SPORTS | FOOTBALL
2011’s toughest game
By Jacob Levitt | September 8, 2011Even before the first week of the season, Duke was going to be a double-digit underdog against Stanford.
Even before the first week of the season, Duke was going to be a double-digit underdog against Stanford.
The fact that Stanford is a top-10 football program, yet Duke would likely not make the AP rankings if they were expanded to seventy-five teams, should be alarming to the Blue Devil faithful.
The missed opportunities in the red zone that plagued the Blue Devils in 2010 returned in their 2011 season opener, as Duke fell short again against Division I-AA opponent Richmond.
It was déjà vu all over again... all over again.
There’s a reason that most teams use only one quarterback for the majority of game situations.
December 15, 2007, was the beginning of the Duke football program as we know it today.
Two years ago Duke finished dead last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards.
The recent relative success of the football program has brought with it increased hopes, but along with those hopes come increased expectations.
By almost every statistic, Duke’s defense was abysmal last year—the Blue Devils were last in the ACC in rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed, sacks and interceptions.
Two years ago Richmond came into Durham for the season opener and surprised the Blue Devils with a 24-16 victory through strong special teams play and a stiff rush defense.
Sixteen years removed from his NFL career, Ron Middleton still cuts an imposing figure.
For those that have followed my coverage of Duke football over the David Cutcliffe era, you have likely come to expect my annual proclamation that “This is it—make or break.” Or “bowl or bust.”