Upcoming Event: Track & Field versus Duke Invitational on April 8, 2026
Track & Field
vs Duke Invitational
Duke Has Best Workout of Camp
DURHAM, N.C. -- Head coach David Cutcliffe addressed the media Tuesday by telling the media that this morning's practice was the best practice the Blue Devils had all camp.
"We really had our best workout today, which you hope is by design, but the best workout we had this camp [occurred] today," Cutcliffe said. "Hopefully we will build on that momentum."
"It is hard to dictate one area, it really is," Cutcliffe added. "I thought it was our best day today throwing and catching the ball, route running, just great gains in that area. I am really happy to see that. What I was really referring to for the most part is just absolutely our footwork on both the offensive and defensive fronts. People being where they are supposed to be. The contact was crisp. People being where they are suppose to be in coverage. It was from start to finish the most consistent practice."
The Blue Devils open the 2009 season on Saturday against Richmond at 7:00 p.m. from inside Wallace Wade Stadium.
Cutcliffe wants to see a "sea of blue" in the stadium for the Saturday evening kickoff.
The Blue Devils are no strangers to Richmond, which enters Saturday with a nine game winning streak that includes the FCS championship. The Blue Devils faced the Spiders in 2006 suffering a 13-0 loss.
Senior Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis entered the game to start the Blue Devils third series. Lewis said he has learned so much more about playing quarterback since that day.
"[I am] more mature, better in fundamentals because of coach [Kurt] Roper, things of that nature, better as a leader because of the growth and maturity from the three years of experience, and just better as a player because I have been able to study myself and make the corrections and grow in this system with the same offensive coordinator two years in a row," Lewis said.
Nine seniors remain on the roster that was part of Duke's last meeting with Richmond.
"We have grown together," Lewis said. "There are only nine seniors. We have been through the tough times and been through the good times, but we want to make our senior year as good as possible."
No one out of the nine seniors may be as ready to play as tailback Re'quan Boyette, who missed the 2008 season with a knee injury.
Boyette has had a very productive and efficient preseason camp which was highlighted by a two-touchdown performance in the Blue Devils final preseason scrimmage.
"I am very excited," Boyette said. "I have a lot of, it's not tension, but it is a lot of anxiousness, and I want to get out and be able to compete with my teammates once again throughout a whole season."
"I have been trying to pace myself for the past two weeks," Boyette added. "I have been envisioning plays being made and envisioning scores and different things like that. I think that's good, but you have to slow yourself down and just take it day by day and just get focused throughout the day."
