2013 Schedule

[Bob Green]

HURRICANE Season has arrived:



Let's get these out of the way so we can have no Tropical Storms on home game weekends!!!

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Tropical Storm is on the move

[lawgrad91]

Nothing groundbreaking here, but the Pilot's VT writer has a "know your opponent" write up about us.

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/better- ... onent-duke

Is it too early for me to be nervous about football?

[Bob Green]

Is it too early for me to be nervous about football?

We are Duke fans so it is never too early to be nervous about football. Thanks for that link it was a solid read.

[dpslaw]

Here is the second part, featuring Laura Keeley:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/ask-ano ... riter-duke

Edit: I can't get the link to post properly, but it exists!

[Bob Green]

Here is the second part, featuring Laura Keeley:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/ask-ano ... riter-duke

Edit: I can't get the link to post properly, but it exists!

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/ask-ano ... riter-duke

[CameronBornAndBred]

USA today looks at Duke. (#86 on their list)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... w/2431349/

[lawgrad91]

USA today looks at Duke. (#86 on their list)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... w/2431349/

Memo to USA Today: We played Florida STATE last year, not Florida (apologize to Seminole Nation, and also to Gator Nation). Also, the stellar catch against unc was wonderful, and Conner Vernon was terrific. However, JAMISON CROWDER made the final touchdown catch against the sheep.

[CameronBornAndBred]

USA today looks at Duke. (#86 on their list)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... w/2431349/

Memo to USA Today: We played Florida STATE last year, not Florida (apologize to Seminole Nation, and also to Gator Nation). Also, the stellar catch against unc was wonderful, and Conner Vernon was terrific. However, JAMISON CROWDER made the final touchdown catch against the sheep.

I know, that ticked me off. If they had a comments feature, I'm sure he would be getting that pointed out by several people. Grrrrr.

[Bob Green]

The #86 ranking pisses me off. I guess everyone expects us to take a step back this year. Personally, I'm looking for 7 or 8 wins. Perhaps I am blinded by loyalty, but with the strength of our offensive line and running backs, coupled with decent passing game (if a 2nd and 3rd receiver step up) and normal improvement on defense, I just do not understand why Duke is being regarded so lowly by the national media. Perhaps they are just idiots!

[CameronBornAndBred]

The #86 ranking pisses me off. I guess everyone expects us to take a step back this year. Personally, I'm looking for 7 or 8 wins. Perhaps I am blinded by loyalty, but with the strength of our offensive line and running backs, coupled with decent passing game (if a 2nd and 3rd receiver step up) and normal improvement on defense, I just do not understand why Duke is being regarded so lowly by the national media. Perhaps they are just idiots!

The guy actually dropped us from 79th. He did look at their pre-season prediction last year, and pointed out where they came up wrong, but he also points to why he is giving us a drop this year...primarily due to a different offense. He also did a fair job of pointing out a scenario where Duke can do MUCH better than expected. Once again, it will be the team's job to prove the doubters wrong, same old story. It is getting to be a rather tiresome story though.

[Bob Green]

The guy actually dropped us from 79th. He did look at their pre-season prediction last year, and pointed out where they came up wrong, but he also points to why he is giving us a drop this year...primarily due to a different offense. He also did a fair job of pointing out a scenario where Duke can do MUCH better than expected. Once again, it will be the team's job to prove the doubters wrong, same old story. It is getting to be a rather tiresome story though.

I agree the preview as a whole was pretty good, it is just the bottom line that annoys me. Boston College is ranked #100 but no other ACC team is listed below Duke at #86 so Virginia is predicted to be better than us even though we destroyed them 42-17 last year and they've lost both their QBs since to a transfer and an academic ineligibility.

Looking at the teams on our schedule, Memphis (116) and Troy (97) are ranked lower so once you add in NCCU the prediction is for a 3-9 season. We ain't going 3-9.

It'll be interesting to see where Navy, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Virginia end up on this list,

[CameronBornAndBred]

Found this link on ESPN's ACC football blog, it looks at defenses this year, and ranks each going into the season. Duke comes in 9th.

http://www.orangeandwhite.com/news/2013 ... artner=RSS

[CameronBornAndBred]

Found this link on ESPN's ACC football blog, it looks at defenses this year, and ranks each going into the season. Duke comes in 9th.

http://www.orangeandwhite.com/news/2013 ... artner=RSS

It was pointed out OY that these are D-lines, not the whole defense. Which, of course, unfortuneately includes the secondary. I hope Ross has lots of help.

[The Football Fan]

I agree the preview as a whole was pretty good, it is just the bottom line that annoys me. Boston College is ranked #100 but no other ACC team is listed below Duke at #86 so Virginia is predicted to be better than us even though we destroyed them 42-17 last year and they've lost both their QBs since to a transfer and an academic ineligibility.

