Duke Going For Their Third Win Of The Season As They Host Baylor
Duke will be going for their third win of the season Saturday when Duke hosts Baylor at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Now in its 105th season of football, Duke hosts Baylor on September 16 at 12:30 p.m. ... The game will be broadcast live by RSN with Wes Durham (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst) & Rebecca Kaple (sideline) • The Blue Devils are 2-0 following last week’s 41-17 win over Northwestern ... The Bears are 0-2 after falling to UTSA, 17-10
• Saturday’s game will mark the second on the gridiron between Duke and Baylor, with the Blue Devils claiming the only prior meeting in 1958 by a 12-7 count • Duke will celebrate Homecoming, Unity Day, Cheer Day and Former Player Day versus the Bears
• Now in his 10th season as Duke’s head coach, David Cutcliffe is 54-61 with the Blue Devils and 98-90 overall ... Cutcliffe earned ACC Coach of the Year honors in both 2012 & 2013
• Duke owns an all-time record of 498511-31 in 104-plus seasons
• Dating back to the 2013 season, the Blue Devils are 30-16 in their last 46 regular season games. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
• The Blue Devils enter the Baylor tilt having won 20 of their last 26 games against non-ACC opponents • Under head coach David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils are 31-5 when allowing 20 points or less
• Last week against Northwestern, QB Daniel Jones joined former QB Brandon Connette as the only two players in Duke history to record 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a single game Connette vs. Pitt (2013): 323 & 101 Jones vs. Northwestern (2017): 305 & 108
• In the win over Northwestern last Saturday, the Duke defense held Wildcat RB Justin Jackson to a career-low 18 yards on seven attempts ... Jackson had entered the week ranking second nationally among active RBs and 15th on the Big Ten Conference’s all-time chart with 4,238 career rushing yards "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
• With his 12-reception, 127-yard outing against Northwestern last week, WR T.J. Rahming has posted four 100-yard performances in his last five games dating back to last season
• Duke’s 101 combined points over the last two weeks mark the highest two game total since 1945, when the Blue Devils defeated South Carolina (60-0) and Bogue Field (76-0) to open the season with a combined 136 points • Duke RB Shaun Wilson is the only active player nationally with TDs of 80+ yards via rush, reception & return • 85-yard rush vs. Indiana, 2015 • 89-yard reception vs. N.C. Central, 2015 • 98-yard KOR vs. Indiana, 2015 • 96-yard KOR vs. Notre Dame, 2016. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
• Elected by their teammates, four returning starters will serve as team captains for the 2017 campaign: C Austin Davis, CB Bryon Fields Jr., QB Daniel Jones, and DT Mike Ramsay
• Next week, Duke opens ACC play on the road against North Carolina "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
3 — Career interception returns for TDs for CB Bryon Fields Jr. ... The scores came against Tulane (2014), Pittsburgh (2016) and N.C. Central (2017) as Fields joins Wyatt Smith (1988-91) and John Talley (2003-06) as the only three players in Duke history with three INT returns for TDs
9:1 — TD-to-INT ratio for QB Daniel Jones over his last five games dating back to the 2016 season
15 — Third down conversions in 22 attempts (.682) for Duke last week against Northwestern ... The 15 conversions mark the most by a David Cutcliffe-coached Blue Devil squad
14.35 — Recorded time for S Jeremy McDuffie in the 110-meter hurdles to earn all-league honors at the 2017 ACC Track & Field Championship meet ... McDuffie also garnered All-ACC accolades in the triple jump
42-50-1 — Duke’s all-time record in Homecoming games
49-4 — Duke’s record under David Cutcliffe when leading or tied after three-quarters of action
4 — Career rushing TDs of 50+ yards for RB Shaun Wilson to rank tied for first in school history along with George Clark (1944-47) & Jay Wilkinson (1961-63)
12 — Fourth quarter & OT wins for the Blue Devils over the past five seasons (games in which Duke was tied or trailing in the fourth period)
14 — Nation’s-best AFCA Academic Achievement Awards earned by Duke 10 — True freshman to play for the Blue Devils this season, marking the highest total in the David Cutcliffe Era (9 in 2009) "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
20 & 10 — Daniel Jones is one of three QBs in Duke history to post 20+ passing TDs and 10+ rushing TDs in a career, joining Leo Hart (23 & 13; 1968-70) and Anthony Boone (38 & 16; 2011-14) ... In 14 career games, Jones has 20 passing TDs and 10 rushing TDs
120 — Rushing yards on 10 attempts for rookie RB Brittain Brown in the season-opener against N.C. Central to become the first Blue Devil since Desmond Scott in 2009 to record 100+ ground yards in a collegiate debut
3,376 — Career all-purpose yards for RB Shaun Wilson, who sits 624 yards shy of becoming the eighth player in Duke history to reach the 4,000-yard plateau
5-6 — Duke’s all-time record in OT games "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211666905
As for Duke's last game, they beat North Western.
