Tauiliili saves his best for last

The night before he played his final college football game, senior middle linebacker Michael Tauiliili gathered his teammates for their traditional pre-game chapel service. Head coach David Cutcliffe wouldn't reveal what Tauiliili told his teammates, but Cutcliffe said after Saturday's 28-20 loss that he went home Friday night "deeply satisfied about everything we're doing," because of Tauiliili's rousing words.

Neither Tauiliili nor Cutcliffe might have felt that way when they walked out of Wallace Wade Stadium late Saturday night, but both could have taken comfort in the fact that Tauiliili saved his best for last.

Already the ACC's leading tackler, Tauiliili finished his collegiate playing days with a career-high 20 tackles, giving him 141 tackles for the season, and an interception to add to his team-high four. And he did it all with a limp ankle, which he sprained in Duke's last game, a 14-3 loss to Virginia Tech. He didn't practice all week, but Tauiliili's name was nowhere to be found on Duke's weekly injury report-because he had no doubt he was going to play anyway.

"He couldn't practice this week, really hardly a down, but you certainly couldn't tell it, could you?" Cutcliffe said. "He's a first-team All-American. If any of you have a vote or anything, he's the best defensive football player in the ACC. I've been around great linebackers, but I've never been around one as productive."

Cutcliffe has told anyone that would listen in the last month that Tauiliili should not only be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, but also one of three first-team All-American linebackers. Duke hasn't showcased a Player of the Year since 1994 and hasn't placed anyone on the top All-American team since 1989.

Tauiliili has always had the potential-he was twice voted as Duke's co-most outstanding defensive player-but it took prodding from Cutcliffe to take full advantage of the captain's talent. Indeed, Tauiliili seemed to be right in the middle of all the transformations that defined Cutcliffe's first season.

As the Blue Devils dropped a collective 500 pounds in the offseason, Tauiliili shed 20 pounds, allowing him to reach the line of scrimmage quicker on blitzes and chase down running backs with greater ease. When Cutcliffe cites a change in practice habits, he often uses Tauiliili as a paragon of discipline on the practice field. And just as Cutcliffe has preached change all year and has repeatedly rebuffed moral victories, those types of thoughts emanated similarly from Tauiliili Saturday.

"Stats are what they are, but the ultimate stat I always look for is the 'W,'" Tauiliili said. "Twenty tackles obviously wasn't good enough tonight. Maybe I should have had 30.. Words can't really explain how hard I am taking this loss. Close isn't good enough, ever."