The big breaks in close contests have had a penchant for bouncing away from Duke.
They didn't last year against Navy, when the Blue Devils blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and had a long touchdown called back on a questionable holding penalty.
They certainly didn't last week against Northwestern, as Duke won nearly every statistical category except turnovers, sacks, plays over 20 yards and, of course, the final score.
And with the Midshipmen's vaunted and unique triple-option attack coming to Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday at noon, the Blue Devils (1-1) recognize the need for an explosive and game-changing play over the course of the contest.
"When the plays are presented and it's there to make a play, we got to make a play," quarterback Thaddeus Lewis said. "We're a good offense right now, but if we can make those big plays, we can be a great offense."
Those big plays will be especially crucial against a team that both Lewis and defensive lineman Greg Akinbiyi called tough-nosed and disciplined. Navy (1-1) has already racked up 904 yards of rushing offense and put up 64 points in its two games despite throwing only 16 times all season. Combine the 117 rushing attempts with the fact that the Midshipmen have lost a fumble only once, and you get a team that usually dominates with near-flawless execution.
Much of the running game success comes from Navy's chop-blocking schemes. Preparing for low blocking is difficult because the team doesn't want any players getting injured in practice, head coach David Cutcliffe said.
Trying to replicate an offense that an opponent has run for several years is essentially impossible, Akinbiyi added.
"With the speed of the game, you can never simulate that even if you're playing your own offense," he said. "With Navy, it's a very unique situation. What we try to concentrate on during the week is our execution. We have to make sure that when the speed of the game goes up, our technique doesn't go down."
And so far, Duke's technique has yet to falter. Lewis has not thrown an interception in five games and 171 attempts-a new school record. Aside from giving up three sacks last weekend, the offensive line has paved holes for a successful running game.
But then why haven't the Blue Devils made the big play?
Cutcliffe's answer is simple: it just hasn't happened yet.
"One of the things we work very hard at is taking the ball away, and it's been proven you win a lot of games by doing that," Cutcliffe said. "I'm not overly concerned about [not doing] that unless it becomes a consistent trend."
Akinbiyi echoed that sentiment, noting that as long as the players hustle and play with solid fundamentals, the big plays will come in due time.
But, as last year showed, if the big plays aren't at the right time, they don't matter much in the end. In Navy's 46-43 win over Duke, wide receiver Eron Riley had touchdown catches of nine, 35, 69 and 75 yards-but none came in the fourth quarter. His last touchdown, with 10:50 remaining in the third, was also the Blue Devils' last score of the gutwrenching defeat.
This year, however, Duke comes in with something it didn't have last year-the attitude that it can win and can make the explosive play to get that win.
"We could have easily gone into the shell [after the Northwestern loss] and said, 'Here we go again,' but that's not the case," Lewis said. "Now we know you have to make the plays to make the W's."
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