Cavs past Lalich
Groh adds little on dismissed QB on radio call-in show
Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Al Groh said little publicly last week after troubled quarterback Peter Lalich was dismissed from the University of Virginia football team. The Cavaliers' eighth-year coach didn't say much more about Lalich last night.

At the beginning of the Cavalier Call-in radio show, host Dave Koehn asked Groh about Lalich, a sophomore who started U.Va.'s first two games this season.

"Despite quite a bit of misinformation, rumor, innuendo, there's lots of facts and realities and information that many people who think they have the answers, really don't have," Groh said. "Obviously, though, we had them, and members of our organization had them throughout. So, using those we made a decision, and we've moved on from that. We have the team that we have right now, and those are the guys that we're concentrating on."

U.Va. Athletic Director Craig Littlepage announced Thursday night that he made the decision to dismiss Lalich from the team, and that the decision had Groh's support.

In an e-mail Friday, Lalich wrote: "Littlepaige [sic] should get praise for his commendable efforts supporting the University's scholar athletes."

In the ACC opener for both teams, Virginia (1-2) plays Duke (2-1) at noon Saturday in Durham, N.C. Marc Verica, a redshirt sophomore from the Philadelphia area, will make his second start at quarterback for the Cavaliers.

On an otherwise dismal night for U.Va., Verica completed 22 of 30 passes for 158 yards, with one interception, in a 45-10 loss at Connecticut on Sept. 13.

"I think anybody who was on the sideline during the pregame warm-ups could see that Marc was very comfortable with the situation and that the game wasn't too big for him, that he felt perfectly into the game and the environment," Groh said last night. "Hopefully, he'll just be able to build on that."

Saturday's game is one Duke has been pointing toward. Since upsetting Clemson 16-13 on Nov. 13, 2004, the Blue Devils have lost 25 straight ACC games.

Duke's first-year coach, David Cutcliffe, talked to his players about The Streak last week.

"They're very aware that these seniors are 0-24 in their tenure here playing, and we got a couple [redshirt seniors], and those redshirts are 1-31 [in ACC games]," Cutcliffe said Sunday night. "I don't have to tell them. They know it."

U.Va. has won eight straight over Duke and 12 of their past 13 meetings.

Also yesterday:

In its early-week injury report, U.Va. said that reserve safety Matt Leemhuis has thumb surgery scheduled and will miss at least the Duke game.
Former Henrico High Corey Mosley was listed as a first-team safety on the depth chart released for the Duke game. Mosley, a redshirt freshman, has played primarily on special teams to this point.
The ACC announced that the Oct. 4 game between U.Va. and Maryland at Scott Stadium will start at 7 p.m. It will be carried on ESPNU or ESPN360, an on-line option for watching games that aren't televised. A decision will be announced no later than noon Sunday.

Devils favored against Cavaliers
The Blue Devils have lost 25 consecutive games in the ACC, but are 6 12 favorites against Virginia.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

At no point in its 25-game ACC losing streak has Duke gone into a conference football game as a favorite.

In that sense, the Blue Devils already have ended one streak, having been installed as a 6 ½-point choice over Virginia.

Actually winning the game would be a lot more meaningful.

Duke already holds the ACC record for consecutive conference defeats, having dropped 30 in a row between 1999-2003, but that doesn't mean the 25-game skid has gone unnoticed.

"They know about it," said David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils' first-year coach. "We talked about it [with the players] last week."

Like Virginia, Duke (2-1) is coming off an open date. The Blue Devils have beaten Division I-AA power James Madison and Navy, and they had a potential game-winning touchdown nullified by penalty in a 24-20 loss to Northwestern.

The players "are very aware that these seniors are 0-24 in their tenure here, and we've got a couple of [fifth-year] redshirts and those redshirts are 1-31," Cutcliffe said.

"I don't have to tell 'em. They know it. It's obviously a big challenge, playing a team that's a perennial winner in Virginia.

