FINALLY we get it done.
Game Recap in Three Sentences
A last-minute TD gave us the lead and a missed FG by Duke sealed it.
The rushing defense put in their best performance of the season to hold ACC-leader Nate Sheppard to under 100 yards.
The offense finally looked solid in all areas with big contributions from several different players.
Above The Line of the Week
- Trelain Maddox. 10 carries for 81 yards and 3 TDs, including the game-winner.
- Preparedness. I bought a rain cover for my camera after the Gardner-Webb game last year (during which I had to improvise a ziploc bag situation) but haven’t needed it until Saturday. Just out here living the Boy Scout motto.
- E.J. Lightsey. Covering the TE on Duke’s third down attempt at the end of the game, he stepped up and made a play on the ball that forced the FG attempt. Hard to say a single play won the game, but this was certainly a big one.
Coaching Decision of the Week
Finally it wasn’t us that made a head-scratching decision! Duke started their last drive of the first half with 1:45 on the clock, plenty of time to at least aim for a FG attempt. Instead they burned
90 seconds on two run plays for a combined gain of four yards before frantically hitting some quick sideline passes and then half-attempting a hail mary. What on earth was that? I’ve seen us do something like that so many times but it’s refreshing that other teams can also turn their brains off at the end of the half.
5 Star (7 Star, 5 Star) Developmental Program Haiku of the Week
Devil of a game
Rain, rain, rain, washing us clean
The world is ours yet
We Needed This
I love rain.
It infuses everything with such mood. What would Blade Runner or the 2008 Wimbledon Final be without the rain? Probably still pretty cool, but it’s undeniable that rain can be a powerful character in its own right. Something about everyone getting drenched in their ponchos together at a game feels like a more dramatic and powerful experience than a bright sunny day. It feels different to pull off an upset in the rain. Maybe it’s something deep in our caveman instincts and we get some extra dopamine for “surviving” the inclement weather we’re exposing ourselves to. Maybe it’s all in my head and it’s just water.
I feel like a dad watching his lawn get soaked in a summer storm: we needed this. We’ve backed ourselves into a corner early in the season and every game carries such weight with it, so it feels good to finally feel like things could change for the better. We’re certainly not fully healed and we’re certainly not suddenly worldbeaters, but something still felt different about that game. I can find plenty to complain about but at the end of the day we did enough to win and that’s not something I’ve been able to say lately. Maybe all it took was a little watering.
Look Ahead
Up next is Virginia Tech (10/17, 3:30pm). VT started hot in James Franklin’s first year but has cooled down with recent losses to Pitt and Cal. They are firmly still the favorite, though I think this is a perfectly winnable game if we can continue the improvements we saw against Duke. Everything from here on out is an important test and I won’t feel good until I see us pass a couple in a row.
Sideline 35mm pics coming later today or tomorrow! Unfortunately these’ll be my last ones this season (unless there’s a bowl…) because I’m out of town for the rest of the home games.
