We’re already into November, which means the action on the field is really intensifying.  We’ve got quite an array of games to choose from, two Coastal Division matchups, two Atlantic Division contests, an out-of-conference game at East Carolina, and a cross-divisional game with implications on how the Road to Tampa Bay will shape up.  So, without much ado, here are my picks for the week:

• VIRGINIA TECH @ East Carolina (Thursday)
• Virginia @ MIAMI
• Maryland @ NC STATE
• Wake Forest @ GEORGIA TECH
• DUKE @ North Carolina

GAME OF THE WEEK – FLORIDA STATE @ Clemson

Boston College has the week off.

Worth Noting:

• I seriously doubt anyone expected Duke to be this good coming into November.  They are currently second in the Coastal with an outside chance of winning the division outright.  Of course, a number of things would have to happen before that scenario would come to pass.  However, you gotta admit the Blue Devils have made some serious strides this past year.  To offer some perspective, a win over UNC will give the Blue Devils four conference wins, which is the same amount achieved during the last nine seasons.  Not to mention Coach Cutcliffe so far has won more games than either Carl Franks or Ted Roof, and he’s only in his second season!!  A win over the Tarheels would be even more impressive, since UNC has practically dominated the series 18 out of the last 19 seasons.  The last two games, however, have been fairly close, so perhaps this might be the year The Victory Bell makes its way back to Durham.  Then again, I am a Duke fan, so what I’ve said thus far could be mistaken for wishful thinking …
• Both Maryland and N.C. State find themselves in danger of missing the postseason altogether, which makes their game all the more important.  The Terps need to win out, although Coach Ralph Friedgen seems a bit more worried about keeping the pounds off than how the Wolfpack might react following a crushing loss to FSU.  It’s also Homecoming weekend for NCSU, as if they needed any more motivation to finally get their first conference win of the season.
• Speaking of FSU, house cleaning appears to be in order now that defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews is calling it quits at the end of the season.  He’s shown great loyalty to Bobby Bowden by helping shape the Seminoles into a formidable force over the past 26 years.  Family issues, however, have detracted from his focus and desire, leaving him with the difficult decision to walk away.  Coach Bowden will have the final say in his replacement, although he will allow Jimbo Fisher to offer his considerations.
• The Clemson-Florida State game will have implications on the Atlantic Division race, since both teams are still in contention.  The Noles continue to stay strong by putting up really impressive numbers, even with an anemic defense.  That revelation caught Dabo Swinney’s attention, especially since the Tigers have been dominant in this series as of late.

Written Tyler Lambert

Duke’s football team has been labeled by many fans as the worst collegiate football program in the NCAA. As a Duke fan, it is hard to prove the doubters wrong when there is little to no evidence backing up your belief that the program has had some success over the past decade. Well college football landscape, look out for the Blue Devils in 2009.

Behind second year coach David Cutcliffe and All-ACC Second Team QB Thaddeus Lewis, Duke football looks to have success during this upcoming season. There have even been talks of Duke possibly bidding for a bowl berth for the first time since the 1994 season, but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.

The Blue Devils’ have a difficult road ahead, but after spending a full year learning Coach Cutcliffe’s system, the Devils should look to be even better than their 4-8 record in 2008. Look out ACC, because the Blue Devils are a push-over no longer!

Players To Watch During 2009:

• Senior RB Re’Quan Boy ette: Boy ette looks healthy after an injury-plagued 2008 season and should contend for the starting RB position.
• Senior DL Vince Oghobaase: Oghobaase has already been named to the Outland Trophy, Chuck Bednarik, Lott Trophy and Bronco Nagurski Watch List and is one of best defensive linemen in the ACC.
• Senior QB Thaddeus Lewis: Lewis is the leading returning passer in the ACC for the 2009 season and has been named to the Manning Award Watch List. The Manning Award is given out annually to the nation’s top Quarterback.
• Freshman RB Desmond Scott: Scott, one of Duke’s most highly touted recruits in years, is a homerun hitter who has lightning quick speed and is prepared to challenge for the starting RB spot.
• Sophomore WR Johnny Williams: Williams will likely see lots of playing time and will need to fill the void left by the graduation of Eron Riley.
• Senior LB Vincent Rey: Rey is one of the best linebackers in the conference and will need to play well during his final season in Durham.

Games To Watch During 2009:

The 2008 Duke football season saw the Blue Devils take a 3-1 overall record into October. Early wins over James Madison, Navy and ACC-foe Virginia showed that the Devils could actually succeed under Cutcliffe, but losing the final five games of the season diminished any hopes of becoming a decent program anytime soon.

The 2009-2010 schedule looks to be in favor of Duke at the beginning of the season, but gets tougher virtually every game. Here are games that will be crucial if the Devils want to have any chance of contending in the ACC:

Sept. 5- Richmond @ Duke: The beginning of Duke’s 2009 schedule pits the Devils vs. Richmond. Many believe that Duke has a great chance to win their season opener, and on paper they may be right. However, Richmond is an outstanding Championship Subdivision team that has the chance to push Duke to the limit.

Sept. 19- Duke @ Kansas: This game has the makings for Duke to put its name on the map, but first it must overcome the Jay Hawks. Kansas has compiled a great record over the past few seasons and is looking to challenge in the Big 12. Big non-conference game for the Devils to win, especially if they want a bowl berth.

Oct. 3- Virginia Tech @ Duke: The defending ACC Champs pay a visit to Durham in this October 3rd game. The game between these two schools in 2008 was a narrow 14-3 win for the Hokies as Duke QB Thad Lewis was forced to sit out of the game due to injury. If Duke wants any chances of being an above .500 team, they first must beat one of the best teams the conference has to offer.

Nov. 7- Duke @ North Carolina: Duke has come close to beating their rivals in each of the past two seasons. Last season, the game was even nationally televised by ESPNU. The Blue Devils were in each of the last two games between the schools, but a mistake or two have cost the Devils wins against their archrival. Duke can ill-afford to make a mistake in the final minutes if they hope to come out of Chapel Hill with a win.

Nov. 28- Wake Forest @ Duke: If the Blue Devils want any chance of getting a berth into a bowl, they must win their season finale against the Deacons. Last season saw the Deacons win in OT and crush the spirits of all Duke fans alike. If the game in 2009 has the same result, it may cost Duke a chance at becoming a bowl eligible team.

