Tre” Freeman, a linebacker. All three are from NC. Hall is from South Durham, Jones is from Pfafftown and Freeman is from Northern Durham.

Hall is the gem of the three. He’s a three-star DE/TE. At 6-6/220, he could really make an impact at Duke. Jones looks to be a prospect for new OL coach Greg Frey. Jones also plays on special teams which is always a good thing to see. Freeman, like Jones, is unrated and, like Hall, plays on both sides of the ball. In addition to playing LB, Freeman rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.

While none of these are 4 or 5-star recruits, they chose Duke over schools like Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Louisville (among others). Not a bad start for Duke 2021 recruiting news.

2020 Schedule

It’s out — the 2020 football schedule. Here’s the breakdown:

September 5 – vs. Middle Tennessee

September 12 – vs. Elon

September 17 – vs. Charlotte

September 26 – at Pittsburgh

October 3 – vs. Wake Forest

October 10 – at NCSU

October 17 – vs. UNC

October 24 – open (win the bye week!)

October 31 – at Notre Dame

November 7 – at Georgia Tech

November 13 – vs. UVA

November 21 – vs. Virginia Tech

November 28 – at Miami

Duke plays seven home games, gets one bye week and has all of its Carolina games in October. That could be a rough stretch. The end of the schedule also looks rough as Duke will have to battle three teams that went to bowls last year. Duke has a real shot to start well, but then things will get rough. Pitt, Wake and UNC will all present challenges. Notre Dame will coast to a second straight win against Duke. If Duke can start well, finish well and hover around .500 during the middle of the season, the Blue Devils may get back to a bowl game.

We previously predicted 7-5 this season with the caveat that 5-7 wouldn’t be a surprise. I’m standing by that after looking at the schedule. In fact, I’m trending closer to 5-7 now. I hope I’m wrong and that the Blue Devils turn things around and get back to winning games this year.

Keep those fingers crossed!

Duke Alumni Update – Max McCaffrey Joins Northern Colorado Staff

Image result for max mccaffrey duke — Max McCaffrey catches a pass and turns down field.

Max McCaffrey played at Duke during the Golden Era of the early 2010s. He came to Duke in 2012 was part of teams that went to the Belk Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the Sun Bowl and won the Pinstripe Bowl. In 2015, McCaffrey led Duke in receptions, receiving yards and TD catches.

While Max has spent time in the NFL, he didn’t get drafted and only recorded one catch for 4 yards. Max planned to play for the XFL and was drafted by the DC Defenders. While not the freak athlete his brother Christian is, Max always ran good routes and was a solid WR.

His famous father, Ed, must have taken note of this and added Max to his staff at Northern Colorado. We assume he’ll coach the WRs. Congrats, Max!

Coaching Staff Rumors – Offensive Line

One of the biggest gripes amongst Duke fans that isn’t about Zac Roper is that the offensive line has fallen apart since John Latina left. A lot of that is attributable to Matt Skura, Lucas Patrick, Laken Tomlinson and Takoby Cofiled leaving, but the consistent poor play has most fans wanting a new OL coach. Let’s take a look at that.

Remember when we had these guys on our line? Good times!

After Latina retired in 2016, Marcus Johnson took over the line. Johnson had been on the Duke staff since 2011, rising from a strength and conditioning coach all the way to OL coach. He stayed at Durham until the end of the 2017 season before going back home to Mississippi to coach at Mississippi State (which as an Ole Miss alum had to be awkward).

With Johnson out, Jim Bridge took over the line and everyone has been underwhelmed with the OL since. I can’t say whether that’s because of youth, lack of talent, lousy coaching, bad play-calling or all of the above, but I can say that it doesn’t seem like the line is doing well. The running game is inconsistent and the QB got sacked a lot as time went on. While Duke always starts well and finishes poorly, the line really fell apart as the season went on. So, why am I talking about this?

It turns out that Marcus Johnson may be available. Mississippi State just fired its coach which could make a lot of assistants available. If I’m Duke, I reach out to Johnson. We missed out on a reunion with Matt Luke after Ole Miss stupidly fired him and we can’t afford to miss out again.

Johnson has a hell of a resume. He played in the SEC, the Vikings drafted him in the second round in 2005 (49th overall selection) and played in the NFL until 2009. That’s the kind of guy a recruit should want to play for and learn from. If I’m Cut, I make a big push to get him to come back to Durham. We need him.

