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Duke Football: Quick Lane Bowl Press Conference Highlights

By Chris Brown

DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils watches on against the Northwestern Wildcats during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils watches on against the Northwestern Wildcats during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The Quick Lane Bowl held their official press conference earlier today for the postseason matchup between Duke Football and Northern Illinois. Check out the highlights and notable quotes here!

Duke Football had a thrilling end to the season, winning back-to-back games as underdogs to become bowl eligible this season. The Blue Devils earned a bid to the Quick Lane Bowl, where they will face off against the Northern Illinois Huskies. The promotional press conference featuring head coaches David Cutcliffe and Rod Carey was held Wednesday morning. Here are some key observations about the upcoming game:

Detroit

The Huskies’ program is very familiar with playing in Detroit. Ford Field has hosted several MAC conference championship games and NIU has competed in previous Quick Lane Bowls. To our knowledge, this will be Duke’s first time ever playing in Detroit, leading Cutcliffe to joke about this as an unfair advantage. David Cutcliffe also described it as “one of America’s great cities” that will allow his players to learn a lot and gain great experiences. He notes that this will also help Duke gain more exposure nationally and can help with attracting recruits from Michigan.

Duke’s Resiliency

Many fans and analysts, including me, questioned if Duke would be able to even make a bowl game this season. The team’s mid-season struggles led to six straight losses with slim chances at making the postseason. However, late in the year the team came together, worked hard, and believed to find a way to win. Cutcliffe notes the team is thrilled to be in a bowl game after their six game losing streak, which he hilariously describes saying:

"“We had a grave digger above us with one last shovel load of dirt. And, somehow we knocked that shovel out of his hand to get this opportunity…”"

Key Players

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For Duke, David Cutcliffe highlighted All-ACC defenders Joe Giles-Harris and Mark Gilbert as players to watch. He also throws in that some of the young defensive lineman are getting better suggesting they could make an impact in this game. Offensively, Cutcliffe noted quarterback Daniel Jones, leading wide receiver T.J. Rahming, and running back Shaun Wilson as key playmakers.

Carey mentioned a number of Huskies players to watch such as tight end Shane Wimann, linebacker Bobby Jones, safety Mycial Allen, running back Jordan Huff, wide receiver Christian Blake, and defensive end Sutton Smith.

Inexperience

Duke and Northern Illinois both missed the postseason last year, ending streaks of consecutive bowl games for each program. The coaches mentioned multiple times that their respective teams have lots of younger players. This matchup will be key for underclassmen as both programs look to build momentum into next season and help them gain experience playing in the postseason.

Next: Seven Blue Devils Earn 2017 All-Conference Honors

The full press conference with the two coaches can be found here. The 2017 Quick Lane Bowl will be at Ford Field in Detroit on December 26th at 5:15 p.m.  Fans will be able to check out the game live on ESPN.

Be sure to stay tuned to Ball Durham for more updates as the Blue Devils prepare for the Quick Lane Bowl. Also be on the lookout for our upcoming podcast and send us your questions for our mailbag on social media using #AskBallDurham!

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