NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Head coach David Cutcliffe didn't know where cornerback Chris Rwabukamba ranked on the depth chart before entering the Blue Devils' game against Vanderbilt Saturday.
But after the sophomore picked off Commodore quarterback Mackenzi Adams' pass at the goal line with less than a minute remaining to seal Duke's 10-7 road win, it really didn't matter where Rwabukamba's name was on the roster.
"He is now first string for this game," Cutcliffe said. "We were down to two corners, and Chris did a tremendous job competing. We knew he would. He's a guy that's continued to get better, and I'm really pleased.... I've never seen a group of players happier for a young individual-a young man-than [when] he made that great play."
The defense had reason to be thrilled after nearly ceding the victory despite outplaying Vanderbilt for the majority of the game. The Commodores looked poised to score the game-winning touchdown-or at the very least, knock in the tying field goal-on their final drive, marching 53 yards from their own 8-yard line in just over a minute. But Adams' pass from the Duke 39-yard line on second-and-10 found the wrong hands in Rwabukamba, who played his first minutes in the fourth quarter.
After the defense had allowed only seven points and had given the offense great field position throughout the game, the Blue Devils were forced to call upon the unit once more to decide the outcome on the final drive. And it was fitting that the defense was able to put together one last stand to secure the victory and finish on a day when the offense was incapable of doing so.
Senior linebacker Michael Tauiliili noted that the Blue Devils were particularly determined to close out the game after exuding a weak effort down the stretch in last week's 49-31 loss against Miami.
"It was really a thought of redemption," Tauiliili said. "Like [Cutcliffe] said, he was very upset about how people started getting out of it early. I just kept reminding them we gave up 35 unanswered points and 459 yards last week. So it doesn't matter what else happens-when the defense is on the field, we know what we need to do. We just had to rise to the occasion."
Tauiliili, as he has all year, led by example. In addition to his seven tackles, he started the game on the right note by intercepting Adams' first pass to give Duke the ball on Vanderbilt's 33-yard line.
It was just the beginning of a rough day for the Commodore attack, which had difficulty matching up with the speed of the Blue Devil defensive line.
Coming into the game, Vanderbilt had accumuluated more than half of its yardage on the ground, running for 153.3 yards per game. But it was held well below that total Saturday, rushing for 81 yards-only 27 of which came in the second half.
The Commodores were equally ineffective in their passing game. Duke forced Vanderbilt's quarterbacks into completing 14-of-31 passes for 210 yards, a bulk of that production coming on Adams' 79-yard touchdown completion to senior Sean Walker in the fourth quarter.
"We had a good matchup up front, and we had some good ways to pressure," Cutcliffe said. "They're a good perimeter team, and if you can't pressure their quarterback, you're going to have a difficult time defending them. We didn't want their skilled players to the get the ball in space. Most of the day they didn't, so we contained them."
What was particularly impressive was the Blue Devils' ability to keep their energy high on defense even as they lost more and more bodies to injuries.
Following the game, Cutcliffe said his secondary had been depleted to just two cornerbacks and three safeties. Perhaps the most significant loss was that of senior cornerback Leon Wright on the Walker touchdown, when he aggravated a pre-existing hamstring strain.
But that injury only served to showcase the depth and resilience of the defense, as younger players ably filled in, including a relatively unknown cornerback who stepped in for Wright and made the biggest play of the game.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.