"I think they welcome the challenge, but I think they understand that all the snakes are getting ready to rise. We haven't played an ACC team yet. It's all going to be different come Saturday."

Duke finds itself favored against an ACC team for the first time since 2002 finale, a span of 40 games

North Carolina came to Wallace Wade Stadium as an underdog in 2002 and defeated the Blue Devils 23-21.

Virginia (1-2) has lost by 45 and 35 points in two games this year against Division I-A opposition and has dismissed sophomore quarterback Peter Lalich, the starter in a 16-0 victory over I-AA Richmond.

"I think they're a really talented team; they've just played a vicious schedule," Cutcliffe said. "It's hard to get started when you open up against Southern Cal. Southern Cal made Ohio State look like an average team.

"They've played two really good teams and UConn's beaten everybody. Virginia's a whole lot better football team than a lot of people give them credit for, and they know that. We know we've got our hands full."

Some coaches might ignore losing streaks such as Duke's, "but I'm upfront with everything," Cutcliffe said. "I don't sugar-coat anything. I tell 'em when they're good and I tell 'em when they're not.

"I believe in being honest with your players. If you ever say something that's not being yourself or that's not true, you completely lose their trust. Maybe I'm a bad psychologist, but I've never been afraid of that stuff.

"Hey, if we don't like it, let's do something about it."
 

A loss at Duke would deepen U.Va.'s latest football crisis
Posted to: Bob Molinaro Sports
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 23, 2008

Al Groh's campaign is in disarray. To put it in political terms, he's losing his base.

Not for the first time has this happened. Virginia football has been in a bad place before - as recently as last year.

Cavalier fortunes, though, aren't as likely to turn around this season. If you think fans bailed on Groh in previous moments of crisis, wait until you see the exodus that could be created by a loss Saturday at Duke.

A loss is a real possibility. It tells you what people think of Groh's team that U.Va. is a 7-point underdog to Duke, which was 1-11 last season, one of three consecutive years in which the Blue Devils suffered at least 10 losses.

U.Va., 1-2 this season, is being dissed by the early line out of Las Vegas in favor of a program that, at least until now, was considered the worst in the BCS.

But this year's Blue Devils already have two victories, and under new coach David Cutcliffe they feature better quarterback play and an improved attitude. They're feeling good about themselves.

Meanwhile, U.Va., to put it mildly, is having quarterback issues after the dismissal last week of Peter Lalich. And after being outscored 97-33 in three games, you have to wonder about the team's attitude, too.

A loss to Duke, of all teams, would be galling to U.Va. boosters. Cavalier supporters would see it as a clear sign the program is circling the drain. Losing at Duke gives Groh nowhere to hide.

That's what makes this a crucial game for U.Va. After all that's happened this year - on and off the field - the Cavaliers need to stop the bleeding.

Since last season, Groh has unexpectedly lost 10 players who still had athletic eligibility - eight incurred academic problems or were dismissed from the team. Last year's starting quarterback, Jameel Sewell, was sacked by classroom demands, while Lalich got caught in the fallout from an underage-drinking beef.

Should Groh get a pass because his quarterbacks made mistakes that might have been handled differently at other schools? That's a judgment call. But at one time, these things didn't happen to U.Va. quarterbacks.

For now, fans can only hope that redshirt sophomore Marc Verica is a solid student - and just for good measure, a teetotaler. But he's probably not ready to play quarterback, and the volatility of the program won't make things easier for him. In any case, the way their defense has been playing, the Cavaliers couldn't win with Tim Tebow at quarterback.

Because of its untimely personnel losses, people held low expectations for U.Va. But even in this context, and after winning ACC Coach of the Year in 2007, Groh is under fire again.

He deserves the flak, if only because this is U.Va.'s second rebuilding year in the past three. The school always has had a history of winning and losing the right way, but the issues cropping up in Charlottesville reveal a program lacking in continuity and sufficient institutional supervision.