2020 Outlook – Schedule

We’re continuing our discussion of next season by looking at Duke’s 2020 opponents. While the Blue Devils don’t have to play Clemson or Alabama, we do get a date with Notre Dame. Let’s burn the tape from 2019.

Duke starts off the season with three non-conference games against Middle Tennessee, Elon and Charlotte. I think Duke will win the first two, but don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils struggle against Charlotte. The 49ers went 7-6 in 2019 (and concluded the season with a loss in the Bahamas Bowl) and will probably roll into Durham with a lot of confidence. The 49ers QB will be a junior this year and ready to get a big win. What would be better than knocking off Duke in Durham? I’ll feel better about this game after knowing: a) who the Blue Devils start at QB; and b) how the offense performs with that new QB at the helm.

Let’s assume that Duke starts off 3-0. What happens when the Blue Devils go to South Bend? Probably not this

I’m putting money down on a loss. The Irish return a 5th-year senior at quarterback and went 11-2 in 2019 with a bowl win. Notre Dame absolutely slaughtered Duke in 2019. Let’s be realistic – best case scenario for Duke after the first 4 games is 3-1.

After that, the Blue Devils turn to the ACC schedule. The 2020 squad will face off against UVA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Pitt, Wake and UNC. Duke’s best chances for wins will be against Georgia Tech, NC State and Miami or Wake. UVA is a possible as is UNC, but neither are locks. God has ordained that Duke can’t beat Pitt, so let’s table that one and go through the conference schedule in more detail.

Georgia Tech is still adapting to a new system which gives Duke the edge, especially if the game is early in the season when the Blue Devils historically are at their best. NC State somehow managed to look worse than Duke in 2019 and that’s saying something. I watched a little bit of State this year and the QBs were underwhelming at best. If that continues, Duke is likely to pull out a win. State recently rearranged the offensive coaching staff and moved former Blue Devil OC Kurt Roper to RB coach, but I don’t think that will fix what’s been wrong with the Wolfpack of late. My money is on Duke.

As for Miami, Duke somehow managed to play well at the end of 2019 and get a win. Beyond the end to the season, Duke has played pretty well against Miami of late, earning wins in 2018 and 2019. Duke should have gotten a win in 2015, too (thanks, ACC refs) and managed a win in 2013.

If history is any guide, we should not be talking about Duke getting a win against Wake. They have owned the Blue Devils of late. But let’s keep things in context. The 2018 loss had a lot to do with injuries and the team being broken from the cumulative burden of everyone getting hurt who could get hurt. The 2019 loss somehow managed to get Duke going again and preceded the victory at Miami. Wake will be breaking in a new QB as their top two are leaving the school. So, basically, I’m telling you there’s a chance.

What about UVA? Much like with Pitt, Duke has been dominated by UVA since Mendenhall took over the Cavs. UVA will have a new QB, though, as Perkins is (finally) gone. My VA Tech fan friends all say that UVA without Perkins isn’t as strong of a team. I’ve had the same thoughts over the years – Perkins elevated that team beyond its talent level – and am glad to hear people who watching the Cavs a lot say the same thing. Let’s hope that assessment is correct and UVA takes a step back. If so, Duke could squeeze out a win. Plus, aren’t the Blue Devils due?

That brings us to UNC. Duke lost a game last year it should have won. The defense played well. They picked off Howell twice and held him to 10 completions on 26 attempts. The Blue Devils gave up a lot of running yards, but not a lot of points – the classic bend-don’t-break approach that has defined Duke for years. Given the rivalry, this game is winnable. That said, I’d put money on UNC right now. Depending on how the season goes, my assessment may change.

What about the rest of the schedule? I’m not comfortable saying Duke will repeat against Virginia Tech. Fuente turned the Hokies around after losing to the Blue Devils and Duke kind of gave up after that game. The teams seem to play better against one another on the road and the Blue Devils host this year.

My overall prediction for the conference is 4-4. I think 5 wins is the ceiling. As far as the season as a whole, I have Duke going 7-5 and possibly 8-4. I feel okay saying that Duke is 3-1 heading into the conference schedule. After that, Duke most likely picks up 4 more wins and finishes in the middle of the Coastal. I’m expecting struggles once the conference games start just like what we’ve seen every year with the exception of 2013 (and another 5-7 season wouldn’t stun me). That said, if the Blue Devils can go 7-5 with a third quarterback in three seasons and get back to a bowl game, I’d be real, real pleased.

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.