Second year of Goldsmith era: Experience matters

Last season, Duke shocked the football world with its 8-4 record and its appearance in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2.

Running back Robert Baldwin, Trinity '95, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and the league's leading rusher, was one of the keys to the Blue Devils' success. But Baldwin and fellow running back David Lowman, also Trinity '95, have now graduated, and junior T.C. White, one of the few returning players with experience in the backfield, was declared academically ineligible this summer.

With this apparent void at an essential position, it would be understandable for the Blue Devils' offense to be in a state of panic and disarray to start the 1995 season. But Duke's offensive unit is confident that it can continue to improve in its second year under head coach Fred Goldsmith's system.

Actually, the Blue Devils are confident that they can improve precisely because this is their second season under the current system.

"With one year under our belts, and not having made any changes basically in the offense, we're ahead of where we were last year," offensive coordinator John Zernhelt said. "They've had one entire year of this offensive system and structure for practice and repetition purposes. Not only did we have last season, but we had the bowl preparation and then spring practices.

"In football, execution is repetitions. I think that two years of repetitions in a system will help."

Of course, in order for players to be familiar with a system, they need some experience with that system. And experience is one asset which is abundant on the Blue Devils' squad.

Three of Duke's starting offensive linemen--senior center Jeroen Egge, sophomore guard Chad Melita and senior tackle Jon Merrill--were regulars in last year's lineup, and juniors Patrick Mannelly and Phillip Chappell and senior Clarence Collins all saw plenty of action during spring practices. Also, the offensive line was healthy all spring, so the unit had time to work together and build chemistry.

Duke senior Spence Fischer is about as seasoned a veteran as can be found at quarterback in the college ranks. After all, Fischer has been the starter for most of his previous three seasons with the Blue Devils, and he is familiar with Goldsmith's style of play.

"He understands our offense," Zernhelt said. "And the benefit for him is that this is only the second year in a row that he has operated under the same offensive structure."

Fischer also possesses the confidence and mental toughness which are vital at the quarterback position.

"Spence is one of the smartest quarterbacks in the country," Thomas said. "He is going to be the key to us beating Florida State."

Beating Florida State? That's right, the Blue Devils are confident enough in Fischer that they believe that he can help them hand the Seminoles their first ever ACC loss in Duke's season-opener on Sept. 2 in Orlando.

"We know that there is no reason that we can't beat Florida State," Thomas said. "The fact that people haven't given us credit for what we've done gives us more incentive to prove that last year wasn't a fluke. We're hungry and excited to do well this year."

Last season was the first time in five years that the Blue Devils finished with a winning record, so this type of confidence is a recent development for the Duke football program.

"They learned how to win," Zernhelt said. "They learned how to win close games. They learned how to play as hard as they could and focus themselves on each play. Those are hard things to learn, and with that, we have to be optimistic going into this season.

"But you never know what the chemistry of this team is going to be until they get back here [for summer practices]."

Actually, the Blue Devils' defense already has an idea of what its chemistry will be like. Eight of last year's starters are returning, including most of the defensive line and linebacking corps.

"Most of us have been playing together for three years now, and it's our second year in the same defensive scheme," said senior linebacker John Zuanich. "Talent-wise, we're about the same as last year; we just have a solid defense all-around. We won't have to compensate for any weaknesses."

The offense, on the other hand, will have six new starters this fall, so it will need to learn how to operate as a unit. The coaching staff hopes that the relative simplicity of its offensive system will ease this effort.

"We don't do a whole lot," Zernhelt said. "We're just good at what we do. The thing with our offense is that it gives us the opportunity to put people in positions that create mismatches."

Goldsmith's offense enabled players like flanker Jon Jensen and Baldwin, neither of whom had been a star prior to the 1994 season, to become key contributors. The system also helped Duke maintain a balance between its passing and running attacks.

"It may seem like we're more passing oriented, but we try to stay as close to a run-pass 50-50 balance as we possibly can," Zernhelt said. "Certainly we were more run-oriented at the beginning of the year, but then our passing game caught up to the running game."

Although Fischer and his receivers have more collective experience than the running backs, it is likely that this season's squad will feature a balanced attack.

Of course, for that to happen, someone will have to carry the football. Without Baldwin, Lowman and White, however, the question of whom that runner will be remains unanswered. Sophomores Laymarr Marshall, Matt DeOrio and Charles London all had shots to stake a claim at the starting position in the spring. And all three had some bright moments.

"I think we have great running backs coming back," Thomas said. "I think Charles London is going to be one of the best. People don't know much about the guys we have, but that just means they can sneak up on people."

Another intriguing possibility for the running back position is that Dawud Rasheed, an incoming freshman with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, could get substantial playing time. Rasheed, a high school All-American, was named Mr. Football in Alabama last year after leading his team to the state championship game.

Very few freshmen make significant impacts in college football because most newcomers are unaccustomed to the system which their team runs. Rasheed could be an exception, however.

"A skilled athlete normally has a better opportunity--a receiver, a running back, a defensive back--because of their natural ability," Zernhelt said. "It's hard to guess how [freshmen] will do before they get here."

The Blue Devils realize that the uncertainty at the running back position does not automatically portend a problematic season. After all, competition for playing time often brings out the best in players. Furthermore, last summer, the team had no idea that Baldwin would emerge as the obvious choice for the starting running back.

"We didn't know that Robert was going to be the runner that he was when the season started," Zernhelt said. "So in that respect, we are in the same position we were last year--going into the season needing a running back."

And even though the Blue Devils will use the same system that they ran last season, they will surely have a few new tricks up their sleeves. For example, Fischer and Thomas have been working to extend the range--and distance--of their passing attack.

"Spence and I have been practicing on the deep ball," Thomas said. "Last year, we had a good short game. This year, we're trying to add another threat. That will make our offense tougher for people to figure out."