For all the hostility Groh is encountering from fans, he's momentarily insulated by a contract that runs through 2011 - and includes a buyout clause - and by last year's success. As a result, chances are good he'll return for at least another season.

Public perception, however, is less munificent.

How bad can it get for U.Va. this season? Very. Duke might be the last winnable game on its schedule.

After Saturday, it might not be so farfetched to imagine the Cavaliers finishing 1-11. If that were to happen, they would virtually be trading places with the Blue Devils.

Judging from the early line out of Vegas, some people think U.Va. already has.

 

Setting the record straight
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Monday, September 22 2008

By now, you are probably well aware of the fact that Peter Lalich was dismissed from the football team Thursday after the sophomore quarterback had several run-ins with the law dating back to the summer. If you’re like me, phrases like “violating probation” and “underage possession,” and names like “Al Groh” and “Craig Littlepage” are zooming through your head, and you’re struggling to make sense out of how and why all of this resulted in Lalich’s removal from the team.
So, for my sake as much as anyone else’s, here is a chronological history of how this all went down. And, for what it’s worth, I’ll give you my take at every stage in the process.
July 13
Lalich is arrested at the corner of 13th Street NW and Wertland Street for possession or purchase of alcohol while being underage. He appears in Charlottesville General District Court for a hearing July 21 and is given a supervised probationary period and a deferred judgment to July 21, 2009. Court documents also show that his driver’s license is suspended until Aug. 8, 2009.
My take: Big whoop. Many people drink when they are underage. Granted, it often takes more than just having a quiet drink in your apartment to get arrested.
Aug. 26
In a probation interview with officials from the Office of Offender Aid and Restoration/Virginia Alcohol Safety Program, Lalich admits to using alcohol and marijuana while on probation, according to court documents. Based on the admission, a court date is set for Sept. 26 for failing to obey a court order. He is also unable to provide a urine sample for drug testing; however, he returns the following day and completes the test, which is negative for both alcohol and illegal drugs.
My take: Now we’re getting fishy. Get arrested once for underage drinking, fine; now he’s drinking and smoking on probation? And then there’s the business of being unable to take the test – why? Was he physically unable because of illness or dehydration?
Virginia faces its next game against Richmond Sept. 6. At this point, I am calling for Lalich to be removed from the starting lineup. From a disciplinary standpoint, Lalich needs to be punished; from an emotional standpoint, this is a troubled kid who needs to be given time to work through these issues. Of course, Groh does not agree, as Lalich starts against Richmond the following Saturday.
Sept. 9
In a press conference, Lalich denies having used marijuana or any other illegal drugs while on probation.
My take: Now I’m just confused; first a confession, then a denial. A key point here, though, is that Lalich did not deny drinking; illegal drugs do not entail alcohol. Nevertheless, the question lingers: Did he smoke weed or not?
Sept. 10
In a press release, Groh states Lalich will not be traveling with the team to its next game at Connecticut. Lalich is also quoted as saying it is the best decision for him and the team, and athletics director Craig Littlepage is also quoted as supporting the decision. The press release states that sophomore Marc Verica will start in Lalich’s place.
My take: The right decision overall, but it’s a week late and has horrible timing. Verica gets only two days to prepare for his debut as a starter in a road game against what we now know is a pretty darn good Huskies team.
And of course, there is the question of, why now? From the week before, when it broke that Lalich had confessed to marijuana and alcohol use, to this point, what has happened to make Groh all of a sudden change his mind? And, would a football mind like Groh knowingly make this decision with such odd timing?
