Here we go again. Time for Duke football to bounce back from a tough loss. This is the second time this season they have to do so. But considering who their opponent is this week, they must come back stronger than they did a few weeks ago.
One loss is not like the other
The situations are different. After the loss to Kansas, the Blue Devils came back strong against Virginia and manhandled them. This time, they were manhandled for three and a half quarters by Georgia Tech and are not just playing anyone this week. They’re playing bitter rival North Carolina.
Part of the problem Blue Devil head coach Mike Elko is dealing with this week is his team was pushed around last Saturday by a team they should have beaten. I don’t care if Georgia Tech is a different team after their coaching change, I still believe Duke is a better team all around and should not have lost. Elko needs to get his team to put that behind them and focus on North Carolina.
“I have no doubt that we’ll go out and play better football. That is the reality of it. To do that we have to have a great week of practice, we have to execute better in practice and carry that over to the game field on Saturday. We need to get out to a fast start and execute at a higher level to have success,” Elko said at his weekly press conference on Monday.
Even-keeled approach
The Tar Heels are 5-1 and now ranked twenty-fifth in the latest coaches poll. They’re going to come rolling into Wallace Wade Stadium smelling blood. So, you’d think the Blue Devils need to buckle up those chinstraps and raise their intensity this week, because this is a situation not suited for the faint of heart, right? Elko sees it differently, “I think we have to make sure we handle our emotions. Our kids don’t need to be reminded who we are playing. They certainly understand the significance of this game and the significance of this game to our fan base, our community, our alumni, to themselves, so I don’t know that you necessarily ratchet it up. We talked a lot about what the energy and emotion is going to be like Saturday night and making sure we handle that the right way, so we can go out and execute the thing we need to execute to win the football game.”
What’s at stake?
Besides bragging rights and an opportunity to torment Tar Heel faithful for the next year, there are a few other things to consider. A win by the Blue Devils puts them at 5-2 and just one win away from bowl eligibility. It would also move them to 2-1 in the ACC’s Coastal Division and keep them very much in the hunt for a berth in the conference championship game. Beating their ranked rival would also give the Blue Devils an awful lot of momentum heading into their meeting the following week with struggling Miami.
I think Elko has a very good understanding of how to handle his team and believe he will have the Blue Devils ready to go Saturday night. This team has shown it is very resilient and needs to be once again.