Michigan has no running game and an average QB! Getting stuffed by ND! Hence,we beat,I have us 4-0 and ranked 11th after beating Duke and Michigan.
Duke may be a tougher game than Michigan
- Thread starter Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan
- Start date
You're on ludes if you think Duke will be tougher than Michigan...
Yeah, I'm glad we played at Purdue and not at ND for our opener. I keep telling myself that Purdue was better than I thought and the experts are right about coach Brohm making big improvements to his team year over year. I didn't gain any confidence from our victory at Purdue. Hopefully Purdue goes on to have even a better season than last year and we all look back on Thursday night as a clash of the titans.
Still don't believe it.
I've seen us lose to New Hampshire and directional Illinois schools in OOC games. I just refuse to feel bad about an away win over a decent conference rival in the first game of the season, no matter how close. You can't always read a ton into the first game. We looked great in throttling a good Stanford team in the opener a couple of years back, beat down their all-everything RB and had a good season. But we also got thoroughly manhandled in our conference losses and our bowl game, and it's likely Stanford could have beaten us if they'd had a replay later in the season. Purdue is no worse than some of the other teams we'll play until it's proven different.
I would rate the 2 a toss up after the first week. Duke is underrated and feeling good about themselves. Michigan highly overrated and wondering who they are. Cats will have their hands full this weekend. Will need to win the LOS decisively to negate Duke’s edge at the skill positions.
GOUNUII
You really feel Duke has the better skill position players? I did not watch their game against Army but I'd be surprised if this were true. Jones is very good and I would probably rate him a slight edge over Thorson (particularly with the injury) but I saw nothing on their roster that even approximated Jeremy Larkin and my recollection of their receivers is that they have a group that is similar to ours. Where is the edge in your opinion?
Jones is the biggest edge with his feet and CT’s current limitations. He can do to us what Winbush did to Michigan. And that alone gives the Duke RBs and WRs an edge. I also have been impressed with the depth of Duke’s RBs and WRs relative to ours. Guys like Lees and Moten and others will have their chances to prove otherwise.
GOUNUII
CFN week 1 reranking are out, NU moved up and Duke down....should be a good, close game
41. Duke Blue Devils (1-0)
at Duke 34, Army 14
– Last Week: 35
– Week 2 Opponent: at Northwestern
40. Boston College Eagles (1-0)
Boston College 55, UMass 21
– Last Week: 43
– Week 2 Opponent: Holy Cross
39. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0)
Arkansas 55, Eastern Illinois 20
– Last Week: 38
– Week 2 Opponent: at Colorado State
38. Texas Longhorns (0-1)
Maryland 34, Texas 29
– Last Week: 28
– Week 2 Opponent: Tulsa
37. Northwestern Wildcats (1-0)
Northwestern 31, at Purdue 27
– Last Week: 42
– Week 2 Opponent: Duke
https://collegefootballnews.com/201...gs-scores-upcoming-opponent-week-1-cfn-2018/4
I don’t disagree about Jones. He showed in last year’s game that he can be a true dual threat and create space for his teammates. We’ll really need to contain him. Not sure I see much difference in their WRs vs ours and think we have the edge at RB with Larkin.
I have purposely tried to erase memories of last year’s game but if memory serves me correctly the whole momentum of the game changed when the refs called a questionable targeting foul on a turnover generating hit by McGee. I think we were up 7-0 at that point and could have easily made it 14-0 absent that call. Instead McGee was tossed, Duke subsequently scored and the rout was on.
I am not sure that I have ever seen this group so discouraged after a win. Whiny, yes. But this is downright defeatism. I am excited that we have just played one good team and are about to play another. This season is one good game after another. Let's line them like dominoes and watch them fall.
Go Cats.
I think you are misinterpreting GoU's comments. Much less about NU and more concern over Duke. Daniel Jones is very good and a true dual threat, unlike the two QBs we just faced against Purdue.
The following two quotes are pretty negative. Bold added by me.
I watched their game. With Rahming and Young both being big play speedsters, it can certainly be argued that they have better WRs. But unless their RBs simply had a bad night, our RBs our better, and it is not close; Jones was arguably their best rusher. And I take our D over theirs any day of the week and twice on Sunday; Army, with a brand new offensive line and new scheme (An Army QB passing?), made Duke look just awful at times, 6 of their 9 drives were greater than 30 yards, but they missed two field goals and turned the ball over inside the Duke 30 once; hence only 14 points.
RaHming is no faster than some of our guys. We have speed at the WR position, not sure how this perception to the contrary developed. There is a lot more to developing a deep passing game than just speedy WRs.
Agreed, but in the game they were able to exploit Army for big pass plays down the field. Now I realize we are not Army, but this one of the few facets of their game that really impressed me (as well as Jones ability to throw the ball deep).
I do not think the issue is Duke's offensive players as much as scheme and the ability of their DBs. Duke stuffed the box last year and cut off our running game and matched up man-to-man on our WRs with great success. Purdue did the same thing to us in the second half on TH and stifled our offense. Until we are able to beat DBs one on one, we are going to struggle against teams that employ this strategy. Thorson is great, but he needs his guys to get some separation. Larkin cannot run successfully against 7-man fronts - nobody really can. This week's game is not about revenge, but about redemption. What have our guys learned in the past year?