So you see college football, Duke has a shot to become a good team during the 2009-2010 football season. With winnable games against Richmond, Army and North Carolina Central, Duke has the possibility to improve their record from a year ago.

If the Blue Devils hope to become one of the elite NCAA football programs in the years to come, they first must beat the best. To do so, they will have to win 2 or 3 ACC games this season and make a run for a bowl-berth. If they can somehow find a way to become bowl-eligible, then I believe that the Duke program will be able to rebuild in the following years to come.

Duke fans, be optimistic.

Don’t believe that your Devils have no chance at making a run for the ACC title, because they certainly have the players and personnel to do so. Thad Lewis will give us one more strong year at QB, Coach Cutcliffe will continue to recruit well and the Duke football program will once again compete at a high level.

Look out college football, the Blue Devils are back!

Media members watch Duke’s football team practice.

Usually Duke waits for the start of football season before they get absolutely rolled by an opponent. But coach David Cutcliffe and the Dukies are getting started earlier this year with an unusual opponent during fall camp:

Swine Flu.

Serious, what the hell is going on with this H1N1 virus? It’s gotten over half of Duke’s football team since the beginning of camp two weeks ago. Over half the team? They should be like the group of 10 Chinese ladies I saw at the airport earlier this summer wearing those breathing masks everywhere they went in public. It could start a new fad on campus even, kind of like how Shaun White got every punk snowboarder to wear a handkerchief on their face like some Old West bandit.

But according to the Herald-Sun, the dreaded virus hasn’t created an Outbreak like situation:

You wouldn’t believe how little of a distraction it’s been,” said Cutcliffe, adding that the worst seems to now be behind the team. “Shoot, games are much more disruptive when you’re looking for somebody on the sidelines when somebody’s contact is out or somebody’s helmet is boosted, or if somebody’s limping.

“We’ve used all of our resources well, and then we’ve just told everybody to hug our trainer if they felt bad and everything would be okay.”

This is getting confusing. Earlier this summer, we were made to believe that the Swine Flu was going to wipe out civilization as we know it, now it’s a smaller problem for Duke football — where over half the dudes got Swine Flu — than helmet stealing on the sidelines?

When the Richmond Spiders come to Durham on September 5th, they better wipe the footballs down with antiseptic wipes.

# 102- San Diego State (written by SarCoog)

‘08 Record: 2-10 (1-7 Mountain West)

Overview: It stands to reason that a program in one of the nation’s prettiest cities and in a football hotbed like southern California would be one of the best of the non-BCS. Yet the Aztecs just dismissed previous coach Chuck Long after he went 9-27 in his three seasons and haven’t been to a bowl game since 1998. I don’t think it has ever been a talent issue for the Aztecs, so it would stand to reason that the right coach can turn it around. New coach Brady Hoke led a doormat Ball State program to back-to-back winning seasons and will have more resources at his disposal here. It doesn’t hurt that Hoke also hired good assistants: OC Al Borges (Auburn OC from 2004-07) and DC Rocky Long (New Mexico HC from 1998-08). I’d expect Long to immediately incorporate his unique 3-3-5 defense that has been so successful in the past. Sophomore QB Ryan Lindley (242-427, 2,653 yards, 16 TD, 9 INT) set a lot of freshman records and should be a three year starter. The top rusher and receiver from last year: senior RB Atiyyah Henderson (490 rushing yards, 4.1 yards/carry, 4 TD) and junior WR Vincent Brown (64 receptions, 631 yards, 5 TD) return along with three upperclassmen offensive linemen.

The big issue is the Aztec defense, even with 7 starters returning. They surrendered 35+ points in 7 of their last 8 games and even a ‘defensive whiz’ like Long will have his work cut out for him. Junior DE BJ Williams (74 total tackles, 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks) led the team last year in tackles for loss and sacks and will return to an experience defensive line this fall. Finally, Long’s trademark safety-linebacker position (played most prominently by Brian Urlacher) has been renamed as the “Aztec” and will likely be played by senior Nick Sandford (44 total tackles, 2 TFL). The defense will undoubtedly be improved, but how much in year one remains to be seen. That will make the biggest difference for the Aztecs when it comes to wins and losses.

Reasons for Optimism: Coach Hoke may not be a California guy, but he sure assembled an impressive staff on paper. Since underachieving has been such an issue, an experienced staff ought to take care of that. Ryan Lindley can be the kind of signal caller that turns around the fortunes of this program. I believe Long will also turn the Aztec defense into a blitzing, attacking unit that will keep the team in games.

Reasons for Pessimism: I know this sounds vague, but sometimes a losing culture can prevent even the best coaches and talented players from having immediate success. The defense gave up 37.2 points/game last year and it’s going to take huge improvement for this unit to simply be adequate. With few exceptions, year one of a new coach regime tends to be tough… especially when you haven’t had a winning season this decade.

Season Prediction: The non-conference schedule has 3 games that the Aztecs will be favored to win (Southern Utah, New Mexico State and Idaho). There are also two road games in MWC play that are decent candidates for a win: UNLV and Colorado State. With a first year staff I see a 4-8 record with a couple close losses and better days ahead for the Aztec faithful.

Top Web Destination: Aztec Talk

# 101- Washington (written by Bobb-O)

‘08 Record: 0-12 (0-9 Pac-10)

Overview: Washington had a horrible year in 2008 and it seemed as though nothing was going to go right for the Huskies and they dismissed coach Ty Willingham . The Huskies had an injury to quarterback Jake Locker (50-93, 512 yards, 1 pass TD, 180 yards rushing, 3 rush TD) which seemed to hurt a bit. In his four games behind center in ‘08, Locker seemed like a decent quarterback and earned a QB rating of 103.6. I would take that for my team any day of the week. Something that could be a bad sign for the Huskies is Locker was selected in the 10th round of the MLB draft this past week. If he hires an agent kiss his eligibility goodbye, but if he doesn’t he can still play ball for the Huskies. The Huskies would be hurt if he departed for the big leagues. Rumors are that he may sign and not hire an agent therefore freeing up his scholarship and allowing him to maintain his amateur status. Another HUGE story that came out of Seattle was the Huskies bringing in new head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian comes from the juggernaut of the Pac-10, USC. He was the coordinator of the USC offense that was consistently near the top of the overall offensive category. Sarkisian is bringing alot of hope to Seattle and will inherit one of the top defensive players in the Pac-10 in junior LB Mason Foster (105 tackles, 12 TFL, 1 INT, 1 sack). Foster led the entire Pac-10 with 105 tackles on the season. He out tackled 2 first round draft picks and an early 2nd rounder. Again not too bad. it seems like the Huskies have alot to build on and with new head coach they should eventually become a strong program. it also helps that the Huskies will be bringing in Nick Montana in 2010 to help build the team for the future. The committment to UW from class of 2010 Nick Montana (yeah… that Montana family) will also bring hope to a down program such as Washington.

