Finally Turning Things Around: Cutcliffe, players convinced that Duke has what it takes to win

Credit: AP Photo

Coach David Cutcliffe will try to lead the Blue Devils to their first winning season and bowl game since 1994.

By: By Bill Cole | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: September 03, 2009

David Cutcliffe expects to be coaching in a bowl game this season.

In his second season at Duke, he is seeing exactly the kind or progress he wants and considers necessary to build a top-flight program.

"I believe we are a bowl team," Cutcliffe said. "I believe we are capable of being that. My job is to coach them to that level.

"Is any of that easy? No. Every hurdle gets a little higher on this race, but that's exciting for me. The bigger the hill, the more fun you have."

Duke, the longtime occupant of the ACC cellar, hasn't played in a bowl game since 1994, also the last season that it had a winning record.

The Blue Devils went 4-8 in Cutcliffe's debut and were 4-3 heading into November. Cutcliffe said that streak of losing seasons and bowl drought should have ended then.

"We've earned it," he said. "I looked at our team and evaluated it. This is a bowl team. This is a good football team. Listen, we were a good football team a year ago, and if we had a coach that was worth a durn, we'd have been a bowl team. That's the truth."

Duke will be a different team this season for sure. Conditioning has improved dramatically, and almost every player is leaner after a program-wide weight-loss directive after last season.

The lost weight has increased some aspects of team speed. The players all say that they are more familiar with Cutcliffe's systems and the demands of their position coaches, and they spent less time adjusting in summer practice than they did last season.

Cutcliffe is confident that Duke looks more like a major-college football team this season and that it will be better prepared to meet all demands. His players feel the same.

"This is like a complete turnaround," defensive end Patrick Egboh said. "I think that's one of the things that's helping us continue to get better. We're actually seeing the results."

Duke will build around 12 returning starters -- five on offense, five on defense and two kickers.

Running back Re'quan Boyette, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, is recovered, and Cutcliffe is confident that he can be the consistent runner that Duke was missing last season.

Boyette has rushed for 1,072 yards in his Duke career. He was the team's leading rusher in 2006 and 2007. He became frustrated last season as the weeks passed and he couldn't recover to return, but he said that the time he spent watching from the sideline helped him see how to run more effectively.

Boyette will team with sophomore Jay Hollingsworth, who rushed for 399 yards last season and was the top back with Boyette out. Cutcliffe wants to use Boyette more on plays to the outside to take advantage of his speed.

"Not only are we getting talent, we're getting competitiveness and fire," Cutcliffe said. "He looks back full-speed. He deserves the opportunity to have a great year."

Senior Thaddeus Lewis is among the ACC's top quarterbacks, with 6,735 yards passing. He needs nine touchdown passes to break the school record of 55 set in 1983 by Ben Bennett.

Duke's receivers will be mostly inexperienced, but they are quick. The offensive line has questions, especially with depth, but Cutcliffe believes that it's capable if serious injuries can be avoided.

Duke must replace linebacker Michael Tauiliili, one of the top tacklers in program history. Kinney Rucker, a senior defensive tackle, is recovering from foot surgery and is definitely out for Saturday's opener against Richmond, and possibly for the entire season.

Vincent Rey, a veteran with three seasons of experience, will take command of the linebackers. He has moved from the weakside position to middle linebacker.

The defensive front has experience, starting with Vince Oghobaase, a senior tackle who returned for his final season instead of entering the NFL Draft.

The secondary will be young, leaving Leon Wright, a senior cornerback, and Catron Gainey, a senior strong safety, with the pressure of keeping breakdowns to a minimum.

Egboh believes Cutcliffe's prediction of a bowl season. He has seen Duke football change dramatically since Cutcliffe was hired. He is confident that a winning season is a strong possibility, not merely a hope.

"Honestly, we had some really great football players last year," Egboh said. "I really wanted to do all I could to send them out with a complete turnaround.

"We weren't able to do that, but we're looking to do it this season."