Tag: Duke football

Know your foe, Duke: Which Blue Devils could give Notre Dame problems

The Irish face off against a very good Duke team

For the second weekend in a row, [autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag] will face off against another ranked team in [autotag]Duke[/autotag].

We know it’s a big game, ESPN College GameDay will be in attendance, as the Irish hit the road for this contest. Not many expected the Blue Devils to be undefeated and ranked to face Notre Dame when the season started, but here were are.

Duke has been surprisingly good on defense, their most points given up this season has been 14 to, check notes, Northwestern. The Mildcats won’t have nearly the firepower that the Irish bring, but holding Clemson down in the season opener was impressive.

Here are five Blue Devils that could give Notre Dame problems on Saturday evening.

Social media reactions to Ken Jeong being Duke guest picker for College Gameday

Social media reaction to UNC and Duke alumni Ken Jeong being named the Blue Devil’s guest picker for College Gameday.

This year has been an excellent season for ACC programs in college football, with four schools being ranked in the Associated Press’s Top 25 poll.

One of those schools is UNC’s arch-rival, Duke Blue Devils. The program that saw Coach K be sent into retirement will host College GameDay for their highly anticipated meeting with Notre Dame.

In College GameDay fashion, Duke will have their special guest picker, who has already been named Ken Jeong.

Yes, the same Jeong, an alumni of both UNC and Duke. However, it has been clear that his loyalty is to the darker blue.

The decision to make Jeong the celebrity guest picker is great, especially when accounting for his humor and how fun he was the last time he appeared on a College GameDay.

Unsurprisingly, this decision brought quite a reaction, with fans discussing the decision to have Jeong as Duke’s football first-ever celebrity picker. Let us look at how social media reacted to this.

ACC football power rankings after Week 4: Florida State cements place atop the conference, Clemson drops

Here is a look at our ACC power rankings following Week 4 of the 2023 college football season.

The ACC looks very different this season, with Florida State taking down Clemson 31-24 in overtime as they cemented their spot atop the conference. 

As Florida State held onto the top spot in the ACC, Clemson fell further down the rankings as they failed to take advantage of a huge opportunity. The ACC looks stronger than many expected heading into this season, and in a shocking turn, the Tigers are not among the top tier of this conference through four weeks. 

There is a lot of season left for his to change, but right now, the conference looks far different than many would have expected. Here are our ACC football power rankings following Week 4 action.

Could Chapel Hill be getting a visit from College GameDay?

The College GameDay Crew hinted at a possible visit to Chapel Hill for the UNC-Duke football game on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The UNC football team’s 3-0 start has garnered the attention of many in the college football world.

At the start of college football season, you tend to see Power 5 schools playing FCS schools or FBS teams playing those outside of the Power 5.

Not the Tar Heels – who’ve taken down two Power 5 opponents in South Carolina (SEC) and Minnesota (Big 10), plus one of the top Group of 5 teams in App State (Sun Belt).

UNC’s defense has played a major factor in the undefeated start, only allowing six total second-half points in the South Carolina and App State games. The Tar Heels have also enjoyed breakout offensive performances from Drake Maye, Omarion Hampton and Nate McCollum.

There’s another ACC school just down Tobacco Road – Duke – that’s turned many heads and quickly become one of the ACC’s best teams early in the year.

The Blue Devils broke onto the scene in their first game, upsetting Clemson in a result (28-7) very few saw coming. Duke forced three turnovers and only allowed a second-quarter Will Shipley touchdown.

There’s some more exciting news that could be coming for both teams in the near future, as the College GameDay crew hinted at a possible visit to Chapel Hill for the Saturday, Nov. 11 UNC-Duke matchup.

According to Keeping It Heel’s Nick Delahanty, College GameDay host Rece Davis spilled the beans on the Saturday, Sept. 23 broadcast ahead of the Notre Dame-Ohio State game.

UNC’s been fortunate to be a part of one College GameDay already this year, ahead of its season opener against South Carolina. It might be fortunate to be part of another.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Lee Corso wants ESPN’s College GameDay to make its first trip to Durham next week for Notre Dame vs. Duke

Lee Corso wants ESPN’s GameDay to go to Durham. Someone call Mike Krzyzewski for guest-picking honors.

ESPN’s signature college football show “College GameDay” has been broadcasting live from campuses on Saturdays in the fall since 1993. And since its creation, there’s just a handful of Power Five schools that have never been involved in GameDay, as a host or opponent.

One of them is the Duke Blue Devils.

While we all know Duke as a powerhouse in basketball, its football team hasn’t always been consistently relevant.

But this year, in their second season with Mike Elko as head coach and Riley Leonard at quarterback, the Blue Devils are pretty dang good. Heading into this week’s matchup at UConn, Duke is 3-0 and ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 Poll – its highest ranking since 1994.

