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Football
vs Blue & White Game
Quotes: Duke 41, Wake Forest 21
11/29/2014 11:20:00 PM | Football
Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe
On finishing the regular season 9-3:
“The only thing I can think about or talk about are the seniors of 2014 and what they've accomplished in their junior and senior years. Nineteen wins in two years and they have done a lot off the field for Duke football as well so I'm extremely proud.”
On being more aggressive in the second half tonight:
“No question we were more aggressive. I thought defensively we came out after we settled down and we really played well most of the rest of the third quarter and the fourth quarter. I'm really proud of the way we picked up steam and we ran the football. That one drive that ended in the little pass to David Reeves was a thing of beauty.”
On the season and seeing the team get nine wins:
“[The season] started tough. It started with Kelby Brown tearing his knee up and then Braxton Deaver on the heels of that—two big pieces of our program. We didn't talk about it. We just went about our work and I'm extremely proud of what these guys have accomplished. I'm extremely proud of where we're headed. I think, as far as my end of it in coaching goes, it's been the most rewarding two years that I've had in my career. I'm very proud of what all of the staff has done and what these players have accomplished.”
Duke Linebacker David Helton
On the progress of the team since first coming to Duke:
“We're 9-3 now. When I was a freshman, we were 3-9, so it's really changed. Even with last year, and the end of this year, it's really incredible. It's really incredible to walk out on the last game in this stadium and knowing how much has changed in my four years. It's truly incredible. All these seniors, you have to give a lot of credit to these guys because they've done so much. It's a really great class and I'm very proud of them.”
On the advice he'd give to the younger players:
“To progress. To continually get better. That all sounds very simple, but that's what we've been doing ever since we've been here. Continually getting better, each and every day, even when things go bad. I'm just going to usher that to them. I have to emphasize how great of a feeling it is being on this side after so much change and so much development from this program. I'm going to emphasize that to them as well.
On areas that need to be improved on heading into a bowl game:
“We're going to have to, defensively, make sure we get our assignments right. In the first half, we had a few slip-ups. We're going to have to continually sure up our assignments and our gameplan for whoever we do play. I'm glad we'll have several weeks to prepare. I think that'll really help us.”
Duke Wide Receiver Jamison Crowder
On back-and-forth nature of the game:
“It's been fun, coming out here and getting the win on senior day. It's a great feeling right now. You can't ask for anything better. We have a winning record. Toward the end of the season, we didn't win some ball games that we definitely needed to win, but it's been a fun ride...my career here.”
On back-to-back nine-win seasons:
“It means a lot. It shows all the hard work that we put into it and all the hard work the coaches put into it. Two great seasons, it's been a great ride. These last two years, we worked hard and came out here on Saturdays, played hard, and won ball games.”
On the turnaround the program has experienced over his career:
“When I came in, the program wasn't the best, but I believed in what Coach Cutcliffe and his coaching staff were preaching. We had a group of guys that believed in that. We came out here, worked hard in the offseason and worked hard during the season.”
Duke Offensive Tackle Casey Blaser
On a 9-3 season:
“It is a good record. After last season, we have these expectations now. Win the division. Go to Charlotte every year. A slight disappointment losing two in a row, but getting back on track heading into a bowl game.”
On the team's aggressive play:
“We knew it was going to be a battle with them. We just had to fight.”
Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement:
“That first half, we just let them have too many points. We gave them three short fields. We gave them a short field to start the game on the kickoff return, then we gave them a short field on the one punt we dropped, and then we gave them a third short field. They had 21 points off of short fields. In the first half, I felt, offensively, it was the best we had moved the football all year. We had a good mix going. We were running the ball and it felt like we were running our offense for the first time all season. Then we had a chance to get back in the game in the third quarter. We got the opening drive and went right down and scored, and then they put a couple more touchdowns on there. It became too big of a deficit to overcome. Our kids played hard all year. We have a really thin roster and it got even thinner today. I think we had 45 scholarship players dressed today for the game, maybe 46 or 47 if you count some of the backup kickers and things like that. But our kids continued to fight hard and play hard. You can criticize the result, but all year, it's really hard to criticize the effort. Our kids played extremely hard and gave great effort. We just didn't have enough plays to win some of those close games.”
On Duke getting momentum back after the Wake Forest touchdown to start the second half:
“I think it was right after we scored. They went down and went seven plays for 78 yards in four-and-a half minutes. If we were going to get back in the game, that was the stop we had to get and we had to get the ball back. The offense came out and did exactly what they had to do. It was great a executed play on the touchdown to Brandon Terry. That thing was executed about as well as you can. We had some third-down conversions today and some fourth-down conversions. Again, we just spotted them too many points early. We had that one opportunity to get back in it in the third quarter and didn't get a stop on defense. And they have a good offense. They have a good offensive line, (Jamison) Crowder is a heck of a player, the quarterback (Anthony Boone) is a good player, and they're big and physical up front. There's a reason they are where they are offensively, but you have to give a lot of credit to our kids. For our offense to struggle as we have this year and to play our best game week 12, that certainly speaks volumes about the kids we have.”
On the progress of quarterback John Wolford:
“Anytime this year we've given John Wolford time and gotten open, he's played well. Today we gave him time and guys got open and he played well. It's hard for any quarterback to play well when they're getting pressured and guys aren't getting open.”