For one thing, they have learned to play Hance at LT, and Butler at LG.....and Thomas at C not LT!
OK, I admit it. I had a tough time with the second half because I'm not sold on Purdue. I watched the first half again last night and feel better. I will watch the second half ASAP but I do remember that the Offense was putting together a nice time consuming drive at the end and even with out the Purdue penalty, I don't see Purdue winning that game with 2:00 min.left and a whole field to drive for a TD.
...and no time outs because our offense had already burned up 4 minutes before the penalty.
They also learned to play Slater at right tackle
No. Being impressed by Duke’s depth at the skill positions is hardly a post win negative about the Cats. Winning the Purdue game is great, but it does not change the quality of our opponent this Saturday. Duke is talented and playing a ton of 4th and 5th year seniors. They are a step up in competition from Purdue....iMHO.
Bottom line. Showing respect for your opponent is a good thing. Keep an eye on the LOS. That’s where the Cats will win if Jones isn’t allowed to sustain drives/score at key times with his feet.
GOUNUII
Well, they may have already known that since he started at RT against DU last year!
Well, they may have already known that since he started at RT against DU last year!
OK, you win, I thought that his first start was the game after Duke.
I am going to continue to argue because... why not? I am all in favor of respecting our opponents. Especially this year when so many are so respectable. Certainly including a very good Duke team. I consider statements that their team is superior to ours in areas where that statement is not reasonably defensible to be negative.
Case in point:
This statement strongly implies that it is your opinion that Duke's RB corps is deeper than ours. I have seen nothing in the first week of play or in either team's depth charts which would make me agree with this statement.
Please provide a defensible rationale for the statement and I will withdraw the charge.
I know it has been discussed on this board before at some length, but I am looking forward to again facing a true duel threat. Not sure if it’s the feeling that they have emasculated the game with all the targeting calls (Fisher should never have been ejected) or how thoroughly I enjoyed Hamilton, but it is high time for a duel threat again in football. At least the threat of one keeps me on the edge of my seat all game. It’s good for football.
Purdue can be better this year than last and still end up with a worse record.
It was necessary for the duel threat bit.Only on this board.
Duke fan here, as I said in other threads I come in peace.
I see this as a pretty even game.
Our QB Jones is one of only two returning players nationally to have over 5,500 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Not sure he is better than a healthy Thorson, but he is Cutcliffe’s best QB since arriving at Duke.
Brittain Brown at RB is a quick power runner. The number of possessions against an option, clock-grinding team like Army skews the numbers lower than average. Still, NU has an incredible running game and we can only hope to slow it down.
Our WRs last year were not impressive. Young stepped up in the first game, and we were much more vertical than most games last year. Doubt Cutcliffe showed much of the playbook last weekend. We have some young talent that may push for playing time, even Saturday.
On defense, our secondary was surprisingly soft against Army. Defense is supposed to be the strength of our team, with a LB (Joe Giles-Harris) and DB (Mark Gilbert) on the preseason first team all-ACC. We run a 4-2-5, although Army has so many weird formations that we played many strange matchups.
This should be a really fun game. Good luck, hope for no injuries, go to Hell Carolina.
And no, we’re not Michigan by a long shot.
I see this as a pretty even game.
Our QB Jones is one of only two returning players nationally to have over 5,500 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Not sure he is better than a healthy Thorson, but he is Cutcliffe’s best QB since arriving at Duke.
Brittain Brown at RB is a quick power runner. The number of possessions against an option, clock-grinding team like Army skews the numbers lower than average. Still, NU has an incredible running game and we can only hope to slow it down.
Our WRs last year were not impressive. Young stepped up in the first game, and we were much more vertical than most games last year. Doubt Cutcliffe showed much of the playbook last weekend. We have some young talent that may push for playing time, even Saturday.
On defense, our secondary was surprisingly soft against Army. Defense is supposed to be the strength of our team, with a LB (Joe Giles-Harris) and DB (Mark Gilbert) on the preseason first team all-ACC. We run a 4-2-5, although Army has so many weird formations that we played many strange matchups.
This should be a really fun game. Good luck, hope for no injuries, go to Hell Carolina.
And no, we’re not Michigan by a long shot.
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I am going to continue to argue because... why not? I am all in favor of respecting our opponents. Especially this year when so many are so respectable. Certainly including a very good Duke team. I consider statements that their team is superior to ours in areas where that statement is not reasonably defensible to be negative.
Case in point:
This statement strongly implies that it is your opinion that Duke's RB corps is deeper than ours. I have seen nothing in the first week of play or in either team's depth charts which would make me agree with this statement.
Please provide a defensible rationale for the statement and I will withdraw the charge.
Keep charging all you want Glide. I could not care less what you charge. If you can’t watch the film and see what I’m seeing, then I can’t help you.
GOUNUII
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