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Booth Review: The ‘Spark Plug’ Makes History
4/18/2020 3:00:00 PM | Football
Duke football play-by-play announcer David Shumate is giving fans an inside look at some of his memorable football moments throughout his three years as the Voice of the Blue Devils. The events highlighted during this series are not meant to be a complete listing of all memorable accomplishments, but a sampling of great moments in Shumate's words.
"With all it accomplished in the fall of 2018 – road wins over Northwestern, Baylor and Miami and its third consecutive win over rival North Carolina – you wouldn't have expected Duke to have a chip on its shoulder as it took the field in Shreveport, La., for the Independence Bowl. But that was exactly the case, largely stemming from a stunning loss to Wake Forest in their final home game of the regular season. You could sense in the practices leading up to the trip and during the week's preparations that this game was about more than a bowl win – it was about making a statement.
"Trailing Temple 20-7 early in the second quarter, the Blue Devils simply took over the game scoring touchdowns on seven consecutive drives and turning a double-digit deficit into a 56-27 rout. So often when Duke needed a spark that fall, the burden fell on their senior wide receiver T.J. Rahming. Standing at 5-10 and 170 pounds, his short-space quickness was breathtaking, and on a warm December afternoon he left the Owls more than gasping for air.
"He reeled in 12 catches for 240 yards, not only a personal best, but the most yards in Duke Bowl history, Independence Bowl history, and for that matter even ACC Bowl history. A prolific day exemplified by an 85-yard touchdown where the man nicknamed "spark plug" gave Duke all the energy it needed for its third consecutive bowl win."
#GoDuke
"With all it accomplished in the fall of 2018 – road wins over Northwestern, Baylor and Miami and its third consecutive win over rival North Carolina – you wouldn't have expected Duke to have a chip on its shoulder as it took the field in Shreveport, La., for the Independence Bowl. But that was exactly the case, largely stemming from a stunning loss to Wake Forest in their final home game of the regular season. You could sense in the practices leading up to the trip and during the week's preparations that this game was about more than a bowl win – it was about making a statement.
"Trailing Temple 20-7 early in the second quarter, the Blue Devils simply took over the game scoring touchdowns on seven consecutive drives and turning a double-digit deficit into a 56-27 rout. So often when Duke needed a spark that fall, the burden fell on their senior wide receiver T.J. Rahming. Standing at 5-10 and 170 pounds, his short-space quickness was breathtaking, and on a warm December afternoon he left the Owls more than gasping for air.
"He reeled in 12 catches for 240 yards, not only a personal best, but the most yards in Duke Bowl history, Independence Bowl history, and for that matter even ACC Bowl history. A prolific day exemplified by an 85-yard touchdown where the man nicknamed "spark plug" gave Duke all the energy it needed for its third consecutive bowl win."
#GoDuke
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