Match-up with Stanford awaits Duke football in 2011

Duke

Match-up with Stanford awaits Duke football in 2011

Feb 14, 2011

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Durham, N.C. — Seven home games including a date with Orange Bowl champion Stanford highlight the 2011 Duke football schedule released by the ACC office on Monday afternoon.

Duke’s 12 opponents combined for a 2010 overall record of 85-68 (.556) with eight bowl berths. Three schools – Stanford (4th), Virginia Tech (16th) and Florida State (17th) – were ranked in last season’s final Associated Press poll.

Under the direction of head coach David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils will open the 2011 season at home against Richmond on September 3. One week later, Stanford will visit Wallace Wade Stadium. On September 17, Duke will kick off ACC action by travelling to face Boston College before closing the month at home with a non-league tilt versus Tulane the following week.

"We open with a big test both first and second weeks, we’re going to have to be ready," said Cutcliffe Monday. "We have some experience 17 returning starters and we’re young, that’s good. I think this team is going to get better and better as the season goes, but I think that as the schedule goes, this team is going to be tested early about as much as any team we’ve ever had."

On October 1, Duke concludes the non-conference portion of the 2011 slate by travelling to face Florida International in Miami. Following an open date on October 8, Duke will have three straight home games against Florida State (October 15), Wake Forest (October 22) and reigning ACC champion Virginia Tech (October 29).

After ACC road contests at Miami (November 5) and Virginia (November 12) open the final month of the regular season, the Blue Devils entertain Georgia Tech on November 19 prior to closing the campaign against North Carolina in Chapel Hill one week later.

Duke returns 43 lettermen and 17 starters for Cutcliffe’s fourth squad. The Blue Devils open spring practice on February 16 and will host the program’s annual Spring Game on Saturday, March 26 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

"Excited about Wednesday, we should have approx 80 players dressed out and ready," said Cutcliffe. The Blue Devils will be without four players for the entire spring, OLB Kelby Brown who is still recovering from knee surgery, DE Kenny Anunike (knee), S Lee Butler (shoulder) and S Quan Stevenson who is undergoing additional surgery to correct a previous leg injury.

2011 Duke Football Schedule (2010 Record; Bowl result)

SEPTEMBER

3 – RICHMOND (6-5)

10 – STANFORD (12-1; defeated Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl, 40-12)

17 – at Boston College (7-6; lost to Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, 20-13)

24 – TULANE (4-8)

OCTOBER

1 – at Florida International (7-6; defeated Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl, 34-32)

8 – Open

15 – FLORIDA STATE (10-4; defeated South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, 26-17)

22 – WAKE FOREST (3-9)

29 – VIRGINIA TECH (11-3; lost to Stanford in the Discover Orange Bowl, 40-12)