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.

Week 7 NCAA Predictions

By Max Baez
Contributing writer Football Reporters Online

Last week, let’s just say my predictions went terribly. Too many road teams, and I overestimated Missouri, Auburn, and Georgia. This week, I still am picking two road teams (out of four, one game is a neutral site – I don’t think I even need to hint at what it is), but with a lot more confidence. Auburn was relatively unproven, Georgia simply isn’t very good (I should have realized this when they needed a last second field goal to beat Arizona State), but this week – let’s just say the teams I have picked on the road are established teams that will both be in BCS games. Now, for the picks:


Texas vs. Oklahoma

Ahhh, the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma was thinking they would be undefeated at this point (and much of the country was as well), but Sam Bradford’s injury and a tougher than expected Miami squad have caused Oklahoma to drop 2 early games, making this a must win if they want a chance to make a BCS bowl game. Texas, on the other hand, has coasted to a 5-0 record, with their hardest game so far being against a relatively average Texas Tech team. Texas has won almost all of their games big, but yet, has seemed to have something missing so far, and hasn’t looked like the national championship team people in Austin have been expecting. However, I do like Texas to win this one, as I feel that Texas has more talent overall and because I am expecting Colt McCoy to have a bigger day than Sam Bradford.

Texas 31, Oklahoma 20


USC @ Notre Dame

Now, it’s time to talk about America’s most overhyped team, Notre Dame. Except, they are ranked 25th, so I guess they really aren’t rated that high. When I watch Notre Dame play, I always feel like I’m watching a glorified high school team play. They never look that together, that in sync, and they never really look more athletic than their opponents, even though they outrecruit almost everybody every year. I don’t know what it is with them (actually, I do know what it is – their coaching staff doesn’t get enough out of their players.) Still, it’s been a good year for Notre Dame, and they are getting a lot out of one guy, Jimmy Clausen, who is starting to look like an elite quarterback. Is it enough to beat USC though? No, it isn’t, because even though Notre Dame recruits well, USC recruits better. They are also coached better, and play better. And last but not least, USC always wins big games. This isn’t Oregon State or Washington, this is Notre Dame, aka their rival that they beat into a pulp every year. Expect the same again.

USC 42, Notre Dame 13


Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech

This matchup will have a major impact on how the ACC shapes up. Georgia Tech is the last ranked team remaining on the Hokies’ schedule, and after this game, the schedule for Georgia Tech is pretty easy: their toughest game afterward is a home matchup with North Carolina. Georgia Tech has a smashmouth offense, and you normally associate good defense with that, but the D has been a bit lackluster for the Yellow Jackets their last two games, allowing 31 points against Mississippi State and 44 against Florida State (although GT did win both.) As for this game, it will be interesting to see how the VT defense matches up with the GT running game. However, I feel that the Hokies are a more complete team than Georgia Tech, and the key to this game for Virginia Tech is getting a lot of points on the board. If they fall behind early, it’s going to be tough to manage a comeback, especially since Georgia Tech keeps possession really well. However, I do expect Virginia Tech to get an early lead, and use that to cruise to victory.

Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 20


Missouri @ Oklahoma State

This game would definitely be more exciting if Dez Bryant played, so I’m hoping the NCAA reinstates him by game time. However, that won’t happen, but this should still be interesting. Missouri was stagnant last week after lighting up teams the first week of the season, so they are definitely going to be hungry for a win this week. Oklahoma State has a good defense, but they are susceptible to big plays, as we saw when they lost to Houston. Missouri is a big play offense, or at least they want to be one, because they certainly didn’t show that ability last week. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma State is a good enough offense with Zac Robinson at quarterback, and Missouri’s strength isn’t on defense, so I expect the Cowboys to have some success on that side. In the end, I do like the Tigers’ team, but more for the future than for now, and I don’t like them this week against a solid Oklahoma State team.

Oklahoma State 28, Missouri 17


California @ UCLA

You know when you’re in a casino, and you really want to bet on something, and don’t know which way to go? And the reason why you don’t know which way to go isn’t because you like both teams, but because you have no confidence in either team? That’s what this game is to me. Both do some things right. Cal, for example, is great at running the ball, and has a very solid secondary. UCLA is great overall on defense, especially in the front seven. On the other hand, these teams both do things poorly. For Cal, well, they’ve scored 6 points combined in their last two games – I don’t think I need to elaborate on that. UCLA is also not the best team offensively, scoring over 20 points in only 2 of their first 5 games, one of which was against San Diego State. So, don’t expect a lot of yards, especially in the air, where both have major deficiencies. As to this game, I have to pick someone, right? I see this one being decided by a field goal, and I’ll go with UCLA for two reasons: 1. I expect Cal to burnout, similar to how they did two years ago and 2. because I got burned picking too many road teams last week.

UCLA 13, Cal 10


Five other games to watch: Iowa @ Wisconsin, NC State @ Boston College, Texas Tech @ Nebraska, South Carolina @ Alabama, Stanford @ Arizona

                                       WEEK 6 ACC WRAP UP
By Ralph Garcia & William Queen for Football Reporters Online
 
GEORGIA TECH – 49 FLORIDA STATE – 44
Coming into this game, Florida State looked to redeem its unpromising 2-3 record and turn their season around. Though they did put up a fight, the Seminoles still fell short of the W. Georgia Tech did what they do vs. every other team; run it down their throat. The Yellow Jackets stomped Florida State by going for 401 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Luckily, the Seminoles managed to match the scoring. But then, the second half started. Sometimes, a team just goes flat after halftime and that’s exactly what happened here. They were up 28-21 at the half and then only managed 9 points the rest of the game. This game was just another blow to the new Florida State reputation. Head coach Bobby Bowden is getting older, bringing questions to their coaching staff, and with an overall record of 2-4, the Seminoles can’t afford to fall much further.
 
WAKE FOREST – 42 MARYLAND – 32
This is another key ACC match-up, which resulted in a Wake Forest hammering. Improving their record to 4-2, the Demon Deacons have quietly moved their way into the ACC title race. Quarterback Riley Skinner had another dominating game, throwing for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns. If I were a Wake Forest game, one thing that I would look out for is finishing the game. Maryland outscored them 15-0 in the fourth quarter. Though it was widely overlooked, another ACC team such as Virginia Tech or Miami may have made a fool of the Deacons if they don’t play 60 minutes. On a different note, Maryland, a team I had very high hopes for, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. I looked for the Terps to be one of the top contenders in the ACC Atlantic, but so far, they’ve only managed a 2-4 record.
 
DUKE – 49 NC STATE – 28
 
VIRGINIA TECH – 48 BOSTON COLLEGE – 14
The Hokies simply outmatched Boston College in this one. Producing more turnovers, total yards, and a better 3rd down conversion rate, Boston College was simply outmatched. 
 
MIAMI – 48 FLORIDA A&M – 16
Without doubt the easiest game for the Hurricanes this season, they didn’t disappoint, improving to 4-1 on the week. With Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in the same side of the ACC as them, Miami cannot let its guard down.
 
NORTH CAROLINA – 42 GEORGIA SOUTHERN – 12
Causing six turnovers, the Tarheels flew through this one with an easy win. Though they were outscored by an odd 5-0 in the second half, it didn’t matter much; they were up 42-7 at the half.
 
VIRGINIA – 47 INDIANA – 7
Virginia continues to be consistently inconsistent, thrashing Indiana by a grand total of 40 points. Though, this is probably the most impressive win thus far for the Cavaliers.