Reasons for Optimism: The Huskies return a great athlete at the Quarterback position in Locker, who SarCoog referred to as “Tim Tebow Lite”. Coach Steve Sarkisian is bringing a new start to this UW program that needs a shot in the arm. With the quarterback situation looking stable not only this year but a few years down the road, expect big things from UW. They should have a decent season this year considering what an unmitigated disaster ‘08 was. They will have to go through the Pac-10 and add in LSU this year but they do have a few games they should win. Bowling shouldn’t be on the plate this year, but the future for the Huskies does look very bright.

Reasons for Pessimism: The team did go 0-12 last year. Its tough to see how you cant be pessimistic since there’s really nowhere to go but up. Sure they return people, but those people are returning from a team that didn’t win a single game. It hurts that they also play in the tough Pac-10.  There will hurt be some blowouts this year at the hands of teams like USC and Cal that will hurt in the pride department. The key will be bouncing back from those games.

Season Prediction: 3-9. I believe they will beat Washington State,  Idaho and a team that they maybe wouldn’t be expected to beat (like Notre Dame).

Top Web Destination: DawgMan

# 100- Duke (written by ElViento)

’08 Record: 4-8 (1-7 ACC)

Overview: This is program that, to say the least, hasn’t seen a lot of success…ever, but Duke may be beginning to turn things around under David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe, formerly a successful head coach at Ole Miss, came to Duke beginning with the 2008 season. Cutcliffe replaced Ted Roof, who compiled a 6-45 record with the Blue Devils, picking up just three ACC wins in six years.

Cutcliffe’s first order of business was to institute a serious strength and conditioning program, with noticeable results. Duke got off to a 3-1 start in 2008, and although they would finish with just four wins, a lot of the excitement surrounding the Duke football program stems from the close losses. Duke held the Virginia Tech offense in check, before losing 14-3. (Previous losses against VT: 43-14 and 36-0) Duke finished with wins over James Madison, Navy, Virginia and Vanderbilt.

This year, Duke returns some star players, like QB Thaddeus Lewis (224-361, 2,171 yards, 15 TD, 6 INT), DT Vince Oghobaase (51 Tackles, 6 Sacks) and LB Vincent Rey (109 Tkl, 10.5 TFL), but the overall depth of the team will take a big hit due to graduation.

Reasons for Optimism: Lewis actually enters the 2009 season as the ACC’s active career leader in passing yards, and has another year of work under Cutcliffe, who is known for his work with Quarterbacks, having coached the likes of the Manning brothers.

The one position where depth abounds for the Blue Devils is Running Back. Re’quan Boyette returns for his senior year, after missing 2008 due to injury. In ’07, Boyette was Duke’s leading rusher (432 yards, 4.2 ypc, 2 TD). Jay Hollingsworth (399 yards, 3.7 ypc, 1 TD) returns after leading the team in rushing in ’08 as a true freshman. True freshman, four-star recruit Desmond Scott, a Durham native, will almost certainly see the field right away. Duke fans see the ability to hold onto Scott as an indication that recruiting is on the up-turn under Cutcliffe.

Despite losing three starters on the offensive line, Cutcliffe seems very positive about returning starters Bryan Morgan (a junior) and Kyle Hill (a sophomore). There are also some talented, young receivers on the roster, including sophomore Johnny Williams, and junior TE Brett Huffman.

Also, you’ve got to figure that you’ll see improvement under Cutcliffe in year two, as the players continue to “get” his system.

Reasons for Pessimism: Even with the resurgence under Cutcliffe, Duke was still underwhelming in ’08. The offense put up 10 or fewer points in four different games, and there was still just one conference win. The rushing game has been nearly non-existent in recent years, with the Blue Devils averaging 3.0, 2.0 and 2.9 yards per carry as a team the last three years.

The Blue Devils will have to break in four new starters in the defensive front seven, and three new starters on the O-line. The loss of second-leading all-time Duke receiver Eron Riley leaves no real proven stars in the receiving corps.

Also, I have to call out Duke here and say, two lower division teams on the schedule? Really? You had to schedule Richmond AND North Carolina Central? Really?

Season Prediction: I’d feel a little more comfortable about Duke’s schedule if they didn’t have to face two of the more beatable teams in the Coastal division – Virginia and North Carolina – on the road. I still think they find a way to move up to two ACC wins, beat their 1-AA schools, and beat one of Army and Kansas on the road for five wins.

Top Web Destination: The Devils Den and Duke Basketball Report

It sucks to be a Tennessee fan this season however I’ll still support them no matter what. As always a complete write up on the Tennessee/Alabama game will be tomorrow after I torture myself by watching a replay of the game.

There were other teams in action yesterday. Let’s look and see what we have learned from yesterday.

UCONN got back on the Big Least track by hammering Cincinnati.

Indiana upset the smarties of Northwestern.

Apparently Boston College doesn’t want too go to the ACC championship game.

Wisconsin finally won a game by beating the fighting Zookers of Illinois.

Here’s a piece of advice: never schedule Texas Tech as a homecoming game. Just ask the Kansas Jayhawks.

The fall of Wake Forest and the rise of Miami as begun.

Minnesota is 7-1 and for real.

The gaytors of Florida hammered Kentucky by blowing them out by 58 points. Hey did they steal your plays as well?

Oklahoma scored 55 points in the 1^st half against Kansas State but only 3 in the 2^nd half. Oklahoma still handily won the game.

Vandy is still not bowl eligible and Couch Cut picks up another win for Duke.

Florida State beat Virginia Tech, that and the fact Virginia beat Georgia Tech means Virginia of all ACC teams is on top of the Coastal division in the ACC.

Look out folks Louisville might be back, they upset South Florida yesterday.

The beast known as Georgia reared its head yesterday by hanging 52 points at LSU. As you can see from the photo LSU fans is thrilled at all. (Click on it)

Trends started at Rutgers…

1. College football (1866)
2. Giving the finger to hovering HD cameras at college football games (2008)

For the first time in 10 years Michigan State beat Michigan at Michigan. I’m sure things are getting hot for Rich “Dirty Sanchez” Rodriguez.