Sept. 11
The Daily Progress quotes Peter Lalich’s father Todd Lalich as saying that the decision to not allow Peter to travel with the team “came from on high.”
My take: Here is the explanation I am seeking. “On high” can’t mean Groh; this must mean Littlepage, maybe even a higher University administrator.
Of course, this also creates even more drama; are Littlepage and Groh on good terms? If in fact Littlepage did defy Groh in this decision, what does this mean for Groh?
Sept. 18
This day has two parts: first, Lalich goes to court and testifies that he drank to celebrate the last day of training camp, which he reported to his probation officer late in August, resulting in the charge of violating a court order soon thereafter. He also testifies that he did also confess to smoking marijuana while on probation, but realized later that the marijuana use had occurred before the probationary period began. The judge hearing the case tells Lalich that he will keep the case at its current status; it will continue to be deferred until July 21, 2009.
Hours later, however, comes a press release from Virginia athletics, stating that Lalich has been kicked off the team. Littlepage says in a statement that the decision to remove Lalich was his, and Groh says in a statement that “we stand united with this decision.”
My take: There are several aspects to this final decision that are worthy of discussion. First and foremost, this is an unexpected move. Sit him out for a while, sure, but kick him off the team?
Then again, in looking at the big picture, the decision makes sense. It seems clear now that Lalich did not smoke marijuana while on probation; however, he did admit that he used marijuana a minimum of one time before that, and it was recent enough for him to confuse that time with the beginning of the probationary period. Put that together with two episodes of drinking – once in early July, and again while on probation — and it appears that Littlepage simply had enough.
Another facet to this scene is, again, the Littlepage-Groh relationship. Groh’s initial reaction to the charges brought against Lalich was to continue to start him; Littlepage, ultimately, threw him off the squad. No additional charges were brought against Lalich between these two decisions. This difference in opinion, at the very least, may provide a tension between the coaching staff and the athletics department.
Then, there’s the manner of Lalich. Should we stand rigid in saying that he brought this on himself and therefore deserves it, or should we perhaps show a bit of compassion for a college student who was experimenting with drugs as so many students do?
I’d say it’s possible to do both. Lalich absolutely should have known better than to use illegal drugs, and he certainly should have thought twice about drinking during his probationary period. Student-athletes, in addition to making the commitment to striving for academic and athletic success, also must bear the responsibility of staying out of trouble while being in the public eye. This is a responsibility Lalich clearly did not take seriously enough, and for that, his punishment was warranted.
By the same token, this is a 20 year-old kid we’re talking about. This statement may seem a little flaky coming from a 21 year-old, but perhaps being a peer lends even more credence to this point of view; I’ve made mistakes too, and I don’t have to deal with the pressure and responsibility of being a college football player.
So let’s not turn our back on Peter. While I disapprove of Groh’s decision to start Lalich against Richmond, Groh was there for his quarterback in the weeks that followed. Not once did he put Lalich in a bad light; in the opening statement of his postgame conference after the 45-10 loss at Connecticut, he preempted any question about Lalich’s absence by noting that the blowout wasn’t about “anybody who wasn’t here.” We should take our lead from Groh’s compassion; Lalich is still a University student, and he deserves the support of all of his peers. He was our starting quarterback, but first and foremost he was a fellow student.
Inside Scott Stadium, you may have booed and jeered when he threw a lame ball. But now, Lalich has to make perhaps the biggest completion of his life: moving on. And that’s a move we can all rally behind.

