WEST POINT, N.Y. — Head coach David Cutcliffe told his team at halftime there’s a reason football games have two halves. And Duke’s come-from-behind win over Army was proof of that.
The Blue Devils came into the second half of Saturday’s game at West Point looking like a different squad. And the biggest change in the game was substituting redshirt freshman quarterback Sean Renfree for senior Thaddeus Lewis.
Lewis completed 5-of-16 passes, throwing for a total of 60 yards, and Duke struggled offensively, only scoring one touchdown in the first half. But when Renfree took the field in the second half—not even having warmed up—his first pass resulted in a touchdown.
In his collegiate debut, Renfree went 7-for-8 passing and totaled 106 yards in only a quarter and a half on the gridiron. His first throw gave Duke its first lead in the game, one it would not relinquish.
“I was really grateful to get that playcall,” Renfree said of his first throw. “It was an easy pass, just a little dump-off.”
Cutcliffe said he planned to play Renfree had the right situation presented itself last week against Richmond. But he was dead set on playing the quarterback this week against the Black Knights.
“I had decided I wanted Sean it that series,” he said. “I don’t like to put a quarterback in when you’re inside the 10-yard line as his first series—it’s not very fair to him. He certainly took advantage of the opportunity.”
Renfree delivered a second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Donovan Varner on a beatiful long ball for 31 yards. The score helped secure Duke’s victory, elevating its lead to 21-13.
Lewis said he did not live up to his expectations Saturday but was excited to see Renfree deliver.
“I told a lot of people from the beginning he’s a great player,” he said. “When his number is called, that’s what you want to see.”
In the second half with Renfree under center, the Blue Devils were able to penetrate Army’s tough defense for two offensive touchdowns.
“They based us on the backside. What that offense does is they have to be patient and we have to patient,” Cutcliffe said. “They keep cracking until you make a lot of mistakes, but we just didn’t make a lot of mistakes. We made some early but we work year-round against that. I think that’s paid off.”
Cutcliffe added that the Black Knight defense—what he called a “nasty scheme”—is similar to Georgia Tech’s, so Duke’s coaching staff was prepared for it.
After the game, reporters weren’t asking about next week’s opponent, Kansas. Instead, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Renfree will start in Lewis’ place, a suggestion Cutcliffe refuted Sunday. As for any notions of a swollen ego for the freshman—well, Renfree, thy name isn’t Echo.
“It’s one game,” Renfree said. “It wasn’t even a full game, just the second half. This game’s over. You can’t take away much from a quarter and a half.”
Cutcliffe said he was pleased with Renfree’s performance, but said Saturday wasn’t the time to talk about next week’s lineup.
“We’ve just got some little things we’ve got to address and look at,” he said. “But the most important thing is just getting better as a team.”
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