No panic from Cutcliffe, even with Alabama Death Star looming

DURHAM, N.C. – Fans panic with their lungs or twitter thumbs. The media jumps to conclusions. But Duke coach David Cutcliffe learned long ago to wait for the film to evaluate a football team’s first scrimmage a mere eight days into fall camp.

“I promise you nothing is as good as you think it is and nothing is as bad as you think it is,” said Cutcliffe, who is entering his 12th season with the Blue Devils. “Once you get into the film, you understand all the whys and circumstances surrounding what happened.”

However, there is a natural urgency to form early, if not premature, opinions regarding Duke’s readiness for this year’s opener compared to recent seasons.

The Blue Devils face heavyweight Alabama on Aug. 31 at in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta. The Alabama Death Star, the only program to qualify for the College Football Playoff all of its first five seasons, is ranked No. 1 or 2 in preseason polls.

One way to balance encouragement and disappointment from Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium was two pass plays from quarterback Quentin Harris:

Don’t read too much into the 34-yard touchdown pass the fifth-year senior dropped in the bucket over veteran Aaron Young’s right shoulder on the right sideline as he crossed the goal line.

And, don’t read too much into the next series when Harris threw a pass on a similar route to backup Scott Bracey that true freshman cornerback Tony Davis waited a step on and picked off at the goal line.

That also applies for the defensive coverage on both passes, although overall the defense showed itself ahead of the offense. Cornerback Michael Carter intercepted two balls in addition to Davis, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder rated a 4-star prospect out of Gastonia Huss.

In the 75-snap scrimmage, Harris completed 8-of-14 passes for 104 yards. Young, another fifth-year senior, caught two passes for 40 yards. Junior tight end Noah Davis grabbed two for 12 and true freshman slot receiver Jalon Calhoun two for 36.

Redshirt freshman Jarett Garner also caught a TD pass, a 44-yarder from sophomore walk-on QB Robert Nelson of Los Gatos, Calif. Nelson took the snaps of injured redshirt freshman Gunnar Holmberg.

A knee injury has sidelined Holmberg, a local prospect from Heritage. He and redshirt sophomore Chris Katrenick entered fall camp in a battle for the backup job.

“He has an imminent surgery so he will be out indefinitely,” Cutcliffe said. “It is not a ligament. At this day and time, you try to go in and repair for long-term health. I am disappointed for him and I’m disappointed for us. I know he will do everything he can to be back for us as quickly as possible.”

That Duke’s defense is ahead of the offense is no surprise. The Blue Devils return eight starters on that side of the ball compared to four on offense with Harris a first-year starter with Daniel Jones in the NFL as a New York Giants’ first-round draft pick.

But how the defense was ahead of the offense – forcing turnovers – is noteworthy. Duke intercepted only four balls last year, ranking in a three-way tie for 126th in the nation. Only Oregon State, with three, had less.

Carter, a junior, emerged as the team’s top defensive back last season after Mark Gilbert was lost for the season with a hip injury in the season’s second game. Gilbert missed spring drills and is being brought back slowly with limited contact through the first week, but Carter says the defense can’t wait to emphasize forcing turnovers.

“It’s been huge all season,” he said. “The first guy, secure tackle; the second guy, go for the ball; the third guy, go for the ball; and the fourth guy get the ball. When the ball is in the air, we high point it. Be aggressive when the ball is in play. Turnovers are a huge emphasis every day of camp. We have a turnover minimum we try to meet every day.”