Inveigle
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The Blue Devils host North Carolina A&T on Friday night after losing at Charlotte in the opening week on a final-minute touchdown. And Cutcliffe had no trouble zeroing in on those sequences that decided the outcome.
“What I’m looking at are opportunities that the head football coach has to have a team better prepared for, and I mean that whole-heartedly,” Cutcliffe said. “I think we can have a good football team. You can’t think it though, you have to be one.”
The Blue Devils (0-1) squandered a program-record rushing day from Mataeo Durant and surrendered the go-ahead touchdown with 33 seconds left in the 31-28 loss to a team that had never beaten a power-conference program.
Digging deeper, Cutcliffe pointed to the 49ers gaining 218 yards on six plays. And there was also the goal-line fumble on a keeper from first-time starting quarterback Gunnar Holmberg.
“You have to seize those moments,” Cutcliffe said. “Some of them were where we could’ve gotten off the field. Offensively the opportunities to score points were there throughout the game and we didn’t take advantage of those opportunities.”
The Aggies (0-1) are coming off a road loss at Furman in the Big South Conference program’s first game since December 2019 due to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Carolina A&T had a mistake-filled performance with two turnovers, one coming at the Furman goal line, and 10 penalties for 105 yards.
“I give you my word we’ll be better prepared this upcoming week,” Aggies coach Sam Washington said.
The Aggies and Blue Devils have met once before, with Duke taking a 45-13 home win in the 2019 season.
Duke has dropped its season opener for the third year in a row.
"I wouldn't count this team out by any means," Cutcliffe said.
Prediction:
This game is all about how bad Duke will play...
Duke 38
NC A&T 28