Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a two-part series focusing on the connection between Duke and Alabama. Yesterday, Laura Keeley wrote about Cutcliffe and Wallace Wade’s history with the Crimson Tide. Today, she focuses on how the game was brought to Durham.
When head coach David Cutcliffe sat down to look at future schedules not long after accepting the Duke job in December 2007, he made a mental note of this coming Saturday’s date with the Crimson Tide. The game would be a chance to square off against the team he grew up idolizing, which later became his alma mater, and one of his old Southeastern Conference foes, Nick Saban.
Now, three years later, the matchup also happens to feature the defending national champions, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and this year’s No. 1-ranked team.
Regardless of what happens on the field—Cutcliffe acknowledged some fans are concerned about Duke’s ability to make a respectable showing—the fact that this game is being played in Durham is considered a victory for the program. In a sign of the University’s dedication to building a perennial postseason bowl contender, director of athletics Kevin White and his department turned down lucrative seven-figure offers to move the game to a neutral site.
“There was a lot of pull to get it either in Atlanta or Charlotte or somewhere, because in this day and time everyone is looking for the money makers,” Cutcliffe said. “I think the most important thing was that Dr. White was so supportive, doing what was right long-term for Duke.”
Setting the Schedule
Alabama approached Duke in Sept. 2005 with interest in setting up a two-game series because of the Wallace Wade connection, said Mal Moore, Alabama’s director of athletics. Wade led Alabama to three national championships before coming to Duke in 1931 and taking the Blue Devils to two Rose Bowl appearances.
When Duke’s then-director of athletics Joe Alleva and deputy director of athletics Chris Kennedy initially agreed to play the two games against the Crimson Tide, the contract stated Duke would first play at Alabama, a stipulation honored when the Blue Devils traveled to Tuscaloosa and lost 30-14 on October 7, 2006. The two teams also agreed to play again in 2010 at a site to be determined.
Duke had plenty of financial incentive to move the game to a neutral site, such as the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. A source within the athletic department confirmed that the Blue Devils were offered $2 million to move the game to Birmingham. White and Kennedy didn’t blink.
“There’s more to gain in non-financial ways by having the game here,” Kennedy said. “First, it’s Alabama, second, there’s the Alabama-Duke connection and third, it should be interesting for our fans.”
The Cutcliffe Connection
The fact that Cutcliffe now happens to coach the Blue Devils, adding another link between the two schools, is an additional attraction, said Alabama’s Moore. Cutcliffe was a student assistant at Alabama while Moore was the quarterbacks coach and first offensive coordinator under Paul “Bear” Bryant.
“David Cutcliffe is a good friend of mine,” Moore said. “David was always a student of the game. We know he is a good coach and will have the team prepared. I just hope we come in there and play up to our expectations.”
A self-described college football romantic, Cutcliffe carries with him in his football-skin wallet three Alabama football treasures. The first is a ticket to the November 28, 1981 Iron Bowl matchup between Auburn and Alabama—the game in which Bear Bryant became the then-all-time winningest coach in college football history. The second is a yellowing copy of Bryant’s favorite poem, which was typed on a typewriter. The third is a small folded newspaper clipping, a short obituary from January 27, 1983, the day after Bear Bryant passed away.
Seizing the Moment
Cutcliffe, though, will not be romanticizing about the past for the rest of this week. Instead, he will be focused on preparing his team for the sizable challenge at hand.
“I’ve been asked earlier in the week, ‘Fans are really hoping this is respectable, how do you feel about that statement?’” he said. “And I said, that’s completely understandable. We all have pride in our program, we have pride in our team, so it’s so understandable to have that feeling when you are playing a powerhouse.
“I want this team to respond in preparation. I want this team to be prepared well enough to go play, to win if things fall your way.”
Cutcliffe also said he and his assistant coaches, most of whom coached alongside him at Tennessee and Ole Miss, are looking forward to squaring off against Nick Saban. Cutcliffe’s tenure at Ole Miss from 1999-2004 mirrored Saban’s at Louisiana State University. Cutcliffe has a 2-3 record against Saban, a man he considers a master of preparation.
“It gets their blood flowing, too. They remember those days,” Cutcliffe said of his staff. “It’s the ultimate test.”
Adding to the excitement will be a large number of Crimson Tide supporters.
Alabama fans are known to travel in large numbers to away games. The athletic department is expecting the Crimson Tide faithful to bring 120 RVs this weekend and designated the abandoned car dealership across from the Super Target on Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. as their parking lot. Additionally, Duke added eight sections of temporary bleachers, 3,904 additional seats, to Wallace Wade Stadium for the weekend’s contest.
“They will be wearing red, wearing Houndstooth, they’ll have flags and stickers on their cars, and they will their have mobile homes,” Cutcliffe said. “When they start arriving early on Thursday to sightsee around town, folks don’t need to be surprised. They will be on our campus Friday, walking around getting a scouting report. It will be a great atmosphere.”
The players plan to thrive on the added attention. Both junior tight end Cooper Helfet and redshirt sophomore right guard Brian Moore said there would be an extra level of excitement for this weekend’s matchup. Junior safety Matt Daniels said he was so excited to compete against the Crimson Tide that the thought makes chills run down his spine.
“Whoever thinks growing up, ‘I’m going to have the opportunity to play the No. 1 team, defending national champions,’ you know?” he said. “Everyone looks for the opportunity. Only few get the chance.”
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