Texas barely wins against Oklahoma State. Folks this Oklahoma State is for real just America’s coach, Mike Gundy.

Pittsburgh was doing well but they regressed yesterday while Rutgers beat them.

Missouri took some frustration out on Colorado yesterday.

Texas A&M beat Iowa State. Check this video out. You have to love fans whose team is not performing well talking shit about the other teams. This video is hilarious!!!

JoePa gets his first win at the horseshoe since 1978 as Penn State beats Ohio State officially knocking them from playing in this year’s title game.

Washington is still winless and Notre Dame is 5-2.  They could become ranked this week.

Houston Nutt took Ole Miss in to Arkansas handed them another loss. I’m he is savoring that one.

Larry Coker was one disputed pass interference call away from leading Miami to back-to-back national championships in 2001 and 2002. Now, he’s the color analyst for ESPNU and has covered three of Duke’s games this year—its wins over Navy and Virginia and its loss to Georgia Tech. The Chronicle’s Ben Cohen caught up with Coker Tuesday to discuss his impressions of the Blue Devils, his recruitment of Duke defensive lineman Vince Oghobaase and his prediction for this weekend as Duke welcomes the Hurricanes.

How does this year’s Duke team compare to the teams that you coached against?

I think it’s probably the best that’s been around in a few years.

You’ve seen the pass-catch combination of Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley three times this year. What kind of potential do they have on the next level?

They have a lot of potential, they could be Sunday-type players, especially if Lewis can get some help with the running game—it’s going to make him a lot better. I know Harris is doing a pretty good job, Hollingsworth did a nice job the last time I saw him [against Virginia Sept. 27]. I think [Lewis and Riley] are both Sunday-type players.

Given linebacker Michael Tauiliili’s season so far, is he the favorite for ACC Defensive Player of the Year?

I don’t know that—I know he has all-league potential. Vince Oghobaase, too.

Were you surprised Oghobaase came to Duke instead of other highly touted programs?

Yes, I think it was a decision he and his family made for his eduaction and for the right reasons, but i was surpsirsed. I thought he would probably end up… it was Duke or [Miami]. I thought we were going to get him.

Can all the changes from this year’s team to those of the last few years be attributed to change at the top of the program, starting with Cutcliffe?

Well, it was the previous staff that recruited these players. Ted Roof did a really good job recruiting and this was kind of the year that he had built for. But the new staff and attitude of David Cutcliffe and the stamp he puts on this team and the staff he’s put around him—it just personifies those good players that have matured.

How difficult is it for Lewis to succeed if he doesn’t have a legitimate running threat?

It’s pretty hard. You’re going to get a lot of different pressure. If you can run the football, it makes a lot of difference how you put pressure on the passer. I think it’s pretty hard to just be a good passing team and not being able to run the ball.

What are your thoughts on this weekend’s Duke-Miami matchup?

Miami’s got a lot of talent. That’s going to be the key, whether Duke can protect the quarterback. If they can, they’ll have some chances in the passing game. Defensively, Duket is pretty good. Javaris James, the running back, will help Miami. Miami didn’t play well last week, so they’ll want to step out of the shell and play great. It’ll be a challenge for Duke—it’ll be a really good game. It’s kind of a tossup game.

When David Cutcliffe meets with students Wedneday to break down game film and sip Coca-Colas, he will be accompanied by the only coach more prominent than he is: Mike Krzyzewski.

Coach K himself will join Cutcliffe in the Great Hall for soda and nachos at 8 p.m. Both he and Cutcliffe will take questions from the gathered students (no word on whether Krzyzewski will analyze football film).

Krzyzewski’s squad tips its season Saturday with the annual Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage at 1 p.m. preceding Cutcliffe’s team’s home game against Miami at 3:30 p.m. Krzyzewski will open his practice to the public Friday at 5 p.m.

The last 10 years have proven that Philip Fulmer’s Tennessee teams were better when David Cutcliffe was the offensive coordinator. But few, if any, would have thought that Cutcliffe’s new team would have a better record than his old squad five weeks into the season. Yet that’s exactly how the 3-2 Blue Devils find themselves—or at least found themselves before a 27-0 thumping from Georgia Tech—as 2-3 Tennessee struggles in the SEC, with more hits likely to come soon.

The Volunteers travel to No. 10 Georgia this weekend bogged down by a debilitating batch of statistics. ESPN’s Chris Low, the SEC blogger, writes that Cutcliffe never lost to Georgia when he was at Tennessee, and his offense was held to under four touchdowns just once in nine games. In games at Athens, Ga., moreover, Cutcliffe’s unit averaged 35.4 points in five games. In three contests without him, that number has dropped to 14.

Take a look at Duke and Tennessee’s scoring numbers this year, and you’ll see that Cutcliffe, and perhaps not Fulmer, was the mind behind the Volunteer dynasty (listed as Duke/UT):

• SCORING PER GAME: 24.6/18.0
• PASSING PER GAME: 205.6/171.2
• TOTAL OFFENSE: 324.4/317.6
• TOUCHDOWNS: 15/11

Sure, Tennessee gets roughed up in the SEC while Duke pals around in the ACC, right? Not so fast. The Volunteers have played Florida and Auburn, but this site ranks Duke’s strength of schedule No. 10 in the country, while the Volunteers toil at No. 33. Maybe it’s some Cutcliffe magic, after all.

—by Ben Cohen

The day after the Blue Devils lost to Georgia Tech 27-0, Duke received a vote in the coaches’ poll. Again.

Last week, the mysterious coach was justified in handing the 3-1 Blue Devils a No. 25 tally. An AP voter once told us that the trick to voting is sneaking in one or two unparalleled choices: no one remembers a bad prediction, and the voter looks great if the team validates the vote. That is, if Duke had gone down to Atlanta and stomped the Yellow Jackets, it might have been ranked this week.

But a vote now? After a 27-0 loss? There are more than 25 teams better than the Blue Devils–this weekend proved that.

“Oh Lord, I don’t know who would do that,” head coach David Cutcliffe said Sunday.

Cutcliffe immediately suspected the coach he named last Sunday: South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier, who made his name at Duke. But Spurrier told The Chronicle he wasn’t the culprit last week.

