Duke Hopes To Avoid Their Third Straight Loss As They Host Florida State
Duke who had a great September is not having such a great start to October as they've lost their last two games against Miami and against Virginia who edged them in Charlottesville last Saturday after their offensive line was unable to get it going.
• Now in its 105th season of football, Duke hosts Florida State at 12 noon ... The game will be broadcast live by ESPN2 with Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst) & Kris Budden (sideline)
• Duke is 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC following last week’s 28-21 loss at Virginia ... Coming off a 24-20 loss to Miami, Florida State is 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league play
• Duke owns an all-time record of 500-513-31 in 104-plus seasons
• Saturday’s game will mark the 20th on the gridiron between the two schools with Florida State leading the series, 19-0 ... The series began in 1992 with a 48-21 FSU victory ... In Durham, the Seminoles have won all seven affairs
• This week’s game features the top two kickoff return units in the ACC with the Seminoles ranking first (29.4) and Blue Devils second (27.2)
• Duke will celebrate Band Day and Teacher Appreciation Day against the Seminoles while BSBSNC serves as the official game sponsor
• Now in his 10th season as Duke’s head coach, David Cutcliffe is 56-63 with the Blue Devils and 100-92 overall ... Cutcliffe earned ACC Coach of the Year honors in both 2012 & 2013
• Under head coach David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils are 33-5 (.868) when allowing 20 points or less
• Dating back to the 2013 season, the Blue Devils are 32-18 (.640) in their last 50 regular season games
• Duke continues to lead the ACC in third down defense having allowed just 19 conversions in 80 attempts (.238)
• CB Mark Gilbert and S Jeremy McDuffie lead the ACC in passes defended per game (1.83)
• The Blue Devils have established a school single-season record with four interception returns for touchdowns in 2017 ... The previous standard of three was set in 1942, 1945 and 1949
• Last week at Virginia, LB Joe Giles-Harris turned in a 15-tackle performance that included 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, two quarterback pressures, one caused fumble and one PBU ... The double digit tackle outing marked the seventh of his career
• With 63 ground yards against Miami two weeks ago, RB Shaun Wilson became the seventh player in Duke history to reach the 2,000-yard plateau ... In 42 career games, Wilson has 2,085 rushing yards while his career 5.37 yards per attempt average ranks fourth on Duke’s all-time chart
• Led by DT Mike Ramsay (4.5 sacks), Duke ranks second in the ACC in sacks per game (3.17), behind only Clemson (3.50) "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211672202
4 — Duke all-time record of career interception returns for TDs for CB Bryon Fields Jr. ... The scores came against Tulane (2014), Pittsburgh (2016), N.C. Central (2017) & North Carolina (2017)
4 — Seasons with 3+ rushing TDs for RB Shaun Wilson, matching the school record previously set by Tom Davis (1941-42-43-44), George Clark (1944-45-46-47) and Jela Duncan (2012-13-15-16)
50-4 — Duke’s record under David Cutcliffe when leading or tied after three quarters of action
14.35 — Recorded time for S Jeremy McDuffie in the 110-meter hurdles to earn all-league honors at the 2017 ACC Track & Field Championship meet ... McDuffie also garnered All-ACC accolades in the triple jump
9.67 — Average tackles per game for LB Joe Giles-Harris this season to rank third in the ACC
3,995 — Career all-purpose yards for RB Shaun Wilson, who sits five yards shy of becoming the eighth player in Duke history to reach the 4,000-yard plateau
6 — Duke record scoring runs of 50+ yards for RB Shaun Wilson ... The previous school standard of four was held by George Clark (1944-47) and Jay Wilkinson (1961-63)
13 — Fourth quarter & OT wins for the Blue Devils over the past five seasons (games in which Duke was tied or trailing in the fourth period)
10 — True freshmen to play for the Blue Devils this season, marking the highest total in the David Cutcliffe Era (9 in 2009)
10 — Interceptions for the Duke defense this season to lead the ACC ... CBs Bryon Fields Jr. and Mark Gilbert pace the Blue Devils with three each
18.0 — Tackles for loss over his last 18 games for LB Ben Humphreys
20 & 10 — Daniel Jones is one of three QBs in Duke history to post 20+ passing TDs and 10+ rushing TDs in a career, joining Leo Hart (23 & 13; 1968-70) and Anthony Boone (38 & 16; 2011-14) ... In 18 career games, Jones has 22 passing TDs and 10 rushing TDs
2 — Players in Duke history — Brandon Connette & Daniel Jones — to record 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a single game "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211672202
As for Duke's last game they suffered their second straight loss on the road in Charlottesville to Virginia,
Kurt Benkert recovered from a terrible start with three touchdown passes and Virginia beat Duke 28-21 on Saturday. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
Duke quarterback Daniel Jones completed 14-of-42 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Quin Blanding returned the first interception, off a deflection, 58 yards for a touchdown. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
Benkert also threw an interception that Jeremy McDuffie returned 42 yards to tie the game at 7-7. Duke then took a 14-7 advantage as Jones connected with Davis Koppenhaver for a seven-yard score with 5:21 to go in the opening half. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
Virginia knotted the game at the half as Benkert hit Olamide Zaccheaus for an 11-yard score 45 seconds before intermission. After the break, Benkert gave the Cavaliers a 28-14 lead with touchdown passes of five and 17 yards to Doni Dowling. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
The Blue Devils rallied with a Quentin Harris four-yard touchdown run with 6:14 left in the game that left Duke trailing 28-21. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
Duke drove into Virginia territory in its final possession with Jones completing four consecutive passes, but sacks by Chris Peace early in the drive and freshman linebacker Chris Snowden after Duke got to the Cavaliers 34 slowed the drive. Two incomplete passes turned the ball back to Virginia. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
THE TAKEAWAY
Duke: The Blue Devils' defensive front gave Virginia's line fits all day, and the defensive backs generally ran right with the Cavaliers on deep passes. The line seemed to wear down as Virginia went with a short passing game. The Blue Devils started the day sharing the ACC lead in sacks, but managed just one on the day. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
Virginia: With a running game that hasn't yet proven reliable, Benkert's accuracy becomes critical. He was way off early in the game, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once as both teams struggled, but once the short passing game started working, his confidence seemed to return and he carried the day. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211671812
As for Florida State's last game, they lost to Miami.