On finishing the regular season 9-3:
“The only thing I can think about or talk about are the seniors of 2014 and what they've accomplished in their junior and senior years. Nineteen wins in two years and they have done a lot off the field for Duke football as well so I'm extremely proud.”
On being more aggressive in the second half tonight:
“No question we were more aggressive. I thought defensively we came out after we settled down and we really played well most of the rest of the third quarter and the fourth quarter. I'm really proud of the way we picked up steam and we ran the football. That one drive that ended in the little pass to David Reeves was a thing of beauty.”
On the season and seeing the team get nine wins:
“[The season] started tough. It started with Kelby Brown tearing his knee up and then Braxton Deaver on the heels of that—two big pieces of our program. We didn't talk about it. We just went about our work and I'm extremely proud of what these guys have accomplished. I'm extremely proud of where we're headed. I think, as far as my end of it in coaching goes, it's been the most rewarding two years that I've had in my career. I'm very proud of what all of the staff has done and what these players have accomplished.”
Duke Linebacker David Helton
On the progress of the team since first coming to Duke:
“We're 9-3 now. When I was a freshman, we were 3-9, so it's really changed. Even with last year, and the end of this year, it's really incredible. It's really incredible to walk out on the last game in this stadium and knowing how much has changed in my four years. It's truly incredible. All these seniors, you have to give a lot of credit to these guys because they've done so much. It's a really great class and I'm very proud of them.”
On the advice he'd give to the younger players:
“To progress. To continually get better. That all sounds very simple, but that's what we've been doing ever since we've been here. Continually getting better, each and every day, even when things go bad. I'm just going to usher that to them. I have to emphasize how great of a feeling it is being on this side after so much change and so much development from this program. I'm going to emphasize that to them as well.
On areas that need to be improved on heading into a bowl game:
“We're going to have to, defensively, make sure we get our assignments right. In the first half, we had a few slip-ups. We're going to have to continually sure up our assignments and our gameplan for whoever we do play. I'm glad we'll have several weeks to prepare. I think that'll really help us.”
Duke Wide Receiver Jamison Crowder
On back-and-forth nature of the game:
“It's been fun, coming out here and getting the win on senior day. It's a great feeling right now. You can't ask for anything better. We have a winning record. Toward the end of the season, we didn't win some ball games that we definitely needed to win, but it's been a fun ride...my career here.”
On back-to-back nine-win seasons:
“It means a lot. It shows all the hard work that we put into it and all the hard work the coaches put into it. Two great seasons, it's been a great ride. These last two years, we worked hard and came out here on Saturdays, played hard, and won ball games.”
On the turnaround the program has experienced over his career:
“When I came in, the program wasn't the best, but I believed in what Coach Cutcliffe and his coaching staff were preaching. We had a group of guys that believed in that. We came out here, worked hard in the offseason and worked hard during the season.”
Duke Offensive Tackle Casey Blaser
On a 9-3 season:
“It is a good record. After last season, we have these expectations now. Win the division. Go to Charlotte every year. A slight disappointment losing two in a row, but getting back on track heading into a bowl game.”
On the team's aggressive play:
“We knew it was going to be a battle with them. We just had to fight.”
Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson
Opening Statement:
“That first half, we just let them have too many points. We gave them three short fields. We gave them a short field to start the game on the kickoff return, then we gave them a short field on the one punt we dropped, and then we gave them a third short field. They had 21 points off of short fields. In the first half, I felt, offensively, it was the best we had moved the football all year. We had a good mix going. We were running the ball and it felt like we were running our offense for the first time all season. Then we had a chance to get back in the game in the third quarter. We got the opening drive and went right down and scored, and then they put a couple more touchdowns on there. It became too big of a deficit to overcome. Our kids played hard all year. We have a really thin roster and it got even thinner today. I think we had 45 scholarship players dressed today for the game, maybe 46 or 47 if you count some of the backup kickers and things like that. But our kids continued to fight hard and play hard. You can criticize the result, but all year, it's really hard to criticize the effort. Our kids played extremely hard and gave great effort. We just didn't have enough plays to win some of those close games.”
On Duke getting momentum back after the Wake Forest touchdown to start the second half:
“I think it was right after we scored. They went down and went seven plays for 78 yards in four-and-a half minutes. If we were going to get back in the game, that was the stop we had to get and we had to get the ball back. The offense came out and did exactly what they had to do. It was great a executed play on the touchdown to Brandon Terry. That thing was executed about as well as you can. We had some third-down conversions today and some fourth-down conversions. Again, we just spotted them too many points early. We had that one opportunity to get back in it in the third quarter and didn't get a stop on defense. And they have a good offense. They have a good offensive line, (Jamison) Crowder is a heck of a player, the quarterback (Anthony Boone) is a good player, and they're big and physical up front. There's a reason they are where they are offensively, but you have to give a lot of credit to our kids. For our offense to struggle as we have this year and to play our best game week 12, that certainly speaks volumes about the kids we have.”
On the progress of quarterback John Wolford:
“Anytime this year we've given John Wolford time and gotten open, he's played well. Today we gave him time and guys got open and he played well. It's hard for any quarterback to play well when they're getting pressured and guys aren't getting open.”
Players Mentioned
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