“He must be in a real good mood, he beat Ole Miss yesterday, so maybe he didn’t see our score,” Cutcliffe said of Spurrier. “But whoever did it didn’t see our score yesterday. It’s much appreciated, and we’ll try to live up to it next time out.”

–by Ben Cohen

Fifth episode of Talking Football, this time filmed on the Bryan Center Plaza. Both Cohen and Iles pick Georgia Tech to beat Duke, and for different reasons. Some points of discussion: the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense, how playing Navy will help Duke and whether Georgia Tech’s defense can stop Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley.

Feel free to offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

Wednesday’s print edition features a story called “Former Players, Forever Fans” about past Duke football players cheering for this year’s Blue Devils. In the second episode of X’s and O’s, in which Chronicle writers offer the story behind the story, Ben Cohen talks more about the players, how they feel about the team’s newfound success and whether they take some credit for it.

As always, Ben Cohen and Matthew Iles met to discuss Duke’s 31-3 ACC win over Virginia Saturday. Some key points to the discussion: the stalwart performance of the defense, the emerging of freshman running back Jay Hollingsworth, the future of Duke’s running backs and a different type of game from quarterback Thaddeus Lewis.

You might notice the sound quality is better for this episode. Tip of the hat to Sports Blog reader Dan Romero, who introduced us to another sound studio on campus. The rest of our recordings will be up to this standard.

Contrary to what may be popular suspicion, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier did not vote for Duke in this week’s coaches’ poll, Director of Media Relations Steve Fink confirmed in an e-mail to The Chronicle.

Now that the most likely suspect has denied the vote, we’ll keep digging. Up next: Tennessee head coach Philip Fulmer, who has obvious ties to the Duke program through David Cutcliffe.

Again, feel free to drop your guesses in the comments section below.

–by Ben Cohen

When you’ve been as bad as Duke as has been over the last four seasons and then open 3-1 and win your first ACC game since 2004 in convincing fashion… well, expect lots of recognition. Especially when you’re the counterpart of perhaps the most famous team in the country, when you’ve hired an outspoken coach who has walked the walk and, more than anything, when you deserve it.

One game after Thaddeus Lewis and Vincent Rey were named ACC offensive and defensive players of the week, linebacker Michael Tauiliili was awarded ACC defensive lineman of the week after his career day against Virginia. The senior collected a team-high 16 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and intercepted one of four Marc Verica picks on the day. He now leads the conference with 46 tackles. The ACC honor comes one day after he was named national defensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Foundation.

Not surprisingly, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was effusive in his praise for Tauiliili Sunday, one day after proclaiming he would vote for Tauiliili and Rey as co-winners of the Butkus Award for the country’s best linebacker.

“He’s certainly improved his game,” Cutcliffe said Sunday. “He’s playing at a much faster pace. He’s a much better tackler. I think he’s grown as much as anybody on our team to this point, since we’ve been here.”

Cutcliffe paused. Perhaps prompted by a pause on the teleconference, he decided to continue.

“I think he’s playing like an All-American linebacker, personally.”

Cutcliffe has made some outlandish claims this year, chief among them the assertion that Duke’s student section is the best in the country. We know that’s not true—but this one about Tauiliili might be.

In her chat on ESPN.com, ACC blogger Heather Dinich hinted Tauiliili and Rey might be the frontrunners for ACC defensive player of the year right now. She also included Cutcliffe as the favorite for coach of the year—at least right now. Of course, reality will hit soon. Duke hasn’t played an away game and has only faced off with the worst team in the conference. Might be time to enjoy it while it lasts.

Then again, if the Blue Devils can, somehow, manage three more wins and become bowl-eligible… Jake from North Carolina on Dinich’s chat said it best: “…does Cutcliffe get pronounced coach of the year, king, and any other title he wants?”

—by Ben Cohen

Back in May, Duke planned to move its 2010 home game against Alabama down to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for “more money and recruiting exposure,” said former athletic director Joe Alleva. A lot has changed since then—and, according to The Birmingham News, so has that decision.

Alleva has been officially replaced by Kevin White, but, more importantly, David Cutcliffe’s team is actually winning and doesn’t necessarily need the recruiting exposure of a game in Atlanta. Plus, by 2010, Wallace Wade Stadium might, you know, be intimidating for an opponent.

—by Ben Cohen

Ah how I love upsets and there were plenty for this week.

Well the Fulmer death clock continues to tick…as always be expecting a full game grade tomorrow after I watch a tape of the game today.

Don’t look now but UCONN is 5-0, you should expect them to be ranked.

Michigan State is a contender for now…but for some reason they always implode mid season.

Speaking of imploding, Syracuse actually led Pittsburgh but ultimately lost. There’s internet chatter about Lloyd Carr becoming the next Orangemen coach.

Clemson…WTF? Oh, wait my mistake…the annual Tommy Bowden fail is occurring.

Northwestern is 5-0 and Iowa still sucks.

The miracle that occurred in the Miami-North Carolina game was amazing to watch.

Gee. Urban…is fourth down and one yard to go. You trail by one with time quickly ticking away. Why didn’t you try the 49 yard field goal? Was it arrogance? At least update the play book and run something other than a Tebow keeper. Great win for Ole Miss and the Rev. Nutt.

Fresno state continues to win and I love it.

I’m getting sick and damn tired of seeing that stupid Olive Garden commercial that they were over playing last year.

I hate F$U when I pick them to win, they let down. Win I pick to lose they win. Bastards!

Look out Notre Dame is 3-1 let’s place them in the Top 5 stat!

Rich “Dirty Sanchez” Rodriguez gets a huge…huge win against a top 10 Wisconsin team.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to the top 25 East Carolina because it is officially over.

Wow…Navy beats Wake Forest…just how bad does the ACC suck?

Oklahoma should have scored more points than they did.

South Carolina struggled against a UAB team that Tennessee blew out…interesting.

Wow Miss. State does have an offense after all, to bad they lost though.

Look for South Florida to enter the top 10 this week.

Welcome back Virginia Tech. however the first year Nebraska coach actually helped your cause by getting a 15 yard penalty for “debating” a call with the ref.

I hope Ty Willingham has called North American Moving by now.

What can I say about Alabama…other than they cheat, but they laid it on Georgia. Anyone else notice that Nick Saban is sporting the Behr Bryant alcoholism red nose?

Don’t look now but Duke is 3-1 and the Virginia coach is probably and should be suicidal at this point.

Joe Pa rules bitches but give the fighting Zookers credit for keeping it respectable.

