Spring football is a chance for teams to find their identity, and if this weekend’s spring scrimmage is any indication of what is to come, the Blue Devil faithful will see something very different from the Duke of years past.
Former quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, the face of last year’s team and Duke’s record holder for career touchdown passes and passing yards, is gone, though 18 other starters remain from last season’s 5-7 team. Head coach David Cutcliffe, however, harbors no illusions about his team’s lack of experience.
“When we return [for fall practice,] we’ll have 82, 83 scholarship players—54 of them are going to be freshmen and sophomores,” Cutcliffe said. “So if anybody sees a good deal on diapers out there, let me know—I’m going to need them come August.”
Young faces played crucial roles in the spring game, as incoming freshman running back Josh Snead led the white team, composed of the first-string offense and defensive backups, with a game-high 99 yards on just nine carries. He was one yard away from being the first incoming freshman to go over 100 yards in the spring game since 1945.
“He’s a heck of an athlete. Once he hits the hole, he’s gone in there,” redshirt freshman Sean Schroeder said. “He’s got a second gear.... He’s really good.”
Snead wasn’t the only young runner to have success on the day. The blue team rushed for over 230 yards, led by sophomore running back Desmond Scott’s 13 carries for 97 yards and incoming freshman quarterback Brandon Connette’s 13 carries for 91. Connette was quick to credit his teammates for his success running the ball.
“The success running the ball today was a combination of Desmond Scott running the ball well, the offensive line blocking their butts off, the receivers blocking well, and whenever they were worried about Desmond running I was able to sneak a couple yards here and there,” Connette said. “Once they started keying on me we gave it back to Desmond and [redshirt sophomore Patrick Kurunwune] and they really did their thing, so it was a testament to the whole offense.”
“We’re trying to establish the run a bit more. That always helps an offense to be the best it can be through the run,” Schroeder added.
Duke’s team-oriented rushing attack masked both teams’ struggles passing the ball. The white team, which was without starting wide receiver Donovan Varner, saw Schroeder go 4-for-20 passing for 23 yards, while Connette had only slightly more success, finishing the day 8-for-19 for 67 yards and a touchdown. Schroeder and Connette started in place of the injured Sean Renfree, next season’s presumed starter, who is rehabbing a serious knee injury suffered late last season.
Cutcliffe acknowledged the passing game’s struggles but emphasized the relative unimportance of spring game performances, particularly where speed is concerned.
“It’s hard sometimes to measure because you’re playing each other. Your hope is that on both sides of the ball, we’re faster,” Cutcliffe said. “There’s times I don’t see the receivers separating from coverage like I would and I’m looking over there and hoping it’s the corner that’s creating that and vice versa.”
Whether it was the receivers not separating or the quarterbacks not makign their throws, the passing game looked a far cry from that led by Lewis last year. But a successful rush attack could make all the difference for a Duke team desperate for a taste of the postseason in 2010.
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