AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 02
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Focus: Duke Blue Devils?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At face value it may sound silly to focus on, or worry, about the Duke Blue Devils.
Still, make no mistake…this is not the same Duke team that ACC teams have been abusing for the past several years. Coach Cutcliffe has taken over the reigns and has directed what has become a veteran team to a 3-1 record and a big ACC win over Virginia last weekend.
Duke opened with a 31-7 win over James Madison in which they ran up 364 yards of offense and capitalized on a big third quarter scoring flurry.
A 24-20 loss to Northwestern (5-0) followed but looking at the details showed that Duke outgained its opponent 294-251 and ran up 28 first downs in the game while holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. From what I can tell, Northwestern benefited from short fields on two of their touchdowns.
Duke’s third game presented a look at Paul Johnson’s old Navy team and offense. Duke responded with a 41-31 win, running up 396 yards of total offense. The Blue Devils held the Midshipmen to 207 yards rushing and only 13 first downs. Offensively, Duke did its damage through the air as Thaddeus Lewis connected on 25 of 35 pass attempts for 317 yards and three touchdowns. Eron Riley had a huge game with 8 catches for 137 yards.
And most recently, the Dukies put a lopsided beating on a woeful Virginia team…31-3. While UVA actually outgained Duke 304 to 258, the Devils capitalized on two fumbles and four interceptions in a 28 point second half to bury the hapless Hoos.
So what does that mean for Georgia Tech?
It means Duke can score and force turnovers…both areas which make me nervous.
Offensively, Georgia Tech MUST protect the football and avoid giving Duke a short field. The Jackets CANNOT give up easy points and fall into a “catch up” situation where Jaybo Shaw is forced to win the game with his arm. Georgia Tech fans should be confident in Jaybo’s ability to make reads and pitches in this offense. He played well beyond expectations when forced into action against Mississippi State. This will be different though…this game is Jaybo’s and he’s been thinking about it for the better part of two weeks now. He’s the starter from the first snap and that’s alot different than running out there mid-game without having time to put any pressure on yourself.
Defensively, the Tech front four MUST generate pressure and a pass rush on Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis is a cagey veteran and Eron Riley is a legitimate threat and weapon in the passing game. Riley was actually a Georgia Tech recruiting target when he came out of high school and he’s done very well for himself at Duke. In his career he’s already pulled in 105 receptions for 1,988 yards and 20 TDs. Lewis and Riley are Duke’s biggest scoring threat.
Ultimately I think the Georgia Tech pass rush will rattle Lewis and he’ll make some mistakes or take some losses that will hurt. That means Jaybo Shaw just needs to run the offense and hold onto the ball and let the offensive line and Jonathan Dwyer take care of business.
If Tech can do this and play solid special teams we’re looking at a Jackets win somewhere in the 30-14 range.
If we turn the ball over or give Lewis too much time to find his receivers…we’re going to be looking at a tight game and quite possibly a loss against a Duke team that believes they can win and who has proven it under Cutcliffe.
And really…when you think about it…we may be watching the two leading candidates for ACC Coach of the Year facing off this coming weekend. Either Johnson or Cutcliffe could win that award if their teams continue and finish the season the same way they’ve begun.
Go Jackets!
THWG!