Tradition lost
The University shouldn’t undermine football tradition just for more wins
Chip Roy, Cavalier Daily Guest Viewpoint
Published: Tuesday, September 23 2008

AFTER another embarrassing loss to Connecticut, many University alumni, students and fans are questioning head coach Al Groh and the direction of the football program. As well they should.
But as the debate about the program’s future intensifies, it is important that we remember the modest roots of Virginia football and not allow fanciful notions of national championships to become more important than our sense of tradition, academic excellence and integrity off the field.
I came to the University in the fall of 1990 — eight years after the arrival of George Welsh. Astute Virginia fans will recall that my first experience at Scott Stadium was the famous 20-7 victory over the Clemson Tigers, snapping a 29 game losing streak against a longstanding football powerhouse. Those same astute fans also know that Virginia achieved the unthinkable that year, a No. 1 ranking in the nation. After perennial losing seasons and years of celebrating the simple achievement of first downs, the University had one of the best teams in college football. Like many fans, I had become hooked, and for the rest of the 1990’s attended every game played in Charlottesville.
I was excited to return for those crisp fall games, to walk down the Lawn, to see a number of fans — young and old — wearing ties and dresses, to stop by a few tailgates for fellowship with friends and to hear the Pep Band’s latest humorous commentary on affairs local, state and national. Most importantly, it was rewarding to see a group of quality student athletes competing with — and often beating — the historic powerhouses such as Florida State and Texas. Nuclear engineer Tom Burns, Virginia Law graduate and Board of Visitors member Stephen Phelan, and Commerce School graduates Ronde and Tiki Barber — just to name a few — were the model Virginia football players, demonstrating quality on the field and in the classroom.
As the decade drew to a close, however, a funny thing happened. Virginia fans began to want more. Suddenly, our sleepy little Scott Stadium had become much larger. Donations flowed to pump up the facilities to help lure blue chip recruits. And then came calls for Coach Welsh to step down because he “couldn’t win the big one.” Seven-win seasons for close to 15 years suddenly wasn’t good enough for Virginians.
Coach Welsh, whether he was ready or not, did step aside to make way for a new NFL-trained Virginia alumnus to show us to the promised land. No more ties or dresses. No halftime tailgate excursions. No more Pep Band. And, oddly, for a school steeped in our nation’s founding principles, no more signs allowed at football games to ensure “a positive game-day environment” (code for “don’t criticize Al Groh”). In their place, apparently, insert a sea of orange t-shirts, loud NFL-style music over the loudspeaker, a new marching band and some twirlers, and suddenly we would have the atmosphere necessary to “win.”
So what’s the result? Through my eyes, I see a school that instead of taking a great thing and building further on its core competencies — tradition and academic excellence — chose to be one of the Joneses. How are orange t-shirts distinguishable from Clemson, Virginia Tech or Tennessee? How is a non-descript marching band different from Maryland or Duke? How are loud songs over the loudspeaker different from Penn State or an NFL game?
The answer is that they are not. And worse yet — our performance in the classroom has not improved, it has by at least some measures become worse. We are not mentioned in the same breath with Notre Dame, Duke and the military academies whose athlete graduation rates often exceed 90 percent. Instead, we graduate closer to 65 percent of our football players, lost one third of a recent recruiting class due to academic problems, and continue to have off-field problems with our players.
I don’t pretend to suggest some of today’s players are not model student athletes, nor am I calling for those “nostalgic days of old.” There is always room for improvement. To be sure, our academic performance was never good enough. Simply put, Virginia should strive for the highest academic achievement and graduation rates in the nation — even at the expense of performance on the field.
And of course our traditions could have been improved — but we should perpetuate tradition, not undermine it. If we are to remove the Pep Band and replace it with a marching band — replace it with a band that has something unique to offer and somehow says “Virginia” instead of “we want a marching band too.” Combat debauchery and overflowing bourbon, but don’t undermine a traditional tailgating experience. And how about a head coach who wears a coat and tie on the sideline instead of encouraging students to wear orange t-shirts?
There was a time when — even after we lost — I felt proud to defend Virginia football as highly competitive but more importantly, steeped in tradition and academic excellence. Today, when we lose — I have nothing more to say. And that is a reason to question Al Groh and should serve as the starting place for discussion of the future of the program.
Chip Roy graduated from the Commerce School in 1994.

Cutcliffe selling all bye week
Paul Shugar

Coach David Cutcliffe kicked off one of the biggest bye weeks in recent Duke football history with a sales pitch through the media.

A good salesman needs both the eye for opportunity and the guts to seize it. That’s two things the first-year coach did during Saturday’s press conference after the Blue Devils dispatched long-time bane Navy, 41-31, for the first time in the past four years.

The innocuous question jamming his foot in the door centered on the crowd of 25,082 out to watch the noon game. Cutcliffe waxed about how people don’t turn out for early starts and blamed the hype around the brewing California massacre for keeping fans away.