Looking at the teams on our schedule, Memphis (116) and Troy (97) are ranked lower so once you add in NCCU the prediction is for a 3-9 season. We ain't going 3-9.

It'll be interesting to see where Navy, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Virginia end up on this list,

Virginia may be losing their QB, but their recruiting classes have been great the past few years. Tom O'Brien is now in the fold as a coach with them. Coach London did beat Duke at Richmond and the squad he recruited went on to beat us again. Virginia has beaten Miami, a recognized power in football...even a watered down Miami win says something. There's plenty of reason for pundits to place VA ahead of us. We did beat Va, but a few plays/drops/slightly better thrown balls could've dramatically changed that game.

Phil Steele's review, which I skimmed briefly, seemed to mention that while Boone was good against Wake and Va, against stiffer competition, his completion rate was lousy. I think it was below 40%. Pundits rely on stats and most of the time, they paint a pretty good picture. The two things I put considerable stock in to boost us over projections are: 1) the pundits don't really see the potential in our RBs. They see the numbers. We weren't a running team and put the ball in the 4-5 star QBs hands more often than not. But I saw teams struggle to bring down Jela Duncan. He has a motor. Juwan is big back that can wear down a defense. Snead can take the top off. Going to the read option plays to our strength. The pundits know about the switch and they are focused on Boone. They are focused on his completion rate, but he's really better at throwing the deep ball....which dovetails nicely with the option. Bottom line is this, the pundits are missing that Coach Cut planned this transition 3-4 years ago. He's a great offensive coach for a reason...he's planned ahead. Bank on a lower total score per game, but more ball control. 2.) Pundits have also focused on our loss in the secondary. The story goes...They weren't that good AND they lose all that experience. My view...yep...we're losing all that experience that got burned like camp fire marsh mellows. The seniors in the secondary, Canty aside, they didn't have enough talent to compete with big time ACC schools. The people coming in have more talent or, if you will, a higher ceiling. True, that doesn't translate immediately, but it's a better position to be in. By November, those things will work themselves out with good coaching. Again, we have that.

So, all in all, pundits have a reason to rank us low. Frustrating, but reality. We've got to go out and notch another bowl game and get a 7 win season. Reality...3-9 is possible, but so is 8-4...neither likely, but both possible. A few bad breaks and it could snowball on us. Beat GaTech and I dare say we may catch some fire.

[CameronBornAndBred]

So, all in all, pundits have a reason to rank us low. Frustrating, but reality. We've got to go out and notch another bowl game and get a 7 win season. Reality...3-9 is possible, but so is 8-4...neither likely, but both possible. A few bad breaks and it could snowball on us. Beat GaTech and I dare say we may catch some fire.

Great look at things. I agree as far as the bad breaks go, but I also feel that we have matured as a team and a program well enough to really not let those snowball like they may have in the past. Unless the breaks are physical ones, and we once again start a list of names on the injury report that is as long as the list of names on the scout team.

[Bob Green]

Virginia may be losing their QB, but their recruiting classes have been great the past few years.

Great post!!!

One thing I would like to point out is Virginia is losing two QBs. Rocco transferred to Richmond and Sims has been declared academically ineligible and will transfer after he completes the summer semester. Whoever starts (probably sophomore Watford) will have no experience. That's a big hit!

You are correct on recruiting. Virginia is starting to give VT a serious battle for in state talent. They are also pulling talent out of North Carolina.

[Bob Green]

Fox Sports Carolinas ranks the ACC schedules from easiest (N.C. State) to hardest (Virginia):

http://www.foxsportssouth.com/photo-gal ... amp;gf=251

Duke checks in with the second easiest schedule after N.C. State.

[Bob Green]

Whoever starts (probably sophomore Watford) will have no experience. That's a big hit!

I'm guilty of a slight overstatement. David Watford redshirted in 2012, but he played in 2011 as a freshman:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/pla ... id-watford

He completed 30 of 74 passes for 346 yards with 3 TDs and 4 interceptions, and he was sacked twice for a QB rating of 82.4.

For comparison, as a freshman in 2011, Anthony Boone completed 30 of 53 passes for 298 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception, and he was sacked once for a QB rating of 106.3:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/pla ... hony-boone

I stick with my main point, which is Virginia has a huge unknown situation at QB the most important position on the offense.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Fox Sports Carolinas ranks the ACC schedules from easiest (N.C. State) to hardest (Virginia):

http://www.foxsportssouth.com/photo-gal ... amp;gf=251

Duke checks in with the second easiest schedule after N.C. State.

Works for me, let's make the most of it!