Duke was a two point underdog to North Western and they beat them by twenty-four points so what does that tell you about this team? Does it tell you that they can compete with anyone?
With the win, Duke starts the season 2-0 in 2017. Does that make you believe in what head coach David Cutcliffe is doing and has done to turn this program around in his 10th season at the helm?
On the strength of a 21-10 halftime lead, Duke dispatched Northwestern 41-17 Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more to guide the Blue Devils to their second straight victory to start the year. On the day, Jones completed 29 of 45 passes for 305 yards and found Chris Taylor and Davis Koppenhaver for touchdown receptions. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Duke outgained the Wildcats (1-1) in total yardage, 538-191, while the Blue Devil defense held the visitors to just 22 yards on the ground, with 21 of those coming on Northwestern’s final possession. Sophomore cornerback Mark Gibert tallied the first two interceptions of his career and senior safety Alonzo Saxton the third supplied seven tackles and a forced fumble. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Northwestern marched deep into Duke territory on its second drive of the game, but the Blue Devil defense held strong on 3rd and 9 to limit the Wildcats to a field goal. The Duke offense countered at the end of the opening quarter, punctuating an 80-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown scamper by Jones. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
The Blue Devils made it 14-3 early in the second quarter when Taylor hauled in a 52-yard pass from Jones. A Saxton II fumble recovery then set up Jones’ second rushing touchdown of the afternoon. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
It was the Wildcats’ turn to capitalize on a fumble recovery just before the half, bringing the score to 21-10 at the intermission. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Gilbert picked off a pass by Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson three minutes into the third quarter and Austin Parker booted home a 31-yard field goal attempt. "according to tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
On Duke’s next possession, the squad moved the chains behind the efforts of redshirt freshman running back Brittain Brown and junior wide receiver T.J Rahming who would conclude the day with 127 receiving yards. Jones capped the drive with a one-yard pass to Koppenhaver, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 31-10. Senior running back Shaun Wilson tacked on an eight-yard touchdown run at 10:07 in the fourth quarter and Gilbert’s second interception resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Parker with five minutes remaining. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Northwestern quarterback Marcus McShepard found Riley Lees for a 20-yard touchdown pass inside the final three minutes to account for the final score. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22672&SPID=1843&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211666456&DB_OEM_ID=4200
As for Baylor's last game, they lost to UTSA,
If that didn't look like the same Baylor secondary that gave up 447 yards the week before in a loss to Liberty, there's a reason why. It wasn't. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Davion Hall and Henry Black started at safety, Jameson Houston rotated at cornerback, and Rajah Preciado and freshman Tim Marcus Davis were both used in nickel packages, helping the Bears hold UTSA to 155 yards passing and 375 total yards in Saturday's 17-10 loss to the Roadrunners. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"I think Tooty (Hall) brought a physical presence," coach Matt Rhule said of the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Hall, who returned from back and calf injuries to make his 12th career start and recorded four solo tackles. "Davion was physical in the run game. And we went from giving up whatever that was last week (447 yards passing) to 155, which is a good number. We still had other opportunities, third-down conversions where we could have made a play on a ball and didn't. I think they got better. They'll continue to get better." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Hall, who missed the 48-45 season-opening loss to Liberty, said it "meant a lot being able to be back out there with the team." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"It's frustrating not being able to be out there with your brothers, with all the work we've put in," he said. "But now, I'm back. We've just got to keep growing and moving forward, look at the game film and see what we need to correct." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Even now, he's not 100 percent healthy, but "I'm good enough." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"I've played banged-up since I've been here," he said, "so it's not a big deal." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