“I asked somebody about mid week on our staff, I says, ‘Is Ohio State playing Southern Cal this week?’” Cutcliffe said. “Good gosh that’s all that’s on TV, you know.”

A laughing mark is a buying mark. This is sales 101. He waited for the chuckles to die down before commending the fans who did come out and chiding those who missed the quality football.

“You need to write it. They deserve it,” Cutcliffe told us. “You guys agree with that? They deserve it, the support. They’re a good football team.”

The press room isn’t the locker room. Journalists aren’t the type to belt out a resounding “Yeah!” and bolt out of the building to their computers. We neutrally nod, look at each other for cues and then complain the elevator is taking too long for the press box.

A close loss to Northwestern sandwiched between victories against James “We beat N.C. Central like Fayetteville State did” Madison and “Forward pass, what forward pass?” Navy isn’t going to sway us. Even with the first 2-1 record since 2003, the question is: Do the Blue Devils, losers of 25 straight ACC games, believe they’re a good football team?

Duke players who filtered in before their coach all praised the preseason conditioning for pushing them past the option lovers. Ironic that the Olympics, which coined the motto “Bigger, Faster, Stronger,” were on each night as Blue Devils improved with long days of heavy sleds and countless gassers.

Fitness they’ll need to chuck the Atlas-like burden holding this team down. The last time Duke won an ACC game was 16-13 against Clemson back in 2004, only a few weeks after George W. Bush secured his second term as president.

All politics aside, the Bush era hasn’t been good to Durham football fans. As the nation braces for change this November, teams the Blue Devils beat since “W” started a second term include VMI, Northwestern and this season’s two honorees.

’Tis the time of year for stumping, and Cutcliffe knows the possible statement his program could make against Virginia.

Embattled Cavaliers coach Al Groh has a bye-week pitch of his own with a big loss to Southern Cal (52-7) and a questionable setback to Connecticut (45-10) surrounding the team’s lone win against Division I-FCS Richmond.

“You guys don’t want to lose to another basketball school with a football problem, right?”

Saturday was my first introduction to doormat Duke. The most I’ve seen of Blue Devil football is when stats flash about some futility streak the team reached. They’re an easy target, but I saw some flashes of a flickering bright future.

What stuck out was the quarterback-receiver tandem of Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley, which is worth the price of admission. How the team cleans up against big plays — Navy had scores like a 73-yard run and a 68-yard pass — and does against a more-balanced offense will determine if this group is graded great, good, average or good-old Duke.

Cutcliffe is selling the future of football, the odd-shaped ball of sports, on a campus where the prim and proper spherical basketball rules. I’ll buy a few shares and see where the stock goes in two weeks.

 

Duke's defensive line is fresh, successful
Luciana Chavez, Staff Writer
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DURHAM - The Duke football team's defensive line earned the praise coach David Cutcliffe gave it after the Blue Devils beat Navy 41-31 on Saturday.
The line occupied Navy blockers and freed up linebackers Vincent Rey and Michael Tauiliili to sweep in to make the big stops.

After Duke's defense gave up 171 yards rushing on 25 plays to the Midshipmen in the first half, it allowed just 36 rushing yards on 21 plays in the second.

"They were in a great situation; they kept themselves fresh," said Marion Hobby, Duke's co-defensive coordinator, who also coaches the defensive line. "They're communicating well with us. We're always telling them, if you can't go, tell us. We'll put another guy in so you can be fresh. ... Fresh guys play fast."

That probably wasn't possible last season when injuries hampered the line, and the Duke offense labored to reach the end zone during a 1-11 campaign.

Now 2-1, the Blue Devils are different. That goes double for the defensive line.

"Half of it is probably conditioning and half of it is the great job our offense is doing," Duke sophomore defensive end Wesley Oglesby said. "It's just a different mind-set when get on the field and you're fresh versus like, 'Here we go again. We gotta survive this drive.' "

It took a mental and physical toll on linemen like Oglesby and junior starting defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase to play 70-80 snaps per game.

