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Duke Football Notebook: Stick Together
11/21/2019 2:55:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke football hits the road for the final time during the regular season when it travels to Winston-Salem, N.C., for a date with Wake Forest on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Both teams enter the contest looking to get back to their winning ways. The Blue Devils are coming off a, 49-6, loss to Syracuse last weekend, while the Demon Deacons most recently suffered a, 52-3, decision at the hands of No. 3 Clemson.
Saturday's contest at Wake Forest will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Katie George on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com.
MOVING FORWARD
Last weekend Duke suffered its largest deficit of the year, an unexpected 49-6 loss against Syracuse. After watching film and seeing adjustments that need to be made, the Blue Devils will look to go 1-0 this weekend during their regular season road finale.
"It's just disappointing because you know you can do much better, defense and offense," redshirt-sophomore defensive end Chris Rumph II said. "We just have to click at the right time. As a defense, we have to stop them, too. We're not going to let that happen again."
Each person on the Duke team feels a responsibility to improve on an individual basis to help the team grow as a whole. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or making your first career start, such as redshirt-sophomore center Will Taylor, there is always an emphasis on improvement.
"Right now we are just improving upon things," Taylor said. "Last game, I definitely made my fair share of mistakes. But we got in on Sunday and watched film and we're excited to correct all the mistakes this week."
Even when times are tough on the field, frustration is not an option for this Duke team. But the thing to get a team through it may not be a person's natural response.
"I told our team this week my least favorite word is being frustrated," Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe said. "I don't like the word frustrated. That suggests there is no answer. We can be disappointed. We can be dejected a little while. We can be angry. We can be a lot of things, but we're not going to be frustrated. There are answers always. The answers come through work. They come through communication. They come through being detailed and tedious about everything we do. We all tend to look a little more closely and harder when times are tough. It's just a natural human response. But the most unnatural human response is staying together."
NEW YEAR, NEW GAME
Last year's contest against Wake Forest, a 59-7 result in favor of the Demon Deacons, stunned many Blue Devils, but there is little to take away from an outlier game such as that.
"I mean you're going to look at it," Cutcliffe said when asked if he revisits last year's game. "As a coach we study every annual opponent and because the coaches are the same, the approach, what we did poorly, what were the circumstances. Obviously, the game to some level and degree was certainly an outlier. But you do learn from scheme for one thing."
For the players, there is a feeling of a need for redemption against their ACC foe.
"Obviously, with last year and the way things went against Wake Forest, I feel like everyone's kind of got a little bit more of an edge, at least I do," Taylor said. "I can't speak for everybody, but that's what it feels like. I'm hoping that shows on Saturday."
"We came into practice this week with a mindset that that's not going to happen again," Rumph II said.
RELYING ON THE VETS
Two seasons ago in 2017, Duke was in a similar situation to this season. That year, the Blue Devils opened the season 4-0 before suffering a six-game skid in the middle of the season. Duke won its last two to secure a .500 record on the year.
"You hope seniors are giving young people hope in conversation," Cutcliffe said. "Captains -- that's a role that they should play. But what we all have to be focused on is who we are, not what we are. Being the right kind of people is the best way to handle adversity. Yes, you can turn things. I've been around a lot of programs that have had to do that. Have had great Novembers to finish to be where you wanted to be because that's when all the decisions are made."
The Blue Devils have two games remaining in the regular season to get to .500 on the season for a 6-6 record.
"You have to come with a mindset that no matter what we've got two games that we'll have to win," Rumph stated. "You've got to buckle down and put your nose down and grind and just get back to work at the end of day.
With plenty of buzz going around the Blue Devils up-and-down season, the Duke team will need to turn off outside noise and just focus on what makes this team so special.
"Our main focus has just been on us," Taylor said. "Regardless of what team we're going to play week to week, the focus needs to be on us. We need to think about playing for each other rather than who we're playing against because things are going to change each week. Things are going to happen during a week of practice. But regardless, you need to do it for the person next to you.
NO WASTED TIME
Saturday's contest is Cutcliffe's 150th game at the helm of the Duke football program. While his 12th season in Durham has been a tough one, there is plenty to take away.
"I have obviously thought a lot lately about how difficult a season streak like this is," Cutcliffe stated. "There is nothing easy about it. It's not easy for anybody in our football world. I mean everybody, everybody is suffering in some manner. Whoever supports players, whoever coaches the players and more than anyone else the players themselves."
Nearing the end of his 12th season in Durham and his 44th year overall, the man in charge has only produced six seasons that finished below a .500 ledger while a head coach. No matter how each year finished, none of them are negative in his eyes.
"I realized in 44 years of coaching I've only been a part of six losing seasons," Cutcliffe said. "I don't really have anything to complain about by any manner. This season is not over. So, we're sitting at a 4-6 ledger. But I want to tell you this, because this has been the most prominent thing on my mind, out of 44 seasons I've had six losing seasons, but I've had 44 gratifying, rewarding seasons coaching football. None of them are bad."
