Tag Archives: Eron Riley

Monday Musings, 12/1

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Too little, too late. Again.

The football team got quarterback Thaddeus Lewis back for its matchup against North Carolina Saturday, and he immediately displayed what we’ve been saying while he was down—Duke needs Thad. With Lewis at the helm, the offense marched straight down the field on its first possession and scored a touchdown. During the nearly two complete games Duke was forced to play without him, the Blue Devils only scored one touchdown in garbage time against Clemson’s backup secondary.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough. The Blue Devils surged down the field for a final chance to tie the game trailing 28-20, but like a number of games this season, Duke had a chance, and lost it. People may disagree with this point, but I’ve seen my fair share of close Blue Devil losses over the last three years, and this season’s all had a different kind of feeling.

I understand that saying one close win is better than another close win still leaves you comparing two losses, but it’s still all there. Ted Roof’s close games all seemed lucky, like the other team underestimated Duke, the Blue Devils caught a couple breaks and then they crumbled at the end like the rickety house of cards they were. This season, the Blue Devils scared teams. Northwestern, Wake Forest, North Carolina and even Virginia Tech—they were all pushed to the brink by Duke and escaped. Looking back, you could say, ‘With a few lucky bounces here or there, the Blue Devils could be 6-6, or maybe even 8-4.’ They could be, and, maybe in the next few seasons, they will be. Continue reading →

Tauiliili Headlines Duke’s Delegates To All-ACC Team

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The day he was honored with the ACC Defensive Player of the Week award, senior Michael Tauiliili recieved another piece of good news. The linebacker was named to the All-ACC first team Monday, earning the second-most votes of any linebacker. He was the only Blue Devil named to the first team, but quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and wide receiver Eron Riley were both second-team selections, and defensive lineman Vince Oghobaase was an honorable mention choice.

Tauiliili garnered 110 of a possible 134 points from the 67 Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association voters. He led the ACC with 140 tackles and paced Duke with four interceptions, but still trailed Boston College’s Mark Herzlich, who racked up 118 votes.

N.C. State phenom Russell Wilson was the first-team choice at quarterback, while Riley took the backseat to North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks and Wake Forest’s D.J. Boldin at the wideout spot. The senior had the third-most amount of votes at the position .

We’ll have more reaction later to the choices—and obvious snubs—but one thought to hold you over until then: Tauiliili’s relatively paltry vote total means that he likely won’t be the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year. The easy bet for that award, now, goes to Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith, who was the only unanimous choice on the defense.

Cutcliffe Names Four More Captains

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Classy move on the part of David Cutcliffe, who added four more seniors to Duke’s list of captains Thursday. Not only does the head coach want Greg Akinbiyi, Cameron Goldberg, Eron Riley and Glenn Williams to be honored with the three other senior captains Saturday, but it’s also his way of giving thanks on the day specifically designed to do just that.

Since the Blue Devils were officially eliminated from bowl contention Saturday, Cutcliffe has done everything in his power to graciously extol his group of seniors, which won two more games this season than it did in the previous three combined. This year’s graduating class has been through a lot, but perhaps the cruelest part of their designation is the fact that they won’t be able to fully reap the benefits of the turnaround they might have triggered. (Although after talking to a bunch of former players earlier this year, it’s clear that they do have a stake in the team’s success.)

“These four young men have exemplified throughout the season the qualities of leadership that we look for within our program,” Cutcliffe said in a statement. “Their effort, selflessness and overall commitment to the values of our program have enabled us to take steps forward this year.”

The four new captains join the four leaders–junior Vincent Rey, and seniors Re’quan Boyette (who will return with a redshirt next year), Tielor Robinson and Michael Tauiliili–who were elected by their teammates in August.

Monday Musings, 11/17

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You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone

In the Blue Devils’ first drive of Saturday’s contest against Clemson, quarterback Thaddeus Lewis went 3-for-3 for 24 yards, leading Duke to two first downs before a Tiger sack forced Duke to punt. On the next series, Lewis was hit as he threw on third down, straining his foot enough to sideline him for the rest of the game. Up to that point, the score was knotted at zero, and the two teams appeared fairly balanced and ready for an exhilarating back-and-forth game.

But then backup Zack Asack came in and the Duke offense stalled, failing to convert another first down until the third quarter and running only six plays in Clemson territory all afternoon. Now, in no way can a 31-7 loss be placed all on the shoulders of the backup quarterback—period, end of story, can’t be done. It did create a tremendously difficult uphill battle for the Blue Devils, though, and, once the game started getting away from them, their problems snowballed exponentially.