DUKE LOOK EVEN BETTER: With Navy’s 24-17 upset over No. 18 Wake forest and Northwestern’s road victory against Iowa, two teams on Duke’s schedule made the Blue Devils look even better. No one is going to mistake Duke’s opponents as anything close to SEC-caliber, but it does help that its non-conference foes are holding their own against legitimate competition.

QUOTE OF THE DAY II:When asked about the students chanting Cutcliffe’s name during the game, as they did against James Madison, too, Cutcliffe responded: “I’ve been in this business a long time, and I’ve had it chanted the other way. Add something, leave town, whatever adjective…and not that our sweet students would do that, but…”

QUOTE OF THE DAY: David Cutcliffe is an affable and gregarious coach, especially after wins. Conditioning has been the buzz word of the season, especially after wins. The combination added up to one of the best quotes we’ve ever heard, straight from Cutcliffe’s mouth: “I saw the fattest, softest football team I had ever seen in my life. I did! We had a 30, 40-minute workout and about a quarter of the way into it, I blew my whistle and stopped it, I was laughing. I said, ‘I’m sorry, guys, I gotta stop this. Y’all are the fattest, softest football team I’ve ever seen in my life. This is unbelievable.’   I hollered to the staff and I said, ‘The goose has laid the golden egg at our feet!’ We just get in shape and we’re gonna win four or five games around here!”

GAME STORY: First write-through up on The Chronicle’s website.

POSTGAME THOUGHTS: Finally back from the Yoh Football Center, where the Duke post-game interviews took about an hour. The star of the show was undoubtedly defensive lineman Clifford Respress, who even gave his own opening statement. The general theme of the players’ and Cutcliffe’s comments? Conditioning. Of course, that’s been the story all year, but perhaps none more so than today, when Duke absolutely dominated the second half…. For that matter, mea culpa on one of my statistics before. Duke forced six turnovers–four interceptions and two fumbles–not four. It does, however, further my point…. Cutcliffe said he benched Jabari Marshall after Marshall’s excessive celebration penalty because he wasn’t going to allow such behavior to go without retribution.

31-3 DUKE, FINAL: With chants of “We Are Duke” serenading the Blue Devils, the game ends with one last rush. Heading down to the locker rooms now. Back later with final thoughts as the Duke players run over to the student section, which has become somewhat of a growing tradition.

31-3 DUKE, 1:41, 4TH QUARTER: Tielor Robinson breaks the plane for his second touchdown of the year after a drive orchestrated by backup quarterback Zack Asack. That makes 28 points in the second half for the Blue Devils. What was once a close game is now a blowout. Duke has scored 31 unanswered points.

24-3 DUKE, 3:55, 4TH QUARTER: Not the best second half for Marc Verica. Glenn Williams just earned the first interception of his career, the third of the half for Duke’s defense. It has forced four turnovers on the afternoon–all after halftime–in what is turning into a verifiable rout of the simply overmatched Cavaliers.

24-3 DUKE, 6:35, 4TH QUARTER: A few notes as the Blue Devils run out the clock. This win represents their first league victory since 2004, the first time it has started the ACC season unbeaten since 1994 and the first time it did not allow a touchdown to an ACC team since 1989. If those last two years sound familiar, they should. Duke last went to a bowl in 1994, and it last won the ACC in 1989 under Steve Spurrier.

24-3 DUKE, 13:08, 4TH QUARTER: Two Marc Verica passes, two Duke interceptions. This one was tipped by a Virginia receiver into the hands of cornerback Jabari Marshall, who returned the pick 42 yards for a touchdown–Duke’s first interception return for a touchdown since November 2006. He was flagged for excessive celebration as he unnecessarily dove into the end zone, which earned a strict scolding from Cutcliffe. Stupid penalty, sure, but it’s hard for us to blame Marshall. The senior cornerback might have just clinched the first ACC win of his career.

17-3 DUKE, 14:48, 4TH QUARTER: Forget what I just said. Just when I thought Duke’s defense might break for the first time all game, Michael Tauiliili came up with his biggest play of the game–which is saying something, considering he’s been all over the field. Sitting in a zone, Tauiliili read Verica’s eyes and stepped up to intercept a pass thrown behind John Phillips. Not much of a return, but that doesn’t matter. Almost singlehandedly, Tauiliili has ended some of Virginia’s most threatening drives. He adds the interception to to his team-leading 14 tackles, eight of which are unassisted. If the game ended right now, he would have my game ball.

17-3 DUKE, END OF 3RD QUARTER: That’s the type of quarter Duke needed. The Blue Devils took control of the game with two nice touchdown drives, and the defense made Virginia look futile for most of the period. The teams head into the fourth quarter with the Cavaliers driving–they have already marched down the field in 10 plays, and now have a first down at Duke’s 26-yard line. If the Cavaliers can finally hit the end zone, or at least put points on the board for the first time since early in the first quarter, Lewis and his offense will need to put together one last drive. It seems like 24 points will win this game for Duke; I’m not so sure 17 will.

17-3 DUKE, 3:37, 3RD QUARTER: If the last drive belonged to Hollingsworth, this one finally belonged to Lewis–and, of course, his favorite target, Eron Riley. The Blue Devils gained 26 yards in the air on three short passes into Virginia’s zone, making their way down to Virginia’s 30-yard line. Lewis took a quick snap and hit Riley on a screen on the left side. Somehow, Riley was two yards into the Virginia defense when he caught it, and he streaked down the sideline, barely touched into the end zone. It was Riley’s ACC-leading sixth touchdown grab of the season and his 20th scoring grab of his career. Huge momentum push for Duke, and the home team is now firmly in control of the game. Should the defense continue to render Virginia immobile, the Blue Devils might actually be able to put up their requisite 30 points.

10-3 DUKE, 6:00, 3RD QUARTER: After a Virginia first down–its first since the first quarter–Verica underthrows a long pass and it’s picked off by Leon Wright, his first interception of the season and fifth of his career. On the positive side for Virginia, it did earn its first positive yardage in 11 plays on its last drive. Duke can break the game open, in terms of score and momentum, with a touchdown here.

10-3 DUKE, 7:25, 3RD QUARTER: True freshman tailback Jay Hollingsworth just had his coming out party. Hollingsworth carried seven times on a 10-play drive before catching a screen pass from Lewis on 2nd-and-goal, carrying it to the 2-yard line and extending the ball through the plane of the end zone to give Duke its first lead of the game. It was Hollingsworth’s first career touchdown and, after accounting for 42 of Duke’s 55 yards on the drive–including two chain-moving runs on third down–it was well-deserved.

