Devils Illustrated - Scott shines in first career start

September 26, 2009

A.J. Carr
Special to Devils Illustrated

DURHAM -- The lights were brighter, the noise louder, and the crowd much bigger than what he had ever experienced at Durham's Hillside high school.

Under those circumstances, and in his first collegiate start, Desmond Scott ran more like a seasoned running back than a freshman battling stage fright.

From his opening kickoff return to his last blast from scrimmage, Scott's Duke debut before hometown folks was solid in the Blue Devils' 49-14 rout of cross-town opponent, N.C. Central, at wet Wallace Wade Stadium.

In 16 carries he gained 100 yards, the first time a Duke back has reached the century mark since Re'quan Boyette ground out that many in 2006.

Because freshmen aren't permitted to participate in post-game interviews, it was difficult to know exactly what Scott was feeling or thinking before 26,390 fans -- and after riding the bench for the first three games.

While the 5-10, 185-pound rookie spoke with his body language on the field, Duke teammates and coach David Cutcliffe provided some words.

"In his first game, not to be scared, he played like a veteran,'' said quarterback Thad Lewis. "[Doing that] before the home crowd, it shows his maturity.

"He was a patient runner and the more carries he got the more comfortable he was. He was making moves, making guys miss."

Scott, ranked as the nation's No. 5 all-purpose prospect by Rivals.com when he was running rampant at Hillside High, showed speed, elusiveness, and a determined second-effort. His longest run was a shifty, 23-yard TD jaunt in the first period, when Duke bolted into a quick 21-0 lead.

"Desmond was ready,'' Cutcliffe said. "He's got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but he's got a lot of quickness, capability and strength. He's got a lot of confidence, and that's a good thing. Sometimes we have to harness a little bit of that.

"His vision was good,'' Cutcliffe went on. "He hit the line of scrimmage, made a decision and then went North-South. I like that."

In the first three games, Scott -- while promising -- was a forlorn figue down on the depth chart behind Boyette (injured) and Joe Hollingsworth (injured).

He wasn't in the running back picture. He is now, along with punishing Patrick Kurunwune, a redshirt freshman who contributed 93 yards.

Of course, both backs benefited from strong blocking against hard-scrapping, but over-matched Central. For more perspective, the Eagles -- still making the transition into Division I -- are not like the Virginia Tech Hokies who will come to Wade Stadium next week.

"It gets serious,'' Cutcliffe said, looking toward Tech. "It's a real opportunity next week for [Desmond]."

Feel Good Night

Overall, Saturday's final score was highly predictable, yet what Duke needed after a 44-16 loss at Kansas last week. While not a win to gloat about, it was good for self esteem, and in the words of Cutcliffe, something to build on heading into ACC play.

After averaging just 61 yards rushing in the first three games, Duke netted 233 on the ground and totaled 487. The 49 points also was the most racked up since a 51-26 win over Wake Forest in 1994, the last season the Blue Devils posted a winning record.

In the process, Cutcliffe noted that quarterback Thaddeus Lewis played his best game of the season, completing 17 of 25 passes for 189 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a third score after bouncing back from a first half injury, when he tweaked an ankle.

"I felt like myself,'' Lewis said. "I played faster than in previous games."

Cutcliffe especially reveled in the effort and execution of his Devils in the final 30 minutes, when they expanded a 28-14 halftime lead.

The first-meeting ever between these two teams wasn't a lost cause for Central. The school got enormous exposure throughout the week, competed, and made several sparkling plays. One came on a 55-yard pass from quarterback Michael Johnson to receiver Geovonie Irvine, both of whom played with Scott at Hillside.

"It was a good thing for Durham,'' Cutcliffe said of the matchup. "It turned out as good as it was supposed to."

Extra Motivation

Perhaps Duke drew additional inspiration from the presence of the 1989 ACC Co-Champion Blue Devils, which were honored on the field.

Steve Spurrier, who guided that Duke team and now coaches South Carolina, spoke to the current Blue Devils before Saturday's game.

On Friday night, Tom Lehman -- in the area competing in the SAS Championship -- talked with the players on Friday night.

Whatever, the Devils -- and especially Des Scott -- were swinging in the rain Saturday night.

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