Duke football relying on technology during shutdown

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out more than spring football. How are prognosticators to forecast the 2020 season?

Returning starters — most importantly a veteran quarterback — are the conventional methods to predict a college football team’s upcoming season, but this is an unconventional time. If the 2020 season starts on time – unlikely – is pushed back to an October kickoff – not something to take to the bank without a vaccine – or becomes a winter/spring season – an idea gaining momentum — a roster’s top-to-bottom readiness faces tests unlike any time before this one.

Duke was normally in a strong position with 12 returning starters and 43 returning lettermen, but the quarterback competition to succeed Quentin Harris was put on hold after three spring practices once campus was closed and students sent home.

“A veteran quarterback is a huge need for any team,” Cutcliffe said. “I think the most talented teams obviously gain a little in advance of shortened preparation time, but we don’t know the model yet. To be honest with you, I like the challenge.”

The circumstances are teaching an old dog like the 65-year-old Cutcliffe to realize technology is our friend.

“We’re putting together our practice schedules. I think a key element to success may not necessarily veteran players but coaches utilizing time. We have time. I’m fatigued a little by team meetings but also energized. The biggest part of what we do now until report back. If you’re sitting on your hands because you have a veteran team coming back you may get shocked when the games start.”

If the measuring stick to hold together a team spread across the country since campuses close is clicks on video teleconference meetings, Cutcliffe is confident Duke is positioning itself well to pick up where the Blue Devils left off. He’s reaching back to his roots as a high school teacher and coach and planning methods.

“I’ve got a lot of Zoom meetings,” he said. “I’m doing this one on my feet because my bottom is sore, I’m telling you. I’ve done too many of them sitting down. I’ve set up my studio, and I’m going to be zooming on my feet for some time.”

Technology, often blamed for people isolating, instead has been the link to keep the Blue Devils on the same page.

“The best thing to do is communicate, and we do that daily,” Cutcliffe said. “A lot good things can come from difficult times. I’m very proud of our team. They’ve been on time. I like this “Zoom Airlines.” It gets you where you want to go on time.

“We’ve had great team meetings, academic meetings, positional meetings and one-on-one, face-to-face meetings. Our communication has been really good. I want to commend our staff – meaning coaches and everyone that surrounds Duke Football. It has been an incredible team effort to make sure everything is going well them.”

The Blue Devils identifying a new starting quarterback includes the additional challenge of fitting into the mix Clemson transfer Chase Brice.

A 4-star recruit out of Grayson, Ga., the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder wasn’t on campus for the start of spring football, needing to graduate in Clemson’s spring semester for immediate eligibility.But technology has been a helping link.

“All the things we can send him he has access to on video,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s studying and working. As soon as we can we’ll include him in the meetings.”

Brice joins a virtual quarterback room, at least until normalcy returns, with rising redshirt junior Chris Katrenick (6-3, 215), rising redshirt sophomore Gunnar Holmberg (6-3, 190) and early freshman enrollee Luca Diamont (6-3, 185).

Brice is considered the favorite with more playing time gained the last two years while backing up All-American Trevor Lawrence. Most of it was mop-up duty, but his true freshman year he preserved the Tigers’ unbeaten record in relief while the Tigers marched to their 2018 national title.

Lawrence was injured in the second quarter, and Brice finished the game while the Tigers trailed 16-7 at halftime. On a 13-play, 94-yard TD drive that clinched the comeback victory 41 seconds remaining in the game, Brice completed a fourth-and-20 pass. He finished 7-of-13 passing for 83 yards with one interception.

In two seasons, he has completed 82-of-136 passes for 1,023 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.

In two seasons, Katrenick is 8-of-25 for 49 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Holmberg was redshirted in 2018, and a knee injury shortly before the 2019 opener prevented him from gaining experience.

Whoever wins the job, returning starters around him include running back Deon Jackson, tight end Noah Gray, sophomore wide receiver Jalon Calhoun, senior center Jack Wohlabaugh, offensive guard Rakavious Chambers, sophomore tackle Casey Holman and sophomore tackle Jacob Monk.

The defensive returning starters are thinner with only linebacker Shaka Howard and four defensive backs in the 4-2-5 scheme, cornerback Josh Blackwell, cornerback Leonard Johnson, safety Michael Carter II and safety Marquis Waters.

“What you know as a football coach is regardless of your starters at any position,” said Cutcliffe, “when you look at how good a team is going to be, you look at your second and third teams. Don’t measure just on what your starters look like. We coach all of them as hard as possible as well we can.”