Last season, Duke had the ball an average of 27.34 minutes per game and played defense an average of 32.26 minutes per game.

This season, Duke has had the ball 35.38 minutes per game and has played defense an average of 24.22 minutes per game.

As a result, Duke is flipping the script.

Oglesby took about 45 snaps and Oghobaase just 38 against Navy.

The Devils scored an average of 17.9 points and gave up an average of 33.2 last season. The team is scoring an average of 30.7 points this season while giving up an average of 20.7.

Duke went 1-2 to start the 2007 season.

Hobby and co-defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre encourage their defensive linemen to call for a sub when necessary.

Fresher legs mean all 11 Duke defenders are running to the ball on each play.

When Navy went for it on fourth-and-1, trailing by just three midway through the third quarter, Tauiliili and defensive lineman Charlie Hatcher were the first of a group to arrive to stop Navy quarterback Jarod Bryant behind the line of scrimmage.

"Not one guy is left behind," Oghobaase said. "That's the sign of a very well-conditioned team."

The current eight-man line rotation, which includes starting nose guard Clifford Respress and starting rush end Greg Akinbiyi as well as backups Hatcher, Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Kinney Rucker and Patrick Egboh, has been competing hard in practice.

"I'd be hurt if it wasn't competitive," Hobby said. "I'd be hurt if Egboh didn't want to start or if Akinbiyi didn't want it. ... But those guys know they better make plays when they're on the field or else another guy might make it for you."

Cutcliffe hopes the benefits of better conditioning could show up Oct. 18 through Nov. 29 when Duke plays its last seven games without a break.

By that time, Cutcliffe said he wants to see that eight-man rotation up to nine or 10.

Duke opens ACC play by hosting Virginia on Sept. 27. The Devils hope to end a 25-game ACC losing streak.

"We'll tell them to button up the mouthpiece and put the mouthpiece in because it's going to be one of those tight games," said Hobby, who coached at Clemson in 2005.

Cutcliffe said several Blue Devils already told him, after putting Navy away in the second half, they'd rather be playing than resting Saturday.

"Yeah, definitely you always want to compete but we get off-weeks for a reason," Oghobaase said.

"When it's time to play Virginia, it'll be time."

"If the defensive line loses, we all lose. Our mentality is to win every play."

 

Duke's Surgan kicks off history in new role
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September 17, 2008 - 12:39AM
By Stephen Schramm / Times-News

DURHAM - One morning this spring, Duke kicker Joe Surgan sat down with new coach David Cutcliffe to discuss Surgan's checkered career.

Surgan, who entered his senior year as one of three kickers vying for the starting slot, already had a body of work with the Blue Devils marked by inconsistency and untimely breakdowns.

Surgan and Cutcliffe agreed that any change, no matter how small, might do a world of good. A change of number came up.

Surgan, who wore No. 26 for his first three seasons, requested a number less than 10. If not that, one less than 20.

He got No. 81.

"I guess it shows where I rank in the program," Surgan said.

In Saturday's 41-31 victory against Navy, Surgan, who lost his starting spot and is used primarily on kickoffs, proved to be an unlikely hero.

With Duke surrendering a touchdown late in the first half to go down 24-17, the Blue Devils strung together a quick drive and lined up for a 52-yard field goal.

Despite the fact that starter Nick Maggio nailed a 46-yarder earlier in the game, the coaches sent out Surgan.

"I kicked a couple on the sideline, Nick kicked a couple on the sideline and they decided to go with me," Surgan said. "I knew the only reason they put me in there was because I have the leg. So my main concern was not to miss it short."

Surgan sent the kick cleanly through the uprights as the half expired, giving the Blue Devils a needed boost heading into the break.

The kick proved to be crucial as it was the first of 17 unanswered points by the Blue Devils.

Surgan's career-long kick wasn't the only reason he was front-and-center Saturday. He was featured on the cover of the game program alongside fellow seniors Greg Akinbiyi and Clifford Repress.

