Head coach David Cutcliffe has seen his fair share of college football teams and players. The man who reinvigorated the Blue Devil program boasts 27 seasons of coaching experience and cultivated the talents of two of the NFL's best quarterbacks, Peyton and Eli Manning, during his long career.
But even though he previously worked at two schools in the SEC--widely considered the best conference in the nation--Cutcliffe said that when it comes to the 2010 Blue Devils, he's never been more eager about seeing a team in action.
Speaking Monday morning at the ACC Football Kickoff (a.k.a. Media Days) in Greensboro, N.C., Cutcliffe explained why his 28th season felt different than the previous campaigns:
I’m honestly more excited about the approaching practice, working with this team, than any team I’ve ever worked with. I told our squad that and I’m sincere when I say that. There are a lot of different reasons…. I think some of the reasons are there’s a little mystery surrounding this team, we have new leadership, we have some new faces, and I’m excited to see how it’s all gonna come together. Yeah, is it gonna be challenging? Sure should be. But at the same time it may be the most exciting football team, in so many ways, that I’ve been around. So I can’t wait to start playing.
Cutcliffe's high hopes are encouraging given that Duke needs to replace five starters on defense, including standout playmakers Vinny Rey and Vince Oghobaase. The head coach went on to say that the Blue Devils' defensive front will be one of team's biggest question marks when training camp begins August 9.
Fortunately, Duke returns its entire receiving corps and four of its offensive linemen. Donovan Varner, Conner Vernon and Austin Kelly proved they could carry the scoring load last year, leading the Blue Devils to the best passing offense in the ACC. Even though Thaddeus Lewis won't be throwing them the ball this season, incoming starter Sean Renfree seems ready to pick up where the prolific four-year starter left off.
Despite the loss of key contributors on both sides of the ball, expectations surrounding the program are higher than ever after the 2009 squad posted three ACC wins and a 5-7 overall record --the most victories for the Blue Devils since 1994. And as Cutcliffe said later in the day during his formal sit-down with the media, he wouldn't want things any other way:
We want to create expectations. I want our players to walk on campus with expectations of winning. Without question I want our student body, our university, our fan base to expect to win. You’re not gonna win if you don’t expect to win. I’ve never seen anybody play any sport and any game well that didn’t expect to do well, and that is one of the bigger challenges we have faced. But I believe we’re gonna do well and I believe we’ll win...and I believe we’ll win right now.
In other news from the ACC Kickoff: Junior wide receiver Donovan Varner was named to the preseason All-ACC team Wednesday. 52 members of the media cast ballots, and Varner received 27 votes--eight more than Torrey Smith of Maryland, who earned the second wideout spot on the team. The lone Blue Devil chosen for the squad, Varner also garnered first-team All-ACC honors at the end of last season after he caught 65 passes for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the league in receptions, receptions per game and yards per game, ranking second in total receiving yards and TD catches as well.
A record 98 media voters picked Duke to finish in fifth place out of six teams in the Coastal Division Monday. The Blue Devils also ended the 2009 campaign second from the bottom with a better record than only Virginia, who was tabbed as the Coastal cellar-dwellar again.
Virginia Tech received 62 first-place votes, while defending division (and conference) champ Georgia Tech came in third place behind Miami. But according to the media, the race for the 2010 Coastal crown seems fairly wide open. The Hurricanes (20), the Yellow Jackets (11), and yes, even the Tar Heels (5) received first-place votes in addition to the Hokies. All four teams will most likely begin the season with a top-25 ranking, so the Blue Devils face a tough road ahead in one of the nation's most stacked divisions.
Cutcliffe, however, remained unfazed by the preseason poll:
We were one of those two teams that didn't get any of those votes…. So that kind of gives you an idea of what we're trying to do,” Cutcliffe said Monday. “The thing, I think, if you asked any of the teams in our division--I don't reckon any of them are looking forward to playing us anymore.
And even though Duke may no longer fly under the radar of the Coastal heavyweights, the Blue Devils will still need a few upset victories to improve upon last year's three conference victories.
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