Blue Devils recharge after loss, open week
Duke had a weekend off before Saturday’s game at Georgia Tech and that figures to be a good thing for the Blue Devils on several fronts.
They’re coming off their first loss of the season when they stumbled against Virginia Tech.
Now it’s time to deal with a triple-option offense for the second time this season. The opener against Army came against a similar offense.
“Offensively, they’re maybe as good as I’ve seen them,” Cutcliffe said of the Yellow Jackets, who throttled Louisville 66-31 last week.
The Blue Devils have enough to worry about within their team, but quarterback Daniel Jones’ smooth return from a broken collarbone in order to play in the last game was one reason for a good vibe.
“Physically, I think I felt the same after the game as I did before the game,” Jones said of his outing against Virginia Tech. “And the off week was good for that.”
So if the Blue Devils have restored more confidence in the offense much of the attention is bound to fall on how the defense handles this assignment plus the ability to bounce back after a defeat.
Duke (4-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) dropped out of the national rankings after the home setback to Virginia Tech.
A year ago, a 4-0 start to the season turned into a 4-6 record in a major freefall.
“I think this is a different feeling this year,” senior linebacker Ben Humphreys said. “We want to get out there and prove we’re a different team than last year.”
Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils seemed to have reacted well after the loss. He said the commitment to good habits can make a difference with that.
“Disappointed, we all were,” Cutcliffe said of the Virginia Tech game. “You can’t stay disappointed. (The players’) mentality coming back was great.”
It might have helped that there has been time for healing for a few injured Blue Devils. Cutcliffe wasn’t ready to commit to the return to action of any players who’ve been out with injuries.
The Blue Devils were glad the open week came when it did. It sometimes takes time to adjust to the tempo and style of dealing with Georgia Tech’s offense. The Yellow Jackets lead the country with 373 rushing yards per game.
Humphreys said Blue Devils have had success against triple-option offenses because they’ve avoided losing concentration.
“The discipline we have on the defensive side,” he said. “This week you have to take that discipline to a new level.”