3-3, 11:57, 3RD QUARTER: Three straight 3-and-outs to start the half. But on the bright side, Duke’s defense is swarming Marc Verica, to the point where the Cavalier offense’s net yardage total is negative one yards. Duke starts its second possession on its own 45-yard line.

HALFTIME OBSERVATIONS: Before the game, if you had told David Cutcliffe the game would be tied 3-3 at halftime, I’m not sure he would have been too happy–especially if he knew Thaddeus Lewis was 9-for-20 with only 74 yards and two interceptions, including one on the game’s first play. Indeed, it wasn’t the prettiest half for Duke’s offense, which has thrived all year, and Cutcliffe’s benchmark of 30 points seems out of the question now. There was, however, one major positive for Duke which has allowed it to stay in the game: the defense played perhaps its best half of the year, surrendering just 141 yards and three points. Led by Michael Tauiliili and Vince Oghobaase, the Blue Devils made three vital short-yardage stops on third and fourth down. So would Cutcliffe be happy with the score? No. Should he be happy with the score now? Absolutely. Given the way the suddenly meager Duke offense has performed, Virginia should be in firm control of this game.

Some quick-hitters:

• One sign of encouragement: Lewis seemed to find a rhythm by the end of the half by throwing short passes against Virginia’s zone after rolling out. After his horrid first quarter, which he finished 2-for-6 for 14 yards, anything is improvement.
• One piece of advice: Get Eron Riley the ball. As much as possible, and the sooner, the better.
• One player to watch: Michael Tauiliili. The stalwart middle linebacker has hindered Virginia quarterback Marc Verica’s ability to run all day, and he has gotten stronger as the game has progressed. Him and Vince Oghobaase could be the difference-makers.
• One fun fact: We’ve received various reports that Abby Waner has impressed in her first game as ESPNU’s sideline reporter. The senior shooting guard has been on camera a few times to talk about, among other topics, the women’s basketball team, Cutcliffe’s Football 101 event Wednesday, Kevin White’s e-mail to students Friday and, again, the women’s basketball team by interviewing fellow Blue Devil Karima Christmas. Seems like she’s sticking to her strengths.

3-3, HALFTIME: Lewis drives the offense down the field, converting on two 3rd-and-shorts, and the Blue Devils benefit from a defensive pass interference call inside the 5-yard line. With 13 seconds left, Lewis rolls out of the pocket to the right and, finally, has Riley open in the end zone, but throws behind him and too hard and the ball bounces off Riley’s hands. Nick Maggio comes out and nails a 19-yard field goal right through the uprights to even the score as time expires. Halftime observations in a few minutes.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 1:31, 2ND QUARTER: Never seen anything like that. Virginia runs three times, Duke almost gets the tailback for a safety all three times. The Cavaliers took over at the 1-yard line, and they’ll punt from the 1-yard line. Big-time stop for Duke, and with a timeout, only lost about a minute and a half. We’ll see if Lewis can execute a two-minute drill now. Duke takes over at the 43-yard line.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 3:10, 2ND QUARTER: Again, no dice for Duke. Jones’ punt downed at Virginia’s 1-yard line, setting up Duke for one potential drive if it gets a stop here.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 4:14, 2ND QUARTER: As bad as Duke’s offense has been, its defense has been that good. On another 3rd-and-short on the Blue Devils’ half of the field, the defensive line got a jump and hurried Marc Verica, who threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage to running back Keith Payne. The ball bounced off Payne’s back and was recovered by Tauiliili on the Cavaliers’ 44-yard line, giving Duke its best field possession of the game as the Blue Devils prepare for a drive to end the half and potentially take some points–and the lead–into halftime. And if that happens, David Cutcliffe has to be happy with the outcome, even if he’s not pleased with the performance.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 5:24, 2ND QUARTER: Well, we have an answer: not much. The Blue Devils go 3-and-out, yet again, capped off with a Clint Sintim sack of Lewis on the 3-yard line. Here’s a hint: get Eron Riley involved. The senior wide receiver doesn’t have a catch yet, and the Blue Devil offense is most explosive when he’s the go-to guy. It’s disheartening that Lewis’ two interceptions were both long passes, and neither was intended for Riley. Throw the ball up, and let your playmaker make plays.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 7:40, 2ND QUARTER: Duke defense gets a nice stop, and now the Blue Devil offense takes over at their own 8-yard line. Duke needs a drive here, or by the end of the half, especially because the Cavaliers deferred possession until the second half. We’lll see what Lewis and his offense can do now.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 8:55, 2ND QUARTER: Duke forces Virginia out on three straight plays, but then Lewis and Co. are stopped at the Cavalier 41-yard line. The Duke coaching staff makes its first special teams risk of the year, and it ends in failure. Kevin Jones fakes a punt, likely looking for a pass downfield, but with no one open, he tried the run instead and didn’t even cross the line of scrimmage. Virginia ball on its own 42-yard line. Nothing seems to be going right for Duke in this one, but, somehow, it’s still only down three points.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 13: 13, 2ND QUARTER: After the Blue Devil offense finally found its rhythm, moving from its own 19 to Virginia’s 33 with a nice mix of passing and running plays, Lewis throws his second interception of the game. This time, he was looking for Williams in the end zone. The pass was right there, and Williams was clearly bumped, but the Virginia cornerback got away with the blatant push–and caught the pass intended for the freshman for the touchback.

3-0 VIRGINIA, END OF 1ST: Virginia drove again and the Duke defense bent, but didn’t break. The Blue Devils came up with another stop on 4th-and-1 inside their red zone, and even after a generous stop, the Cavaliers were short. Lewis completes his first two passes of the quarter, including a nice 22-yard hookup with true freshman Johnny Williams on the last play of the period. After a putrid first, that might be just the momentum the Blue Devil offense needs. Overall, Virginia completely outplayed Duke in the first period, but the fact that the Blue Devils only trail 3-0 is an encouraging sign. After all, one long connection from Lewis to Eron Riley instantly reverses the score.

3-0 VIRGINIA, 4:36, 1ST QUARTER: Virginia has marched down the field at will twice, and Duke has been intercepted and stopped on three straight plays in its two drives. The Cavaliers stalled themselves on their first drive with two critical penalties that put them out of field-goal range. On their second drive, though, they were inside the red zone with a 3rd-and-2 when Vince Oghobaase and Michael Tauiliili forced the offense off the field. Yannick Reyering nails a 33-yard field goal for the first points of the game.

