Blue Devils return most starters in ACC

Posted 3:54PM on Thursday 14th August 2003 ( 21 years ago )

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - Duke has had three winless seasons in the last seven years and plenty of lean times since dominating the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 1950s and early '60s. But there have been rare moments when things have come together for the Blue Devils, when team chemistry was outstanding and upperclassmen played major roles in the program's success. There was Steve Spurrier's ACC title team of 1989 and a 7-0 start by the Blue Devils five years later. Duke may be on the verge of another breakthrough season in 2003 as 20 starters return in Carl Franks' fifth year. ``What really excites me more than anything else is the level of expectation of our players,'' Franks said Thursday. ``They expect to play well and get in close situations like they were in last year and make the right plays. Hopefully, they'll react a little bit better than the first time they were there.'' Last year's 2-10 season was marked by a series of close calls. Duke lost by five points to Northwestern and Virginia, by three against Clemson, and by two to North Carolina and N.C. State. Duke will start eight seniors and 10 juniors and could get off to a fast start with opening games against Virginia, Western Carolina, Rice and Northwestern. ``I definitely think we have a winnable schedule, but I don't just look at the September games,'' running back Chris Douglas said. ``There are games throughout the year that we've very capable of winning.'' But Douglas has yet to taste an ACC win as the Blue Devils have lost a league-record 25 conference games. The star senior said the team doesn't talk about the skid, saying the streak will take care of itself if Duke plays to its potential this year. ``Our goal is so much bigger than that,'' Douglas said. ``This year we're not going to be satisfied unless we go to a bowl game.'' For that to happen, the Blue Devils have to upgrade their offense as much as the defense turned around. Duke's 125.1 yards-a-game improvement on that side of the ball was the fourth best in ACC history. The entire offensive line returns, and Douglas and 260-pound bruiser Alex Wade are arguably the best running back combo in the ACC. However, Duke has had trouble in the red zone, averaging just 18.9 points last season. Franks has worked his club hard in fall drills inside the 20, hoping to see toughness when the Blue Devils have an opportunity to score. ``Teams that win games put points on the board,'' Douglas said. ``In practice we're trying to execute plays to perfection in the red zone. It's one of the key points.'' Douglas didn't hesitate to call the offensive line the best he's run behind since 2000. ``We've been through so much together that there really is no defense that surprises us,'' he said. ``It's comforting that they've gotten so much smarter and so much stronger in their play and we can make our reads like a veteran squad.'' Meanwhile, Franks said the most depth on his club is on the defensive front. ``I feel comfortable our defense can stop the run,'' Franks said. ``Now we need to find out if our defense can stop the pass. That's a big area of concern.'' Duke's pass defense ranked 102nd in the nation, allowing an ACC-high 255 yards a game. ``Communication is so important out there because that shows you know what's going on,'' said defensive back Kenny Stanford. ``It shows you are confident in what you're doing. We seem to be communicating better in the secondary.'' The star on defense is middle linebacker Ryan Fowler, who is one of just six players in school history to serve as team captain two straight seasons. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has 359 career tackles and is trying to become the first player to lead Duke in that category four consecutive years. ``There aren't many like him,'' Douglas said. ``It's hard to really contain someone who has that much passion and that much aggression for the game. In practice, I like to put myself up against him because if I can win a battle against Fowler then I can take on any linebacker in the ACC.'' Franks is convinced the Blue Devils can win at least seven games in 2003 and begin building a football foundation for the future. ``This season is important to our fourth- and fifth-year seniors,'' Franks said. ``They deserve to have a good year. They've worked hard enough to have a good year.''

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