A Look Back
The Blue Devils finished the 2005 season 1-10 overall and sixth in the Coastal Division with a 0-8 league mark … three of the 10 losses were by seven points or less … LB Michael Brown led all ACC freshmen in tackles per game (7.6) and was named as the ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News … DB John Talley earned first team All-ACC honors after finishing ninth nationally in interceptions (0.45).
Who’s Gone
Duke loses 13 starters, including two four-year starters - LB Brendan Dewan and DB Brian Greene - and four starters on the offensive line and a three-year starter at tight end … Dewan was third on the team in tackles in 2005 (55) … Greene had two interceptions and was second on the team in tackles (60) from his safety position … TE Andy Roland had 13 receptions for 176 yards in 2005 and finished his career with 79 receptions for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns.
Senior Cornerback
John Talley
|
Who’s Back
Third-year head coach Ted Roof welcomes back 37 lettermen, including 10 starters - the second-lowest total in the ACC … the Blue Devils do return their top three rushing leaders - Justin Boyle (458), Ronnie Drummer (337) and Re’quan Boyette (252), who combined to rush for 1,047 yards and 12 touchdowns a year ago … also back is WR Eron Riley … seven starters return defensively, including three two-year starters and five of the top seven tacklers from a year ago, including first team All-ACC DB John Talley and LB Michael Taulilli, who led all freshmen nationally with 84 tackles.
Numbers
7 - True freshmen to start for the Blue Devils in 2005.
9 - TB Justin Boyle had nine rushing touchdowns as a sophomore in 2005, the most by a Blue Devil since 1995.
10.2 - Yards per carry by junior TB Ronnie Drummer in 2005 … ran for 337 yards on 33 carries as a sophomore in 2005 … was fifth in the ACC in kickoff returns (23.9).
11 - Senior CB John Talley is tied for the lead among all returning players nationally with 11 career interceptions … a first team All-ACC selection in 2005, Talley ranks fourth all-time in the ACC with 245 career interception return yards.
14 - True freshmen to play for the Blue Devils in each of the past two seasons.
75.0 - Field goal percentage of freshmen kicker Joe Surgan … made good on six of eight field goal attempts in 2005, including 4-of-5 from 40 yards or more.
84 - As a true freshman in 2005, LB Michael Brown finished ninth in the ACC and led all freshmen with 85 tackles and nine tackles for loss.
1,047 - Justin Boyle, Ronnie Drummer and Ra’quan Boyette combined to rush for 1,047 yards and 12 touchdowns a year ago.
Ted Roof was named Duke’s 20th head coach on December 6, 2003, after serving as interim head coach for the final five weeks of the 2003 season. Under Roof’s guidance, Duke snapped a 30-game losing streak in ACC play with a 41-17 victory over Georgia Tech on November 8, 2003, before closing out the season with a 30-22 win over North Carolina, the Blue Devils’ first win over the Tar Heels since 1989. Duke placed two players - Chris Douglas and Matt Zielinski - on the 2003 All-ACC first team, marking the first time more than one Blue Devil has been honored with the distinction since 1994. In 2004, Roof led the Blue Devils to a 16-13 victory over a hot Clemson team, handing the Tigers their only loss in their final six games of the season. Roof, who was nominated in 2000 for the Broyles Award given to the nation’s top assistant coach, previously served as an assistant coach at Duke from 1990-93. Before returning to Durham, Roof was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, from 1999-01. In 2002, Roof directed the Blue Devil defense to marked improvements from the previous season. After finishing ninth in the ACC against the run in 2001, Duke led the league in rushing defense a year later by allowing just 120.5 yards per game on the ground. In 2003, the Blue Devils jumped from ninth in passing defense in the ACC to a third-place standing. At Georgia Tech, Roof coached the linebackers in 1998 before being elevated to defensive coordinator prior to the 1999 season. In 1998, the Yellow Jackets went 10-2 and shared the ACC title with Florida State, while the 1999 Tech team went 8-4 and finished the year ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll. In 2000, the Yellow Jacket defense ranked 12th in the nation in rushing defense and 20th in scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, as Georgia Tech posted a 9-3 record and was ranked 17th in the final national poll.