"I'm going to take a bunch of those home to my mom," Surgan said.

Positive attention is something new for Surgan.

During his previous three seasons, Surgan made just 10 of his 23 attempts on field goals. He had three games in which he missed two or more field goals.

His misses have loomed large in several close losses, most notably potential game-winning kicks against Wake Forest in 2006 and North Carolina in 2007.

Surgan said he had to alter his thinking to avoid focusing on some of his forgettable moments.

"It's a maturity thing," Surgan said. "You learn to take your bumps and bruises here and there, and I've had my bumps and bruises. You have to wake up every morning and realize that it's a new day, that yesterday is over."

But if Saturday's kick is any indication, Surgan might have found a role that suits him, albeit a difficult one.

"I was joking with (roommate Tielor Robinson) the other day that I have the hardest job in sports, I'm the 50-yard field goal kicker," Surgan said.

 

Questions for the bye week
On Football
By: Matthew Iles
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Column
Last update: 9/17/08 at 7:06 AM EST

There are still plenty of questions for David Cutcliffe's squad as it heads into its first bye week.

After readily handling Navy in Saturday's win, the Blue Devil defense could be better-equipped to handle Georgia Tech's triple-option offense Oct. 4.

Since last February, when Duke's 2008 football schedule was released, I have been discussing the Blue Devils' potential record with anyone who would listen.

And now, the number of people who want to talk to me about Duke Football is as refreshing as Duke's play itself.

Do you think we can make a bowl?

Can we handle Georgia Tech's triple-option offense now that we've seen Navy's?

Is David Cutcliffe the new messiah?

I don't know all the answers.

But I do know that for the first time since 2003, Duke has a winning record after three weeks.

That year, the Blue Devils proceeded to slip, finishing 4-8 and replacing head coach Carl Franks with assistant coach Ted Roof. We all know what happened next.

Granted, I wasn't here then to experience the sentiment on campus, but I imagine this season feels different. Franks had already gone 5-40 in his four previous seasons, and the two early wins in 2003 came against Western Carolina and Rice.

In head coach David Cutcliffe's first three weeks, with essentially the same players that finished 1-11 last season, Duke has seemed like a team destined to climb even higher. After all, Duke could easily be 3-0 after dominating Northwestern in every facet of the game except the score two weeks ago. And the last time the Blue Devils started 3-0 was when they went 8-4 and were ranked as high as No. 16 in 1994.

But that brings me back to what some other people have been saying about Duke Football this year.

It was only James Madison and Navy.

We have no shot against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson.

Don't get ahead of yourself.

I'm not. Just like the players and coaches have stressed all along, I'm taking this season one game at a time. But not because I expect this team to implode or revert to its old ways.

No, I'm being realistic.

Take Duke's next two opponents as examples of winnable games. Virginia, which lost its two games against Division I-A schools by a combined 80 points, is terrible this year. And Georgia Tech runs the exact same offense as Navy, albeit with better athletes, essentially giving Duke two weeks of preparation for the most unique offense in college football.

The important term here is winnable.

How many winnable games remain on Duke's schedule? In order to answer that, you have to realize that the definition has changed dramatically since last year. The Blue Devils, under Roof, were in position to win games, but hardly ever had the discipline or finishing strength to do so.

This year, they do.

Oh, so Duke's going to run the table?

Duke's going to compete for the ACC title?

Get real.

Cutcliffe needs at least a few more years of recruiting to do that.

Probably. But when was the last time anybody has been able to say something like that with a straight face?

Think about where Duke was last year at this time, and you will remember that even if Duke musters two or three more wins out of this season, it's still a huge success.

It says something about how far Cutcliffe has already elevated the program that a Blue Devil fan could legitimately gripe about not being 3-0 right now. Because, at this point, who wouldn't love to say, "Damn it, if we had just beaten Northwestern, we would be bowl-eligible."

After everything Duke fans have endured over the last several seasons, it would be greedy to ask for anything more.