Duke Football Notebook: ACC Play Begins

DURHAM, N.C. – With a 4-0 record in nonconference play to begin the 2018 season, the Duke football team shifts into ACC mode for this Saturday's contest. The Blue Devils host Virginia Tech with kick off at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

HURRICANE FLORENCE RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE
The Blue Devils' Hurricane Florence donation drive will continue through kickoff versus the Hokies on Saturday. The football program is partnering with Marrin's Moving to collect items that will be sent to North Carolina communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. With every three items donated, fans can purchase a general admission ticket to the October 20 contest versus Virginia for only $5. Those wishing to make donations can visit the Duke Athletics Ticket Office in the Scott Family Athletics Performance Center.

CURING KIDS CANCER DAY
Duke is partnering with Curing Kids Cancer for its First and Gold campaign to promote National Childhood Can¬cer Awareness Month. For Saturday's game, the Blue Devils will don hel¬met decals in support of pediatric cancer awareness.

The Blue Devils are inviting current and past children's cancer patients and their families to be our special guests at the game with complimentary tickets. Patients will also be invited to be recognized on the field during the game. Please visit www.GoDuke.com/FightCancer for more information.

ACC PLAY AHEAD
After completing nonconference play with a 55-13 victory against N.C. Central last Saturday, Duke dips into ACC play against Virginia Tech on Saturday.

“It's an ACC game and our ACC opener so it's going to be a fun one,” redshirt junior linebacker Joe Giles-Harris said. “Plus, we get to play at home so you can't ask for much more than that.”

The Blue Devils are 5-5 in ACC openers and 4-6 in the first home league game of the year under head coach David Cutcliffe. Duke has won at least one league game in every season under Cutcliffe after having lost 25 straight ACC contests prior to his arrival.

“Not only is this traditionally a strong rivalry game against Virginia Tech, it's ACC play,” Cutcliffe said. “That brings a different mentality to the program. It's an interesting challenge.”

Even with the added excitement of conference games kicking off, the Blue Devils will try to keep everything as normal as possible throughout the week.

“We're treating it business as usual,” redshirt junior quarterback Quentin Harris said. “It's another week for us. We're definitely preparing hard. I'm looking forward to having a great week of practice with being very focused and determined while executing the game plan the coaches have for us.”

A SATURDAY NIGHT INSIDE BROOKS FIELD AT WALLACE WADE STADIUM
With a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2 set for Saturday against Virginia Tech, Duke will play its first Saturday home game with a 7 p.m. start since October 31, 2015, against Miami.

“We're really excited to play in front of our home crowd on Saturday night,” Harris said. “I think it'll be a really fun and energetic atmosphere. We're looking forward to the challenge and definitely looking forward to the matchup on Saturday night.”

The Blue Devils own a 17-17 record in night games under Cutcliffe, including a 34-14 victory against Army West Point to open the 2018 campaign.

“Whenever you get to play in front of the audience we'll have here and on television on a primetime game, it's exciting,” Giles-Harris said. “All your friends back home can watch and everybody around the country is tuned in and watching. That's always exciting.”

A STABLE OF RUNNING BACKS FOR DUKE
Duke gained 372 rushing yards against N.C. Central, marking the second most in the Cutcliffe Era. The Blue Devils' 373 rushing yards in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Indiana set the record.

Led by running back Brittain Brown's 118 ground yards, three running backs topped the 60-yard plateau with Marvin Hubbard III and Deon Jackson adding 96 and 63 yards, respectively.

“It gets Coach [Re'quan] Boyette going,” Brown said of the multiple running backs gaining yards. “He loves that. He loves seeing Marvin and Deon get going, too. After we all have a game like that, we're really excited and waiting for the next game to see what we can do.”

Hubbard III's 96 yards against N.C. Central are the 19th most by a freshman in Duke history. Jackson owns three straight games with 50 or more rushing yards for the first time in his career and enters Saturday's game leading the Blue Devils with three rushing scores.

“Deon's a great back,” Browns said. “That's a heavy load coming at you because he's about 220 pounds. He's fast as well, very athletic. I think he's a great running back. He's going to do nothing but help us win.

