DUKE’S NOT A FLUKE

DUKE’S NOT A FLUKE-By William Queen Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
 
The stands were packed and the lights were bright when Duke faced off against NC State last Saturday. However, the light may have only been shining on one player and that is Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis went 40-50, for 462 yards, and 6 total touchdowns, leaving wolf pack defenders simply shaking their heads in disappointment.
 
I attended this game and I’ll tell you right now that every time NC State had the ball, I was simply thriving for a stop, so I could watch Lewis throw another touchdown. Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said that Lewis’s performance was “the finest game I've had a quarterback have in college”.
 
Despite Lewis’s offensive fireworks, the Wolf pack was in this game the whole first half. In fact, neither team turned the ball over until Duke fumbled with 4:02 left in the second quarter and the punter could have very well been sleeping back at the hotel the whole first half, getting his first kick with 1:47 left in the 2nd quarter. 
 
After the first quarter, everyone in the crowd, including me, knew that whoever got a stop on defense was gonna win the game. Now I know that that’s a very broad statement, but it proved to be 100% correct.
 
Duke’s defense came out in the second half and stuffed NC State quarterback Russell Wilson drive after drive after drive. And they didn’t let up all the second half, while causing 4 turnovers, only allowed a mere 7 points.
 
This was the point in the game where Duke ran away. While their defense was playing great, Thaddeus Lewis and the rest of the Blue Devil offense took over; scoring 28 points in the second half alone.
 
A hidden factor in this game is the time of possession. Like always, Russell Wilson worked his magic on offense, but only managed 2 overall touchdowns. Why? It’s because the Blue Devil held on to the ball for more than two thirds of the game; leaving the Wolf pack a meager 19 minutes and 36 seconds with the football.
 
This game brings Duke to a 3-3 overall record and, more importantly, snapping their 25-game losing streak vs. the Wolf pack. Winning an impressive 4 games, Duke worked very hard to gain respect in the ACC last season. Plus, with this big win on their side, the Blue Devils are very capable of shaking up the ACC title race and ultimately making a bowl game for the first time in 15 years.
 
Now looking ahead to the rest of their schedule, they have Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami, and then Wake Forest.
 
Maryland is a very winnable game, Virginia is an automatic W, and North Carolina will be a test. Realistically, I think that Duke can win at least two of those three games. Georgia Tech and Miami are most likely going to be losses for the Blue Devils. However, Duke came close vs. Virginia Tech, so don’t count them out. And lastly, Wake Forest should be another winnable game. So if Duke wins against Maryland, Virginia, Wake Forest, and one of their other three games, then they have a record of 7-5; a winning season.

A four-win season is hard to call impressive, let alone a fluke. Yet, some how, people just can't get over the fact that Duke may actually win some football games this season. I'm telling you now, don't count the Blue Devils out. Led by senior quarterback sensation Thaddeus Lewis, this high-powered offense is getting ready to tear things up.