The defense as a whole made strides, holding UTSA (1-0) to 5.8 per play and 7-of-16 on third downs after giving up 585 yards and 15-of-24 on third downs last week in the loss to Liberty. "according to tohttp://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"I thought we got better in the second half," Rhule said. "I thought our guys got stronger as the game went on. You could see the light going on for a couple of guys. Clay Johnston is a guy who stood out to me." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Johnston, Baylor's sophomore middle linebacker, had a career-high 10 tackles with nine solos and one stop behind the line. The defense also had a pair of first-time starters up front in freshman end B.J. Thompson and redshirt freshman Deonte Williams, plus true freshman Jalen Pitre making his second start at outside linebacker. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"I saw a lot of good things, but I saw a lot of poor things," Johnston said. "We still have to get better at communicating. . . . In the end, it's really on us. When we give up big plays, one guy is probably playing a different coverage or playing a whole different defense than everyone else. So, we have to be on the same page, because we do better in that area when we're all together as one unit." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Johnston got up pumping his fist when he dropped UTSA running back Jalen Rhodes for a one-yard gain on a fourth-and-six from the 23. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"When we get off the field on third down, we've got to get emotional and get hyped, because every player feeds off that," he said. "I was hyped (on the fourth-down stop), because we got off the field. That's considered a turnover on our defense, stopping the offense on fourth down. Yeah, I was pumped." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Despite starting five true freshmen in Saturday's game, including center Ryan Miller and running back John Lovett on offense, Rhule made it clear that he is sticking with the seniors. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"I don't want to give up on Tooty and Taylor and all these great seniors we have out here fighting," Rhule said. "We're going to keep fighting for the older guys. We're going to keep fighting for the seniors. But, we are going to learn from these tough, tough, heartbreaking losses - and these are heartbreaking losses. I think we all know that." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
The Bears (0-2) took the lead midway through the second quarter when Anu Solomon hooked up with Denzel Mims for a 20-yard touchdown pass after deep snapper Ross Matiscik returned a fumbled punt return by Matt Guidry. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Converting on five third-down plays, UTSA drove 75 yards in 16 plays and ate up more than eight minutes off the clock for the tying score. Dalton Sturm hit Josh Stewart on a crossing route on third-and-goal from the 7 to cap it off. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"Honestly, that was a bummer," Johnston said of the Roadrunners' time-consuming drive. "We've just got to go make a play and get off the field. We've got to keep our heads up and focus." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
UTSA added a quick-strike touchdown at the start of the third quarter to take its first lead and made it 17-7 early in the fourth quarter on Victor Falcon's 38-yard field goal. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Baylor had chances in the second half, but Solomon was sacked on a fourth-and-two from the Roadrunners' 19 and the Bears had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Connor Martin after getting down to the 3. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
The defense did its job, forcing UTSA to go three-and-out and get the ball back with 2:08 to play. But, Solomon threw four straight incompletions on the final series, finishing 10-of-26 for 121 yards and one touchdown with one interception. "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
"Obviously, like anything else, we have a lot of work to do," Rhule said. "We have to become a good football team. Before you can think about winning, you have to play winning football. . . . I thought we played with a lot more passion and energy on defense. I thought the defense got a lot better as the game went on. Some guys stepped up and made some plays. And just offensively, we were not able to make any of the plays we needed to make to have a chance to win the game." "according to http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090917aaa.html
Kick-off is set for 12:30 pm. The game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1843&SPSID=22666