0-0, 1ST QUARTER: Well, that’s not a good start for Duke. Thaddeus Lewis throws an interception on the game’s first play from scrimmage, his first of the season and his first in 206 attempts, ending his streak, which was longest in the nation.

PREGAME: Duke marching band just played the national anthem, and Wallace Wade Stadium is no more than a quarter fulll. The four sections belonging to the students behind Duke’s bench are about 10 percent full. Again, it’s a noon game, so it will probably be a late-arriving crowd–after all, Virginia usually travels well, and their crowd is paltry right now, too.

We called for questions, and you answered, offering us so many questions that we decided to turn this Q&A session into a multi-post affair. The following is Part I. Feel free to ask more questions in the comments section, and we’ll get to them in the subsequent parts—and thanks for participating. We’ll do it again soon.

Answers after the jump.

Terence Edwin Roof writes: I know there has been a lot of hype surrounding the football team on Duke’s campus, but how do you really think the Blue Devils are going to stack up against ACC opponents? Also, on a somewhat related note, is there any win that you think will inspire students to take down the goal posts? And, more importantly, should they?

Ben Cohen: Great to hear from you, Coach Roof. Hope you’re staying warm up there in Minnesota. The Blue Devils, consisting of the players you recruited to Duke, have been hot all season, as you probably know. But they still haven’t played an ACC team, and won’t play a true test until Oct. 4, when they fly down to Atlanta for a game with triple-option-running Georgia Tech. I’m not sure Duke can compete against quality ACC teams-you can almost surely chalk up away games with Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech as losses-but there are some teams the Blue Devils can play with. They should beat Virginia Sunday, could beat N.C. State in November and, if North Carolina is still plagued by quarterback troubles, Duke could bring home the Victory Bell. Should students tear down the goal posts? Only if a win makes Duke bowl-eligible. Then again, that’s assuming there are students in sections 20-23, which is a question for another day.

Luke asks: I saw the men’s soccer team held their own against Maryland despite Grella getting a red card in the first half. Do they have any chance of making a run in the ACC, though? Or should we just chalk this up to a rebuilding year?

Ben Cohen: Grella’s absence will, of course, hinder Duke’s scoring production-there tends to be a drop-off when you lose your sniper, who also happens to be a senior preseason All-American. Any team breaking into a new coach’s system is bound for a rebuilding year of some sort, and when they’re in the best conference in college soccer, the learning curve becomes even steeper. Four ACC teams are ranked in the top-25, including No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 2 Maryland, but Duke showed it can play with the big boys when it lost a 1-0 decision to the Terrapins last Friday. New head coach John Kerr will have the program up and running again in no time, but this year, the Blue Devils will finish in the middle of the conference pack-whether or not that qualifies for a rebuilding season is up to you.

Mark writes: If football beats Virginia this week, do you think they’ll get any votes in the next poll?

Ben Cohen: Sorry, Mark. Duke is going to have to do more than beat a Division I-AA team, an independent Navy squad without its quarterback and the worst team in the ACC. If David Cutcliffe and Co. can win at Georgia Tech Oct. 4, you might begin seeing Duke in the “others receiving votes” portion of the agate section.

Brian Zoubek: Do you think I can average 20 and 10 this year?

Ben Cohen: Nice showing from Duke athletes and coaches-err, former coaches-on this Q&A session. Glad you’re reading. Hate to break it to you, Zoub, but only one center in the Triangle is going to average 20 and 10 this year, and he’s going to be wearing a lighter shade of blue. Even Shelden Williams only posted 18 and 10 the season before his jersey rose to Cameron’s rafters. But cheer up! Those sounds won’t be “boos” if you average eight points and six rebounds.

David Cutcliffe’s push to fill Wallace Wade Stadium is far from a new chore for Duke’s football coaches. The question of attendance—and, in particular, student attendance—is only relevant again because the Blue Devils are respectable for the first time in years.

The four student sections were jampacked for Duke’s first game, a 31-7 win over James Madison Aug. 30. The scene was so impressive—so un-Duke-Football—that Cutcliffe had a photo blown up on canvas and it now sits in his Yoh Football Center office. When he was introduced last December, he pledged to fill Wally Wade as the Rolling Stones did in 2005 and, if he only looked at the Duke half of the field that night, he might have gotten some satisfaction. The next week brought a 24-20 loss to Northwestern with another sizable crowd, but the following week, Duke’s last game, saw a paltry student section for a 41-31 win over Navy. So in the last two weeks, Cutcliffe has hit the recruiting trail for students, and he’ll sit down and sip some Coca-Cola with as many students as the Great Hall can hold Wednesday.

Maybe, though, he should take a trip to the University Archives and read up on past techniques.

Steve Spurrier was hired as Duke’s head coach in 1987, and in the spring, he sent an open letter to Duke fans, urging their support and pleading with them to fill Wallace Wade Stadium.

“We need to fill Wallace Wade Stadium every time we play at home,” Spurrier wrote. “Winning teams play in front of packed houses and fans can be instrumental in helping the home team achieve victory. You can make a difference!… Again, we are asking, not begging or demanding, just asking you to become a part of Duke football. We truly believe you’ll be glad you did.”

It took Spurrier’s Blue Devils another two seasons to sell out the stadium, but they did attract 30,800 fans for a 48-14 win over Georgia Tech in Spurrier’s first season. Duke finished with a 5-6 record that year en route to a 7-3-1 mark in Spurrier’s second year and an 8-4 mark in his third and final year on the job.

And those are numbers Cutcliffe would love to boast, too.

—by Ben Cohen

David Cutcliffe and Bart Smith, director of promotions, told The Chronicle two weeks ago that the head coach’s film session with 30 freshmen in the Marketplace was not a one-time occasion. This week, Cutcliffe told The Chronicle, he will meet with all students at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall on West Campus, a venue bound to attract more than just 30 eager first-years.

Some Duke students received an e-mail Monday morning to announce the event with this poster. Apparently, the athletic department enjoyed our mention of Coca-Cola so much that it decided to name the bi-weekly event after it. Free wings and nachos would normally be enough to garner a decent crowd in its own right; add Cutcliffe, and it could result in a class no Duke student is willing to cut.

–by Ben Cohen