Duke defeats N.C. Central 49-14

DURHAM -- Early last week, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils were not a "good" football team -- a candid remark that represented the team's ineffectiveness and inconsistency in three previous games.

On Saturday against N.C. Central, the Devils (2-2) made strides to change their coaches' perspective, pounding the Eagles (0-4) when they needed and capturing a 49-14 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium in the first game between the neighboring schools.

It was a game billed as the "Bull City Gridiron Classic," and it attracted 26,390 fans, many of whom showed up early to tailgate and enjoy the joint festivities planned by the two schools. A steady downpour did not turn away the faithful, who had talked about this game for weeks.

The Eagles, who are in their third year of a transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, pulled the score to within a touchdown in the second quarter, cutting Duke's early lead to 21-14. Thereafter points were harder to acquire with the Devils standing firm on defense and opening the game with an offensive outburst that would continue into the fourth quarter.

The Devils seemed comfortable in all phases of the game.

Duke sophomore safety Matt Daniels forced a fumble on an N.C. Central punt return at the 12-yard line with four minutes remaining in the game. Senior linebacker Vincent Rey swooped in at the 16 and recovered the fumble and rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown that helped put the Devils ahead 42-14.

Cutcliffe called Duke's second-half performance "something to build on."

"We had big licks. We had nice hits," he said. "We chased the ball. We ran. We threw and caught well. We punted it better. ... We kicked it true on the upright on extra points. Just getting back to performing on a consistent basis."

Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis orchestrated much of the Devils' success. He played closer to his usual standards as the offense demonstrated stretches of consistency its coach identified as a step toward the type of football he expects.

The Devils collected 21 first downs and 322 total yards in the first half, with Lewis completing 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards despite missing several plays early in the second quarter after going to the ground on a 1-yard running play. He left the game but returned later in the quarter in top form.

With 33 seconds remaining in the first half, the Blue Devils pulled ahead of the Eagles when Lewis, who had been slowed in training camp by sickness and an ankle injury, connected with sophomore receiver Donovan Varner on a 14-yard touchdown pass play.

Varner, also back from an ankle injury, avoided two defenders as he dodged and cut into the end zone capping a drive in which the Devils converted on two fourth-and-short plays.

In all, Lewis completed 17 of 25 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. Cutcliffe said it's the best his starting quarterback has played all season.

"I felt like myself," said Lewis, who had not performed to expectations. "No swine flu. No ankle. I was just able to play faster than I could the previous games."

The Devils started the game with scoring drives on their first three possessions, taking a 21-0 lead over their cross-town, NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision opponents.

The Devils mixed the pass and run in the first quarter, handing the ball on the ground to freshman back Desmond Scott. The Durham Hillside graduate made his first career start and scored his first career touchdown with 8:42 remaining in the first quarter -- a 23-yard jaunt into the end zone to cap a 64-yard drive.

Cutcliffe said last week that he was moving Scott from third team practice squad into the first and second team rotation. He explained that Scott had made major improvements since training camp, though he admitted that injuries to senior back Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth made the move necessary.

Scott, who has a rugged yet refined running style, carried 16 times for 100 yards. Backup Patrick Kurunwune added 14 carries for 93 yards, while the Devils rushed 41 times for 233 yards against a competitive but eventually overmatched N.C. Central defense.

Duke compiled more yards on the ground against the Eagles than it had all season. Scott's performance may have helped to answer questions Cutcliffe had fielded in the first three weeks of the season about a running game that lacked power behind an offensive line struggling to create push.

"Desmond ran the ball well," Cutcliffe said. "He got a lot out of the runs. Thought his vision was good. He didn't pick and choose. That's what I've been waiting for on him. He hit the line of scrimmage, made his decisions and went north and south with the ball."

N.C. Central coach Mose Rison said his team opened the game with sluggish feet.

The Eagles wriggled free from Duke's defensive hold with 1:23 remaining in the first quarter. They scored on a seven-play, 70-yard drive that running back Tim Shankle finished with a 2-yard run.

They would score again early in the second quarter when free safety Jeffrey Henderson intercepted a pass thrown by Duke freshman Sean Renfree, who had come in the game to spell Lewis.

Henderson's 83-yard return was the ninth longest in N.C. Central history.

The night was all about history.

"Tonight was a very historic night," Rison said. "It was a tremendous feeling to have an opportunity to be a part of something so special. A lot of hard work went into getting this opportunity for both schools to play this game."