Before every football game this year, The Blue Zone is going to sit down with a football writer from the opposing school’s student newspaper to get the scoop on their team and season.
This week, The Chronicle’s Daniel Carp spoke to The Campus Echo's Sports Editor Tevin Stinson about this Saturday's matchup between Duke and N.C. Central.
The Chronicle: Duke is set to face off with N.C. Central in the second Bull City Gridiron Classic and are looking to make a statement to open the 2013 season. N.C. Central went through a huge leadership change when head coach Henry Frazier was fired last week. How would you assess the current morale of the team?
Tevin Stinson: I think they're a team that is still underrated. Coach Foster has done a good job at keeping the guys' head on straight and focusing on the goals for the season, which is to come out and put on a good show for the fans and for the school. I spoke with Foster and he said that there hasn't been any changes to the offense or the schemes, so I think the guys are ready to go.
TC: What should someone who hasn't seen much of N.C. Central expect to see Saturday?
TS: They're really strong up front. They only have one senior but are returning a lot of redshirts that got stronger in the offseason. Jordan Reid has looked really good, he's gotten more velocity on his throws and has gotten a lot stronger. Last season he set the school record for completion percentage at 62 percent. One of the question marks would be how to replace Giovani Irvine, one of our key receivers from last season. He finished his career at Central ranked third on the receptions list, so that's going to be hard to replace. But there's some guys who have stepped up like Marvin Poole and Lamar Scruggs, so I think everything is going to go smoothly for those guys this year.
TC: The Bull City Classic is meant to be a day to celebrate the city of Durham. Duke will go on to play bigger games this season in the ACC, but how much does this game mean for the Eagles to come across town and play in front of a big crowd?
TS: It's real big on campus. I think it's a good thing to display how much talent we have here in Durham alone, because a lot of these guys played against each other in high school and see each other around the city all the time. So I think this game is positive for the city as a whole.
TC: What's a matchup that could be an X-factor in Saturday's game?
TS: Taking advantage of Duke's secondary. With Jordan Reid coming back, it's always good to have a fifth-year senior, and the offensive line is really good. So if he stays protected, Duke's secondary would be big to exploit.
TC: And finally, what's your score prediction for Saturday's game?
TS: I'll say Duke wins 48-21.
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