Since Duke has never been part of GameDay as an opponent or host, that means longtime panelist Lee Corso has never had the chance to put the Blue Devil on during his weekly headgear pick. He’s lobbying for that to change.

In a video shared Saturday morning by WSJS (Winston-Salem, N.C.) host Josh Graham, Corso – who is talking with fellow GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit – says “I hope we go up (to Duke) … I’ll pick Duke. I don’t care.”

“I think, personally, even if Notre Dame loses today, we ought to go to Duke.”

Notre Dame plays Ohio State on Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish would still likely be ranked in the AP Poll even if they lose, creating a ranked versus ranked matchup at Durham, N.C.’s Wallace Wade Stadium on Sept. 30 (assuming Duke, +21.5 favorites on Saturday at UConn, beats the Huskies).

Later in the video, Herbstreit asks Corso, “Cameron Crazies – do they do football too?” And indeed, they do. Duke students rushed the field earlier this season when Duke upset Clemson in Week One.

Hosting Notre Dame – and College GameDay – would likely create a similar atmosphere in Durham with a rowdy crowd.

Should ESPN follow Corso’s request, choosing a celebrity guest picker for Duke versus Notre Dame should be easy. Retired Blue Devils basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski should be available.

Ruke Orhorhoro wants to thank Clemson fans for sticking with them

Ruke Orhorhoro has a message for Clemson fans.

Clemson fans were disappointed after Week 1 with head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers suffering their first loss of the season in a 28-7 defeat to the Duke Blue Devils. 

It is a game that Clemson had no business losing, but the Tigers lost by three scores. Following the brutal loss, veteran defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro spoke during his media availability Wednesday, touching on the loss and thanking Clemson fans for sticking by the team. 

“We just want to thank you guys for just sticking with us,” he said, “because we’ve had some great wins, we have some tough losses and some ugly losses, and you guys are always finding a way to just build us up.”

It was a bad loss, but something the Tigers can learn from. Now behind them, Orhorhoro looks towards the team’s Week 2 home opener and all of the excitement that comes with a home game. 

“I’m so excited to, you know, see our fans, and I’m excited to walk through the new Tiger Walk,” Orhorhoro said. “Some of my closest friends, like Jalyn Phillips and Tyler Davis, their name is on the Tiger Walk, so it will be cool to see them and see how they feel walking through.”

The last time we saw the Tigers in Death Valley, it too ended in disappointment. Clemson handed South Carolina a win with two crucial turnovers, snapping the Tigers’ 40-game home winning streak.

“The last time we played (at Death Valley), we didn’t finish how we wanted to,” Orhorhoro said, “but I hope we start how we want to and show the fans what we’ve been working on and just pushing and getting our best foot forward and thriving.”

The Tigers face Charleston Southern on Saturday, September 9, at 2:15 p.m.

Dabo Swinney sounds off on everyone questioning Clemson’s approach to the transfer portal

Swinney showed some intensity when asked about Clemson’s transfer portal approach.

As we all know, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have a different approach to the transfer portal than most. 

Following Clemson’s 28-7 defeat to Duke, the national media has been very aggressive in their stance that Swinney’s lack of usage in the transfer portal and refusal to “adapt” has led to the situation the program is in right now. Swinney met with the media Wednesday and was asked about the portal. Swinney sounded off, explaining how the loss to the Blue Devils had nothing to do with the portal.

“I don’t have any reaction to that. I think that’s ridiculous,” Swinney said. “That had nothing to do with us getting beat by Duke on Monday night.”

For Swinney, it was a failure to take advantage of the many opportunities the Tigers were given in the matchup. In particular, their red zone troubles. 

“What cost us the game the other night was being first-and-goal on the 1 twice and getting nothing, and down inside the 5 a third time and getting nothing,” Swinney said. “That (the portal) didn’t have anything to do with that. But whatever narrative they want to create, that’s fine. We’re gonna keep on keepin’ on.”

Swinney is doubling down on his stance with the transfer portal, and in this case, what he’s saying does make sense. It’s not like the Tigers didn’t have a plethora of chances to beat Duke. 

On the other hand, teams such as Florida State have taken advantage of the new shift in college football and, in result, are thriving. What do you think? Is it time for Clemson to utilize the transfer portal?

Dabo Swinney breaks down Garrett Riley’s Clemson debut

Dabo Swinney spoke about Garrett Riley’s debut against Duke.

Heading into the 2023 college football season, tremendous hype was building around Clemson’s new offensive coordinator, Garrett Riley, and the Tigers’ offense.

What was expected to be a dream-like opener for this offense was a nightmare, as Clemson scored 7 points with multiple turnovers, including two within the five-yard line. They had over 400 yards and moved the ball downfield but were sloppy, inconsistent, and underwhelming. 

Following the game, head coach Dabo Swinney broke down Riley’s Clemson debut.