After seven years of Florida State dominance in its rivalry with Miami, the pendulum finally shifted back toward the Hurricanes. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
And, as is to be expected in this series, it did so in dramatic and heartbreaking fashion. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
UM quarterback Malik Rosier connected with Darrell Langham for a 23-yard touchdown pass with six seconds to play that erased a late FSU lead and lifted No. 13 Miami to a 24-20 win over the Seminoles in front of 78,169 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
James Blackman’s 21-yard TD pass to Auden Tate gave FSU a 20-17 advantage with 1:24 on the clock, but the Hurricanes marched 75 yards in 1:18 to claim their first win over the Seminoles since 2009 – Bobby Bowden’s last year at Florida State. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
The Seminoles, 1-3 for the first time since 1976, Bowden’s first year at FSU, are on the road at Duke next week. Miami will host Georgia Tech. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“It was a heck of a football game,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said. “And when it came down to the end, (Miami) made one more play and got the one inch that they needed to get the touchdown.” "according http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
An inch may have decided the game. Officials had to consult a lengthy review to determine whether Langham’s knee was down short of the goal line on the winning play. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
Replays looked close, but the touchdown was upheld, sending a sizable Miami contingent into a roar and spreading stunned silence across the rest of the stadium. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“It’s kind of disappointing,” senior linebacker Matthew Thomas said. “We came out and should have won the game.” "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
It was all part of a wild fourth quarter that turned what had been a low-scoring, defensive affair on its head. The two teams combined for 31 points and four lead changes during the final 15 minutes, a startling turn from a first half that saw Florida State take a 3-0 lead into the break despite nearly tripling UM’s offensive production in the first two quarters. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
The Seminoles, as it turned out, would regret their missed opportunities. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
FSU went to halftime with heavy advantages in total offense (163-57), yards per play (4.3-1.9) and time of possession (19:07-10:53), and it had four first-half drives end inside Miami territory. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
Those drives, however, resulted in only three points. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“We didn’t execute a couple times, and they made a couple plays,” Fisher said. “They knocked the ball away and stopped us. That’s what it was.” "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
That allowed the Hurricanes to wait out a slow start from Rosier and find themselves within striking distance once their offense heated up in the second half. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
Rosier had completed only 4 of 16 pass attempts at halftime but by the end was 19 of 44 for 254 yards, three touchdowns and an interception."according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
Miami, similarly, finished with 337 yards of offense after having just 57 at halftime. "according tohttp://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“In the first half, things were working, things were rolling,” senior defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi said. “They’d punch, we’d punch back. In the second half, it was kind of the same thing – they threw a punch, we threw a punch back. Going back and forth, back and forth. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“In the end, they made a big play.” "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
The Seminoles, meanwhile, enjoyed their best running effort of the season: 203 yards and 4.7 yards per carry, a mark that included a 100-yard day for freshman Cam Akers (20-121) and another 91 from junior Jacques Patrick. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
And quarterback James Blackman mirrored his counterpart – a slow start followed by an electric finish. The freshman in the fourth quarter completed 9 of 10 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, which brought his total to 17-of-28, 203 yards and two interceptions to go along with those two TDs. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
As a result, the final 15 minutes were as frantic and thrilling as any in the series’ recent history, with Blackman (making his third career start) and Rosier (his fifth) engaged in a duel that belied their inexperience. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
When Blackman and Ryan Izzo tied the game with a 15-yard score early in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Seminoles might have exorcised some of their early-season demons: The play came both on a third-and-long and in the red zone. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
But after a Ricky Aguayo field goal put the Seminoles on top, Rosier had an answer – a beautiful, 6-yard pass over the head of a defender and into the arms of Braxton Berrios, the senior receiver who tormented FSU to the tune of eight catches, 90 yards and two scores. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
And when Blackman threw his last touchdown, it appeared that both he and Tate had carved their names into FSU-Miami lore. Blackman for his fourth-quarter heroics, and Tate for grinding out catches and yardage despite the throbbing pain lingering in his injured left shoulder. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
The thing about rivalries, though, is that they require balance. Each side must regularly get the best of the other for it to truly mean something. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
For the last seven years – back when Florida State’s seniors were in the ninth grade – Miami hadn’t held up its end of the bargain. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
On Saturday afternoon, the Hurricanes finally did. Rosier was just 3 for 7 on the game’s final drive, but those three were crucial – a 17-yarder to Berrios on third-and-10, an 11-yard strike to Berrios on a later third-and-10 and, finally, the touchdown pass to Langham. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
After seven years of having their hearts broken by Florida State, the Hurricanes finally returned the favor. "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
“We didn’t make all the plays,” Fisher said. “They made one more. But at the same time, there’s no reason to hang your head after that football game. We’re sad, we’re disappointed. There’s no doubt. But we will play.” "according to http://seminoles.com/a-heart-breaking-streak-stopper/
Will Duke be able to redeem themselves and avoid their third straight loss? Will the Duke offense be able to get it going? Will Florida State get back in the win column after getting beat Miami a week ago?
Kick-off is set for 12:00pm. The game will be televised on ESPN2. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1843&SPSID=22666