Category: 2023 Season

Interview – Get to Know the Clemson Tigers with Chapel Fowler

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Chapel Fowler of The State newspaper stopped by to introduce us to Duke’s first opponent of the season, the Clemson Tigers. We talked about the strengths and the unknowns of the Tigers, how the Blue Devils will match up with Clemson on Labor Day and we dropped our win-loss predictions towards the end. You’ll learn that the Tigers have a lot of depth, a good running game and a new coordinator who likes to run the ball.

And the Duke FB Talk guys get a mention, too!

As if that weren’t enough, we get to know a little more about The State Guild and drop a reference to the IWW. As an aside, the IWW has an interesting history which you guys should take some time to read up on. We also briefly mention the history of unions in the South. That’s something that our history classes don’t devote enough time to.

Chapel was a great, informative guest who has a bright future in the business. I appreciate him stopping by and hope we get a chance to do this again.

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Lee Rodio Previews Duke’s Upcoming Season

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Friend of the podcast Lee Rodio stopped by to preview Duke’s 2023 season. In addition to catching us up on what he’s been doing since his last interview, Lee gives his perspective on the strengths of the Blue Devils. He points out we have a great staff, a veteran team and talented people on the OL and DL. Lee is high on Duke and what the Blue Devils can accomplish this season. We also get into a discussion about one of the greatest Duke players ever – DeVon Edwards. And there’s a brief detour into a discussion about Ingles grocery stores. Oh, and happy late birthday to Noel Durfey!

During this excellent interview, Lee decides to set up shop in Cancelvania. Lee goes after Florida State, implies Clemson can’t compete outside of the ACC (his opinion, not mine), throws some shade at Dabo (again, his opinion, NOT MINE), unleashes a right hook on Pat Narduzzi and trashes the hurry-up offense. He also trashes Maryland, but that’s just stating facts.

I also take a trip to Cancelvania when I characterize the ACC’s marriage to Notre Dame as an abusive relationship. But, let’s be honest – the Notre Dame deal is going to turn the ACC into the Big East 2.0. Also, I say that the B1G is soft. Which, again, accurate.

Another key point in the interview involves the fact that I’m now an ordained minister in The Church of the Latter-Day Dude. Abide, my brothers and sisters. Abide.

Some of the conversation we had dealt with expansion which, as of the time of writing this, looks to be DOA. But, as of the time of editing this, may be back on. So, if you want to skip the expansion and get straight to the season preview, the timestamps are below:

0:00 – Introductory comments and general expansion issues

19:47 – Cal, Stanford, SMU and the future of the ACC

39:48 – Duke’s strengths for 2023 (and ancillary matters)

108:56 – Schedule prediction

131:53 – Open Mic

133:19 – Surprise announcement and ending

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Jeff Previews the Old Coastal Teams

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Our old friend Jeff from All Sports Discussion stopped by to preview the old Coastal Division teams. In what should come as a surprise to no one, we predict a PAINFUL season for UVA. A very, very painful season. I mean, there’s going to be a whole lot of pain. And, to be clear, we’re not telling you Cavs fans there’s a chance.

In other news, Pitt and Duke get high marks from both of us and I don’t remember what we said about Chapel Hill College. That place is straight trash and no one cares about its garbage football team. An interesting recurring theme for most of the teams is the difficulty of their respective schedules. The new 3-5-5 is going to be interesting to watch develop.

This was a fun talk with a great and knowledgeable guest. We hope you enjoy it and, while you’re at it, tell a friend about both of our podcasts.

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Dan Siegel Previews the Old Atlantic Teams

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Our old friend Dan Siegel returned to the pod to preview the old Atlantic Division teams for the upcoming 2023 season. While we may not have divisions anymore, it’s still an easy way to break down the ACC come football season. Before getting into 2023 football, we discuss the pros and cons of the end of divisions and the start of the 3-5-5.

In regard to what to expect this year, Dan gives high marks to FSU and has some serious questions about the Eagles. He also thinks that the Wolfpack have a lot pressure to do well this year. Also, I come out and say that the B1G is an absolute fraud.

In addition to football, I tell an embarrassing story about my kids and Dan catches us up on what he’s been doing since last season’s interview.

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Joe Ovies

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If you follow sports in the Triangle, you know who Joe Ovies is. Joe was kind enough to stop by to talk about how he got started in sports media, his new podcast with Joe Giglio (which is great), his prior podcasting experience, the outlook for the North Carolina football teams this season and the problems facing the ACC as a whole. We also discuss the brutal schedule Duke has this season. This was a very informative talk that I know you’ll enjoy.

And as if all the sports weren’t enough, we spend a good portion of the interview talking about what we all really care about, Star Wars. SPOILER ALERT – there are plenty of spoilers in our discussion. During our Star Wars discussion, Joe and I have a debate about the greatness of Chopper, the droid from Rebels. If you aren’t familiar with Chopper, he’s the best character from Rebels and arguably the GOAT of Star Wars droids. Seriously, just look at his body count. Look, folks, there was a war on and Chopper got results. To paraphrase Ramsey from The Great Escape, a soldier has a sworn duty to harass the enemy. Chopper did that. And then some.

There’s a little bit for everyone to enjoy in this episode. I mean, I think that. But I’m fairly biased.

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – ACC Weekly Podcast Previews Duke Football

For the third season in a row, I stopped by The ACC Weekly Podcast to preview the upcoming Duke football season. This was a fun talk with some of the best podcasters in the business. You can listen to the interview here.

Thanks to Matthew and Jeff for having me back on as a guest. I always enjoy talking with these guys.

As if almost 40 minutes of Blue Devil sports weren’t enough, Tim and I recorded a cover of “Cherokee Trail” which is a great old-time tune. Fun fact, Tim actually played with the guy who wrote the song. I’m on rhythm guitar and Tim is playing his brand new mandolin which sounds great!

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

As always, Go Duke!

Interview – Jontavis Robertson

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Jontavis “Hollywood” Roberston stopped by for a talk about Duke’s mood coming out of Spring Ball, his position coaches, the deep wideout room, what to expect in 2023, the strength and conditioning program and Coach Elko’s fondness for Coca-Cola products. Jontavis, like all cultured soda drinkers, also likes Coke. Let me just say it’s very reassuring to know that he and Coach Elko don’t like the trash of all soda products, Pepsi.

Jontavis tells us about how much it meant for the Blue Devils to win a bowl game as well as the different running styles of each quarterback. While Riley is a giraffe, we haven’t landed on what animals Belin and Loftis run like. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments.

Thanks, Jontavis, for stopping by. This was a fun talk.

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 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

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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!