“He was frustrated like me,” Swinney said. “He’d probably tell you the same thing; never been a part of a game like that. It’s incredibly frustrating. But I liked his poise. He just kept going, and he just stayed positive, and he kept encouraging the guys.”

No matter how well the Tigers move the ball, things will fall apart once they get into the red zone. They had three straight drives, landing inside the Duke ten-yard line in the second half, resulting in no points. There was a blocked field goal and two brutal fumbles. 

“We’d go right back down the field, and we would have a miscue there,” Swinney said. “But again, he gave us an opportunity to win the game, he gave us an opportunity to punch it in multiple times, and we just didn’t get it done.”

It’s not that the Clemson offense was bad; they just weren’t good. They ran for 213 yards and threw for 209, which, in most cases, would put an offense in a good situation. Especially a Clemson offense, with Swinney being 58-1 and 108-1 all-time when surpassing 200 yards both on the ground and through the air.

It wasn’t the start any of us were hoping for, but it is too early to wave the white flag.

“Really strange and disappointing game, but I thought he did a nice job,” Swinney said of Riley. “He’s been really good for us. I loved his demeanor and his presence and his poise all throughout the game. He never lost hope or anything like that, and I like how he responded to the guys.

“He knows we’ve got a chance to be a good group. But not the start we wanted. Got plenty of yards and stats and all that stuff, but we got our butts beat, and the name of the game is finishing when we have opportunities. But we’ll all get back to work and see if we can find a way this week.”

Clemson’s next opportunity vs. Charleston Southern at Death Valley (2:15 p.m., ACC Network).

Duke fans review bombed Riley Leonard’s professor after he playfully didn’t give him a homework extension

Duke fans weren’t happy to hear Riley Leonard didn’t get more homework time.

After Duke quarterback Riley Leonard led his team to a stunning upset of Clemson on Monday night, a last-minute plea to one of his professors didn’t quite go as planned.

After the game, Leonard was filmed asking one of his teachers, Dr. Donald Taylor, if he could get an extension on one of his assignments since he had been playing football the night before it was due.

Well, Taylor congratulated Leonard on his team’s big win, but he didn’t grant the extension since some of Leonard’s teammates told the professor they’d gotten the assignment in before it was due.

It all seemed like it was in good fun, but some Duke fans didn’t take it that way.

Taylor’s page on the teacher rating site Rate My Professor began getting review bombed by petty Duke fans who felt Leonard should’ve gotten a pass on his late homework.

“Give my man Riley a break,” one faux-review posted on the page.

“How natural it is to destroy what we cannot possess, to deny what we do not understand, and to insult what we envy!” another faux-review read.

It got to the point where Rate My Professor restricted reviews on Taylor’s page to prevent any trolling from going on.

The whole situation was clearly in jest, and we’d guess Leonard actually got a little more time to work on his homework after Monday’s game.

If you’re a Duke student wondering if Taylor’s class is worth taking, we’ll leave you with this positive Rate My Professor review from another of his students.

“Didn’t know what to expect before taking this class but Prof. Taylor really surprised me,” the review reads. “He is one of the nicest and most caring faculty members I’ve interacted with so far and really enjoyed taking his class. There were times where I didn’t know where I stood grade-wise but it is obvious he really cares about his students’ learning.”

Dabo Swinney won’t quit on this Clemson football team

After an upset loss in Week 1, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is not quitting on his team.

Dabo Swinney and the No.25 Clemson Tigers had a tough Week 1, where they were upset on the road against Mike Elko and the Duke Blue Devils.

The start to the season no one wanted, the Tigers (0-1, 0-1 ACC) were thrashed 28-7 in a sloppy performance that handed Duke their first win against the program since 2004. A season with so much promise and anticipation started in about the worst way possible, as self-inflicted wounds were a major issue for the Tigers. 

With Week 1 behind us, it is all about how Clemson responds. They’ve got the right head coach for a response, as Swinney is not giving up on this team. 

“Just critical, critical, critical mistakes and errors, and it’s a gut-wrenching thing, man. It is,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “You work so hard. I love this team, though. I really do. I love this team, I love the staff, and we’ve got to stay together, and we’ve got to bounce back and get back to work.”

Swinney isn’t giving up on this team, but he knows others are going to. When you have a performance like this to start the season, questions will be raised, and many will think the worst. Regardless, Swinney, of how people feel, knows this team will bounce back.

“I know a lot of people are probably going to quit on us and give up on us and throw us away. But man, I ain’t quitting, and I ain’t throwing this team away,” the head coach said. “We’re going to bounce back, and we’re going to get better; we’re going to learn from it. I love the kids in the locker room, and we’ll stay together, and we’ll get back to work.”

There is still a ton of season left, so it is too late to call this season over. The Tigers’ first opportunity to bounce back comes against Charleston Southern in Clemson’s home opener.