CrazieTalk.Net

Here are a bunch of football links to read as you dream about leaving work and starting an early weekend.

Cutcliffe stuck by his Blue Devils

2010 Duke Football Predictions

Williams will play anywhere

Extra Points: August 12

Huffman Ready For 2010

Devils rely on line of attack

Extra Points: August 11

Cutcliffe: Duke has the luxury of depth

Oklahoma Scene: OSU women's basketball hosts Duke, Richa Jackson on Dec. 12

Duke looks to continue making strides

ARMY

Army is a team that will be fun to watch when they come to Durham on September 25th. Head Coach Rich Ellerson runs a triple-option offense, much like what Navy runs. In 2009 Duke won their first game of the season in week 2 at Army. Coming off of the Richmond loss, Duke defeated the Black Knights 35-19 behind Sean Renfree’s phenomenal debut. Leon Wright returned two interceptions for touchdowns late in the game that sealed the deal for Duke. Last year was the first year for Army under coach Ellerson. The Black Knights went 5-7, which was successful since it was a hard transition to the triple-option attack. Starting at quarterback for Army this year is sophomore Trent Steelman. Steelman was the starter in 2009 as a freshman and had a solid year. He is very good at controlling their complicated option offense. Trent only threw for 637 yards and three touchdowns, but passing is not a part of Army’s offense. He only threw 110 passes the entire season, which Thad Lewis threw in four games. But Steelman did run the ball for 706 yards and five touchdowns. He was the leading rusher for the Black Knights even though he was the quarterback. He is a big threat with his passing and running ability. Senior Chris Bowden will be the likely backup man for Steelman if there is an injury.

Watch out for Jared Hassin in the Army offense this year. Hassin is a 6’3, 218 pound transfer from Air Force. He is a very strong fullback which Army could have used last year. The fullback position is the most important part of the triple-option offense, and without a solid fullback you will not have a successful season. Hassin will be used regularly and should be a very strong part of the Army running game. Senior Patrick Mealy was the second leading rusher last year behind Steelman. The running back had to play a lot at the fullback position last year since Army struggled at that position. Mealy ran for an impressive 99 yards against Duke in 2009. Now that Mealy is finally healthy, he should be a big play runner for Army in 2010. Senior Jameson Carter and sophomore Malcolm Brown both played a good bit at wide receiver in 2009 but will be a part of the running game this season. Carter should play both positions, but Brown has been permanently moved to running back and will be behind starter Patrick Mealy.

The offensive line is a strong part of the Black Knights squad. The team is highlighted by four senior starters. Seth Reed, Jason Johnson, Anees Merzi and Zach Peterson are the four senior starters for Army. These four started almost every game together in 2009. The only new starter for Army is sophomore Frank Allen. Allen did not play last year, and will be a working project for Army. This offensive line is talented and experienced, but small. The tallest lineman for Army is only 6’4. Duke’s offensive line has guys that are 6’7 and 6’6 on their offensive line. Army’s O-Line should be good, but we’ll see how the size plays out.

Army’s receivers are average at best. Junior Davyd Brooks is a deep ball threat, but is used most for his blocking in the running game. Junior Austin Barr is another target in the receiving game, but should not be much of a threat. Look for Army’s passing game to be even more of an afterthought this year with their upgraded running game. With the lack of talent at wide receiver, and a quarterback with a lackluster arm, Army should not pass much at all. Navy has an offense that is based around their rushing attack, but can also throw the ball. Army will not be able to pass, so look for the new defense of Duke to pack it in and make Army throw the ball.

Josh McNary is the star of the Army defense. McNary had 12.5 sacks in 2009, which was 4th in the country. McNary is a strong lineman that could present problems for Duke. Junior Mike Gann and senior Marcus Hilton are two other strong defensive linemen that will be a challenge for Duke’s offensive line. The linebacker position is strength of this Army team. Stephen Anderson was one the leading tacklers for the Black Knights in 2009. He returns after a season-ending knee injury, and should be ready for the start of the season. Andrew Rodriguez will be another force at linebacker for Army this season.

Now Army’s pass defense is a hard one to break down. The Black Knights had the 3rd ranked pass defense in the country last season. But Army did not have to deal with any Peyton Manning’s. They dealt with Thad Lewis at his worst, and a bunch of other so-so QB’s. But even though they did not fact many good quarterbacks, they still had the third ranked pass defense. They should be strong this year led by Donovan Travis and Donnie Dixon at the defensive back position.

The special teams are led by place-kicker Alex Carlton who was 18-24 in 2009. He has a very good led, that was showed by his 51 yard field goal against Vanderbilt. Jonathan Bulls is the punter who is average at best. Duke’s returners should feast on Army’s kickers. Running back Patrick Mealy will be the main returner for Army in 2010.

I really like this Army team to be competitive in 2010. There is a good chance with their weak schedule that they will go bowling this season. The offensive line is very strong, and with the new fullback their running game should be superb. But when Army is faced with a 3rd and 7 situation, their passing attack will not be able to get first downs. If Duke can pack it in on defense, and slow down guys like Mealy and Hassin, they should be fine. I think that Duke’s passing attack could be slowed down by Army’s defense, but with the depth at receiver for the Blue Devils, the passing game should lead Duke to victory. If Duke can run the ball well, against a decent Army defensive front, the Blue Devils should be fine. I like Duke in this game, and playing at home will help. Army is much better than people think, but they won’t be good enough to beat Duke. And if Duke can get an early lead, Army will have to rely on a weak passing game to bring them back. And let’s face it; Steelman will not be able to sling the ball across the field if the team is down early.

Duke:       27

Army:       17

Check out the front page on Saturday for my breakdown of Duke's 1st ACC Opponent, Maryland.

Just in case you wanted to write down the dates...or think of what a blast this season will be.

Duke sophomore Ryan Kelly talks about last season, this summer, and what's to come.

Check out the print story and more here. http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/8123817/