Sitting with a 6-4 record with two games to go is not where Duke wanted to be in late November.
After all, at this time during each of the last two years the Blue Devils were in serious contention to win the ACC Coastal Division and advance to the conference championship game in Charlotte.
The Blue Devils have taken a step back from previous years during this month and are instead playing to spend the postseason in a more attractive bowl destination. But Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has not written off his team following a three-game ACC losing streak and instead told reporters that he wants his players to use the experience to grow as individuals, and as players.
“These are times that growth occurs in a program,” Cutcliffe said. “I have been in them here and I am proud of the young men we work with here. Nobody is panicking. We’re 6-4 and a lot of folks in this country would like to be 6-4 in a competitive circumstance. But we do know that this is a test of our fortitude and our ability to focus.”
The Blue Devils are focusing on getting back to their winning ways Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against a struggling Virginia squad at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va. Aside from a 66-31 loss to North Carolina back on Nov. 7, Duke is perfect in its three other road games this season. A trip away from home could be the refreshing change of scenery that the Blue Devils need to snap their late-season losing streak.
“We love playing on the road,” senior wide receiver Max McCaffrey said. “We love going into other stadiums, quieting the crowd. It’s an awesome feeling.”
Going into Scott Stadium might be an awesome feeling Saturday, but if Duke (6-4, 3-3 in the ACC) cannot correct some of the issues that have plagued it in recent weeks, the feeling leaving Charlottesville might not be too good.
The first step Saturday will be limiting the Cavaliers’ passing offense, which averages 232.9 yards per game. Although this mark is only good for 54th in the nation, quarterback Matt Johns ranks third in the ACC with 2,295 passing yards and has the skill set necessary to pick apart a Duke secondary that has struggled against the conference’s top quarterbacks.
The Blue Devil secondary surrendered only 787 passing yards and three touchdown tosses in its first six games, but has fallen apart in the last four weeks, surrendering 1,259 yards and 12 touchdowns as the team has gone 1-3. Duke has sorely missed cornerback Bryon Fields—who would have been the starter opposite veteran Breon Borders, but tore his ACL during the preseason.
“We have addressed a lot of these critical areas in every way,” Cutcliffe said. “We are going to continue to do that. I expect results immediately, because they are all correctable things.”
Sophomore Alonzo Saxton II and true freshman Jeremy McDuffie have both played in Fields’ place this season, but have been consistently picked on by opposing quarterbacks.
McDuffie could have a chance to show Johns that he can defend his island out in coverage, as the Virginia quarterback has thrown 14 interceptions this season, the most in the ACC by five. McDuffie has shown potential for the Blue Devils, including a second-half interception against Miami Oct. 31, and will look to make more big plays this weekend.
“I told [McDuffie] that you’re a new guy out there,” redshirt junior safety DeVon Edwards said. “They are going to come at you. You just have to keep your head up, things happen and you just have to deal with it and move on. We have his back, no matter what.”
Forcing turnovers—a feat Duke has accomplished just 12 times this season—could be the spark the Blue Devils need to get going on the offensive side of the ball. The offense should be particularly excited about running backs Jela Duncan and Shaquille Powell, who along with quarterbacks Thomas Sirk and Parker Boehme are spearheading a rushing attack that is averaging 188.5 yards per game this season.
That number is particularly encouraging when going up against Virginia’s suspect rush defense that is tied for 70th in the nation. Last week, the Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4) surrendered 266 rushing yards to Louisville, including 155 and two touchdowns to Cardinal running back Brandon Radcliffe in a 38-31 loss.
The healthy running game has helped take some of the pressure off of the Blue Devil pass offense, which has faced some obstacles during the last two weeks. Boehme was forced into the starting spot last week after Sirk suffered an upper body injury against North Carolina. Then, on Tuesday, Cutcliffe dismissed wide receivers Johnell Barnes and Terrence Alls from the team.
Cutcliffe described Sirk’s injury as day-to-day, saying that the Glen Saint Mary, Fla., native has practiced this week. With the loss of Barnes and Alls, wide receivers Anthony Nash and T.J. Rahming will likely see more action on the outside. Nash has been a bright spot for the Blue Devils as of late and hauled in five catches for 101 yards in the loss to Pittsburgh last weekend.
The Blue Devil offense will need to be at its best no matter who is under center Saturday. Virginia comes into the game having lost seven games this season, but has been competitive in conference play and barely lost to then-No. 9 Notre Dame back in early September.
“It’s hard to get nine wins in any big five conference in Division I football,” McCaffrey said. “That would be a huge milestone for us this year. That’s all we can do now and it starts with Virginia.”
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