#GoDuke
Both teams enter the contest looking to get back to their winning ways. The Blue Devils are coming off a, 49-6, loss to Syracuse last weekend, while the Demon Deacons most recently suffered a, 52-3, decision at the hands of No. 3 Clemson.
Saturday's contest at Wake Forest will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Katie George on the call. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com.
MOVING FORWARD
Last weekend Duke suffered its largest deficit of the year, an unexpected 49-6 loss against Syracuse. After watching film and seeing adjustments that need to be made, the Blue Devils will look to go 1-0 this weekend during their regular season road finale.
"It's just disappointing because you know you can do much better, defense and offense," redshirt-sophomore defensive end Chris Rumph II said. "We just have to click at the right time. As a defense, we have to stop them, too. We're not going to let that happen again."
Each person on the Duke team feels a responsibility to improve on an individual basis to help the team grow as a whole. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or making your first career start, such as redshirt-sophomore center Will Taylor, there is always an emphasis on improvement.
"Right now we are just improving upon things," Taylor said. "Last game, I definitely made my fair share of mistakes. But we got in on Sunday and watched film and we're excited to correct all the mistakes this week."
Even when times are tough on the field, frustration is not an option for this Duke team. But the thing to get a team through it may not be a person's natural response.
"I told our team this week my least favorite word is being frustrated," Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe said. "I don't like the word frustrated. That suggests there is no answer. We can be disappointed. We can be dejected a little while. We can be angry. We can be a lot of things, but we're not going to be frustrated. There are answers always. The answers come through work. They come through communication. They come through being detailed and tedious about everything we do. We all tend to look a little more closely and harder when times are tough. It's just a natural human response. But the most unnatural human response is staying together."
NEW YEAR, NEW GAME
Last year's contest against Wake Forest, a 59-7 result in favor of the Demon Deacons, stunned many Blue Devils, but there is little to take away from an outlier game such as that.
"I mean you're going to look at it," Cutcliffe said when asked if he revisits last year's game. "As a coach we study every annual opponent and because the coaches are the same, the approach, what we did poorly, what were the circumstances. Obviously, the game to some level and degree was certainly an outlier. But you do learn from scheme for one thing."
For the players, there is a feeling of a need for redemption against their ACC foe.
"Obviously, with last year and the way things went against Wake Forest, I feel like everyone's kind of got a little bit more of an edge, at least I do," Taylor said. "I can't speak for everybody, but that's what it feels like. I'm hoping that shows on Saturday."
"We came into practice this week with a mindset that that's not going to happen again," Rumph II said.
RELYING ON THE VETS
Two seasons ago in 2017, Duke was in a similar situation to this season. That year, the Blue Devils opened the season 4-0 before suffering a six-game skid in the middle of the season. Duke won its last two to secure a .500 record on the year.
"You hope seniors are giving young people hope in conversation," Cutcliffe said. "Captains -- that's a role that they should play. But what we all have to be focused on is who we are, not what we are. Being the right kind of people is the best way to handle adversity. Yes, you can turn things. I've been around a lot of programs that have had to do that. Have had great Novembers to finish to be where you wanted to be because that's when all the decisions are made."
The Blue Devils have two games remaining in the regular season to get to .500 on the season for a 6-6 record.
"You have to come with a mindset that no matter what we've got two games that we'll have to win," Rumph stated. "You've got to buckle down and put your nose down and grind and just get back to work at the end of day.
With plenty of buzz going around the Blue Devils up-and-down season, the Duke team will need to turn off outside noise and just focus on what makes this team so special.
"Our main focus has just been on us," Taylor said. "Regardless of what team we're going to play week to week, the focus needs to be on us. We need to think about playing for each other rather than who we're playing against because things are going to change each week. Things are going to happen during a week of practice. But regardless, you need to do it for the person next to you.
NO WASTED TIME
Saturday's contest is Cutcliffe's 150th game at the helm of the Duke football program. While his 12th season in Durham has been a tough one, there is plenty to take away.
"I have obviously thought a lot lately about how difficult a season streak like this is," Cutcliffe stated. "There is nothing easy about it. It's not easy for anybody in our football world. I mean everybody, everybody is suffering in some manner. Whoever supports players, whoever coaches the players and more than anyone else the players themselves."
Nearing the end of his 12th season in Durham and his 44th year overall, the man in charge has only produced six seasons that finished below a .500 ledger while a head coach. No matter how each year finished, none of them are negative in his eyes.
"I realized in 44 years of coaching I've only been a part of six losing seasons," Cutcliffe said. "I don't really have anything to complain about by any manner. This season is not over. So, we're sitting at a 4-6 ledger. But I want to tell you this, because this has been the most prominent thing on my mind, out of 44 seasons I've had six losing seasons, but I've had 44 gratifying, rewarding seasons coaching football. None of them are bad."
#GoDuke
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