As Asack worked to shake off the rust, the Blue Devils turned in three-and-outs on four straight drives to close out the first half. The placed the defense in a tough spot, remaining on the field for more than 20 minutes before the break as the Tigers worked up an insurmountable 17-0 lead.

It’s way too early to tell if this offense can produce behind Asack—he has been successful in the past—but the importance of Lewis to this offense was made remarkably evident Saturday. We’ve known all along this season he was special, but his name was sometimes overshadowed by the likes of star wideout Eron Riley and up-and-comers Johnny Williams and Jay Hollingsworth. Now we see that, without the conductor at the helm, even the most well-oiled machine can break down. Continue reading →

LIVE BLOG: Clemson 31, Duke 7 (FINAL)

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FOURTH QUARTER 10:20: Clemson 31- Duke 0 – Even though there are still 11 minutes left, we’ll be signing off from Memorial Stadium as Clemson continues to hold onto its commanding lead.  Duke moves to 4-6 with two games left against Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Check back later for the final and perhaps some postgame thoughts.

FOURTH QUARTER 14:46: Clemson 31- Duke 0 – In what is easily Duke’s worst game of the season, the impact and talent of Thaddeus Lewis has been sorely missed. He only played in the contest’s first two drives, but helped lead the Blue Devils to their only two first downs on the first half. With Asack in, Duke only called QB draws, runs, and short throws. His deepest throw was almost a full ten yards short of a sprinting Eron Riley. Duke’s defense, which admittedly had a strong first half considering it was on the field for two-thirds of it, has since evaporated into a unit apt to arm tackle and slide off ballcarriers. Right now, Clemson has a commanding 451-84 total yard advantage.

THIRD QUARTER 9:28: Clemson 31- Duke 0 – Jabari Marshall has a great return past the Duke 40, and again Duke calls for an Asack draw play on first down — the sixth time out of seven Asack-led first downs. On third down, Asack goes to the air over the middle, trying to thread it into a very narrow alley and is intercepted. Just more than a minute after their big, 83-yard score all but ended this game, the Tigers are on the move again, looking at a first-and-goal from inside the five-yard line after several big pass plays highlighted by more missed tackles. On second down, James Davis runs right up the gut and into the endzone. This game is out of hand, and Duke’s bowl hopes are all but dashed, while the Tigers are on their way to an uplifting homecoming victory. There are still almost 25 minutes to play. 4 plays, 47 yards.

THIRD QUARTER 11:19: Clemson 24 – Duke 0 - In what has quickly become the biggest rout of the season, the Tigers continue to pile it on with another screen pass. Harper feigns left, then throws right to Spiller, who cuts up the middle of the Blue Devil defense, outrunning everyone and going untouched all the way to the house. 2 plays, 83 yards.

THIRD QUARTER 11:39 : Clemson 17- Duke 0 – The Tigers dominated every statistical category in the first half, including a 21 minutes: 9 minutes time-of-possession ratio. With the second half underway, Duke has now seen five first downs with Asack at the helm, and each time Cutcliffe has called for a QB draw. Although it worked to some degree on the opening play of the second half, and set up the Blue Devils’ first first down since the opening drive and Asack’s first completion, Clemson is starting to get a beat on it. The coaching staff is trying to establish a rhythm for Asack, though, calling all short passes and screens to move Duke into Clemson territory. After freshman wideout Johnny Williams went down with a back injury, the Blue Devils line up for a third-and-four from midfield. Asack has Riley on an out route to the left side, but throws too far behind him and Duke is forced to punt after the incompletion.

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Tennessee-Themed Notes From Coke With Cut

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Photo by Lawson Kurtz/The Chronicle

David Cutcliffe might have had Tennessee on his mind Monday night at his bi-weekly Coke With Cut event in the Great Hall—he made two subtle references to the Volunteers in his 25-minute film session with about 75 students.

First, he noted that Clifford Harris’ second touchdown against Wake Forest came on a wheel route down the right sideline out of a bunch formation, and it just so happened to be the same play Tennessee tight end Brad Cottam scored on in the Volunteers’ 21-17 Outback Bowl win over Wisconsin last year.

Second, he showed a clip of Vince Oghobaase tackling Brandon Pendegrass for a loss Saturday, lauding Oghobaase for his increased quickness. He said the only person who’s gotten bigger than Oghobaase from last year is co-defensive coordinator Marion Hobby, who Cutcliffe said he “recruited to Tennessee.”

Some other notable quotes from the evening:

  • On preparing for N.C. State: “We’ll be up as late as the candidates are tonight.”
  • On Eron Riley falling before the end zone Saturday: “Now Eron, it’s not that hard to stay on your feet!”
  • On his film analysis: “You can’t get this type of explanation on ESPN. I’m better than John Madden!”