A RETURN TO THE RANKINGS
Duke is ranked No. 22 by the Associated Press and No. 23 in the Amway Coaches Poll this week. The Blue Devils appear in the rankings for the first time since the week of October 25, 2015, Week 8 of the 2015 season.

“It doesn't mean anything to me,” Brown said of Duke's ranking. “The record is what means something to me. Even if we were 4-0 and unranked I'd have the same feeling about this team.”

A CERTAIN CHALLENGE FROM VIRGINIA TECH
The Blue Devils know they will face a stiff challenge Saturday from a Virginia Tech team that has taken the last two games from Duke.

“We know Virginia Tech is always going to have a talented group,” Harris said. “They're really well coached and very athletic. They're going to show us maybe some different looks than we've seen so far defensively. We definitely expect them to be at their best when they come to play us.”

Earlier this week, the Hokies announced starting quarterback Josh Jackson suffered a fracture to his left fibula in Saturday's game at Old Dominion and would undergo surgery on Tuesday. Ryan Willis will get the start against the Blue Devils this Saturday.

“I don't think much is going to change for them,” Giles-Harris said of the Hokies' offense. “They're pretty similar to us in the next man up mentality. They're not going to slow down because they lost one guy. They're going to throw the next guy in and have him run their offense. The biggest thing for us is not buying into all that. You're never worried about who is hurt or who isn't playing. You're just worried about who is in there and you prepare the same way you always do.”

Cutcliffe knows Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente will have his squad ready to go for Saturday night's contest.

“They are a really well coached team in all three phases,” Cutcliffe said. “They are talented. Will they be ready? Absolutely. Our players know exactly who Virginia Tech is. If you're foolish enough to take Virginia Tech lightly, you probably need to be in a different sport. They make you have to defeat them. It will be a huge challenge.”

CONFIDENCE ON THE RISE FOR HARRIS
With two starts under his belt, Harris has felt his confidence rise from heading into the Baylor game to this week against the Hokies.

“Practice reps can only get you so much and teach you so much,” Harris said. “When there are high stakes, you definitely elevate your level of play. Getting those in-game reps has been invaluable. It really helps to get those reps and get to see defenses slow down for you a little more.”

With three touchdown passes at Baylor and three more last Saturday against N.C. Central, Harris become the ninth Duke quarterback to throw for six or more touchdowns in a two-game span. He joined Dave Brown and Sean Renfree as the only three to accomplish the feat in their first two starts.

“Getting those reps week-in and week-out has really kind of slowed the game down for me and has made my reads a little bit easier,” Harris added. “I'm a little more confident in my reads and I'm just more confident executing the offense.”

NON-SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS ENTER AGAINST N.C. CENTRAL
During last Saturday's 55-13 victory against N.C. Central, a host of non-scholarship Blue Devils entered the game. Cutcliffe could not have been more excited for that group.

“We are very proud of those guys,” Cutcliffe said. “I don't know if you all noticed it when they went in the game, but they consumed the field. What a beautiful thing. I know that not only is the head coach appreciative of them but their teammates, who are scholarship players, appreciate them, their spirit, attitude and commitment to our program.”

BROWN JOINS ELITE COMPANY
In Duke's victory against N.C. Central, Brown became the fourth player in program history to have a 40+ yard rushing score and 40+ yard receiving score in the same game, joining Buddy Mulligan, George McAfee and Elmore Hackney.

“As soon as I came here I knew I wanted to start working on my hands,” Brown said of his evolution as a receiver. “It takes a process getting that done as a running back. You've got to be able to do three phases of the game – run, block and catch. As long as we do that, we'll be very hard to guard. Once we get the ball, we try to get out in space and do what we can to score a touchdown.”

A SEVEN-GAME WINNING STREAK
Dating back to last season, Duke has won seven consecutive contests for the fourth longest active winning streak in the nation, trailing Central Florida (16), Ohio State (9) and Penn State (8). The seven-game winning streak is Duke's longest since string¬ing together eight consecutive victories during the 2013 season.

“I think we're just hungry,” Giles-Harris said of the reason behind the streak. “We're never going to be satisfied with where we are. We know we're a good football team, but we can be a great football team. We have a lot of things to work on still. It's nice being where we're at, 4-0, but 4-0 doesn't get you anything. You can't go to a bowl game 4-0, you don't win any championships at 4-0. You just have to keep grinding and keep going.”

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