BLACKSBURG, Va. — Literally and figuratively, Duke’s game against Virginia Tech showed the Blue Devils are a fragile unit.
From the start of the 2004 season, it was evident that Duke is not a deep team. The squad lost its four All-ACC performers and many other standouts to graduation, two of its best receivers by dismissal and arguably its most talented defensive player, Micah Harris, to a tragic death.
In order to be successful, Duke could not lose players at key positions to injury. But the starting lineup for Duke’s matchup with Virginia Tech Saturday showed that wide receivers Senterrio Landrum and Deonto McCormick, running back Cedric Dargan, defensive end Phillip Alexander and cornerback Kenneth Stanford all would sit out because of physical ailments.
The injuries, which only mounted during the game, left the Duke offense struggling for first downs. A quick Virginia Tech attack compounded the problem, as the Blue Devils’ defense seemed to be constantly catching its collective breath.
After a Justin Kitchen interception, a fake punt and a 28-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Deon Adams, Duke surprised many when it took a 7-0 lead into the start of the second quarter.
But trick plays and fortunate turnovers would not unglue a disciplined team like the Hokies.
Unable to consistently complete passes due in part to the absence of Duke’s top receivers, the Blue Devils were forced to rely heavily on the run. To make matters worse, quarterback Mike Schneider left the game with a concussion in the second quarter after being sandwiched by 210-pound linebacker Aaron Rouse and 240-pound linebacker Vince Hall. Duke had to depend on the weaker arms of Chris Dapolito and Curt Dukes to man its passing attack. But without Dargan and a passing game to free running room, the Blue Devils’ game on the ground stalled as well.
These circumstances created the conditions for an offensive nightmare. After the initial touchdown, the Blue Devils only marshaled two more opening-half first downs—one from a penalty and one from a quarterback sneak during the half’s final minute. Duke had 49 first-half yards compared to Virginia Tech’s 141. By halftime Adams, despite only touching the ball once, led the Blue Devils in rushing with 28 yards; punter Trey McDonald, of all people, led the Blue Devils with nine passing yards after the fake punt, and Dapolito had only added three yards to Duke’s total in the air.
The offensive woes, in turn, took their toll on the defense. After shutting out the Hokies in the first quarter, the Blue Devils’ numerous three-and-outs did not allow much time for the already depleted defensive unit to get off the field. With the Hokies’ offense controlling the first-half time of possession, the Duke defense slowly wore down as tackling became less and less precise. Never was this more evident than at the end of the first half when Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall forced six missed tackles on his way to a 30-yard touchdown.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to Bryan Randall,” Kitchen said. “His run was a great run. You put a great athlete in that situation where you’re missing tackles, he’s going to make something happen 10 out of 10 times.”
Despite its difficulties, the Blue Devils’ defense did not place any blame on the offense. No matter how much the offense puttered, the unit still felt responsible for stopping the Hokies’ attack.
“This isn’t an offense-defense thing,” linebacker Giuseppe Aguanno said. “Our job is to hold them to less points than the offense scores. If the offense goes out and scores seven points then we have to hold them to six. As a defense, you want to be out there and you look for the challenge.”
Duke head coach Ted Roof did not use the medical card as a way out either. “I’m not going to use injuries as an excuse,” Roof said. “I would have liked to have had all our players healthy and ready to go, but that’s football.”
Any coach worth his salt would have had a similar response. Roof’s attitude showed an unwillingness to constantly point to factors outside of the team’s control to rationalize the loss. If a team cannot successfully pass the ball because the squad’s best quarterback and two best receivers are injured and if Duke cannot run the ball because its best rusher is out, the team will not win many—if any—games. For Duke to achieve any progress in 2004, it must get healthy. If it doesn’t, this will be another lost season in Durham.
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