Any college football coach is justified in being upset about losing a game by 34 points after leading at halftime. But when looking at areas for improvement going into Saturday's matchup with Virginia, Duke head coach Ted Roof singled out his team's struggles to gain favorable field position as a major factor in its 45-14 loss to Connecticut.
While the Huskies' average starting point for their drives was on their own 41-yard line, the Blue Devils' was on their own 29-a disparity Roof attributed to a variety of weaknesses.
"Last Saturday's game still came down to field position," Roof said. "With the lack of production offensively, turnovers, the punting game and then big plays on defense, we played the whole second half on a 50-yard football field. When you do that, you're not going to win. And that's what that came down to."
One of the biggest issues for Duke in the season opener was its struggle to find consistency in the punting game. Three Duke players recorded punts, with redshirt freshman Kevin Jones (31.0 yard average) and true freshman Nick Maggio (26.3 yard average) seeing the lion's share of the time. Backup quarterback Zack Asack even got involved, hitting a 29-yard "quick-kick" punt from the UConn 42-yard line in the second half. Roof conceded Tuesday that improvement in this department is imperative for success against Virginia.
"We've got to punt the ball better--that's no secret," Roof said. "We can't average 29 yards a punt, because even if you're not turning the ball over, you get killed in field position. Virginia's punter averaged 51 yards a punt last week, and they netted 42. You start losing 13 yards of field position every time you punt, you're in for a long afternoon."
Another area that Roof cited as a spot where Duke could win the field position battle is on third downs. Duke was 2-of-11 in those situations last Saturday, a number that Roof found unacceptable.
"You look at the third and shorts, we didn't convert," Roof said. "That keeps our offense on the field and keeps our defense off the field. It gives us a chance to keep the ball and make some plays."
With Duke heading into a difficult four-game roadtrip, Roof is expecting hard work this week from his team in its preparation for the Cavaliers.
"There needs to be a lot of improvement between this Saturday and last Saturday," Roof said. "If practice is an indication, we've had two good practices, and we need to have three more practices and a good game on Saturday."
Notes:
Rey shifts to weak side
With the return of suspended junior middle linebacker Mike Tauiliili to the starting lineup against Virginia, sophomore linebacker Vincent Rey will move to the starting weak-side linebacker position on Saturday. Rey had a career day starting in place of Tauiliili last Saturday against Connecticut, recording a team-high 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Even with the switch, Roof said that he expects additional production out of Rey and fellow linebackers against the Cavaliers.
"Vinnie played well the other day," Roof said. "He made the plays he was in position to make, and he's got a good motor. He plays with a lot of enthusiasm, and I think we'll have a couple of guys that are good box guys in there playing against Virginia."
Rey said Tuesday he is not afraid of the shift to the weak side. He played outside linebacker throughout spring practice and summer workouts, so he feels the transition Saturday won't be too difficult.
"I wouldn't say it's easy, but it's not tough," Rey said. "I just have to keep staying in form and keep learning how to play that position."
And throughout his learning process, one of Rey's most enthusiastic teachers has been Tauililli. The linebacker has encouraged Rey during his suspension and has tried to give his teammate pointers about playing in the middle of the defense.
"Whenever I did a good job, he let me know," Rey said. "Every now and then, we as players need to know we're doing a good job. Whenever I made mistakes-I get down on myself sometimes-he would tell me you gotta go out and play the next play."
Roland Returns
Junior offensive tackle Fred Roland will be back in the starting lineup Saturday after missing the season opener with a back injury. Fellow offensive lineman Zach Maurides was more than happy to have his line mate back on the field.
"It's great to have Fred back this week," Maurides said. "Clearly, we miss Fred, in a sense that we all work together as a group."
The 6-8, 310 lb. lineman from Hephzibah, Ga. was one of Duke's most durable players last season, as he was one of only three Blue Devils to play over 800 snaps. But recovery from offseason back surgery kept him out of the opener, allowing freshman Bryan Morgan to get his first collegiate playing time Saturday. The 6-3, 255 lb. tackle from Hoover, Ala. played as well as could be expected from a collegiate rookie Saturday, according to Maurides.
"I think Brian did a great job of coming in, working with the guys next to him and communicating," Maurides said. "For a true freshman, he really stepped up and took on a lot of responsibility, and I think he is going to continue to help this team for the rest of the season and for the rest of his career."
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