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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 17, 2018

David Cutcliffe

Greensboro, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.

Coach, please make an opening statement and then we'll take questions.

DAVID CUTCLIFFE: Playing a really, really, really good Virginia team. Coach Mendenhall and his staff do as good a job of coaching all three phases. They're as balanced a team as you'll play every year now. No secret to why they've won.

Virginia is a talented team. Obviously on offense, the runningback, quarterback, receivers, tight ends, are all weapons. But certainly a quarterback that can beat you in multiple ways.

Defensively they've got a lot of really good just football players, guys that can make plays. Thornhill does a great job just playing well. Talented athlete. So they pose a lot of problems.

In the kicking game, they play extremely hard, extremely well. Our focus has been on Duke. We have to get better to be able to compete with them. We have to practice well to put ourselves in positions to be successful.

With that I'll take any questions.

Q. Another kind of general trending question for you. We've had four years of the College Football Playoff. 11 of the 16 spots have been occupied by four programs. Do you think that overwhelming majority among four programs is the result or the case of an unintended consequence in forming the Playoffs? Do you think it's a trend we should be concerned about? Do you think it should lead to more teams in the Playoffs?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I would not ever push for more teams in the Playoffs. This isn't really a tournament sport. If you start trying to turn it into a tournament, it's not going to work.

But the second thing, it certainly has been a trend. It's kind of happened that way throughout the history of college football, that the top teams over certain periods, certain eras kind of remain the top teams year in, year out. It's an indication of how well they're recruited, established program, emphasis of football in that community, so to speak.

I don't know if you can do anything to change it. It's kind of what the free world is all about. You do see some outliers, but it's tough when you look at the talent level at certain programs, you got to really challenge yourselves as a program all around.

I think you'll see some changes. It's kind of done that, where the power shifts. There's some programs right on that edge. That's what makes it special.

I'll tell you where our tournament is, and this is where every team is held accountable, all of us, is that the regular season is our tournament. If you want to be in that dance, that really big dance, you got to play great all year long. That's a big part of our sport. It's why our regular season is one of the more healthy regular seasons in all of sport.

I hope that's what you wanted.

Q. I had a chance to talk to Daniel Jones. He mentioned he hasn't played particularly well against Virginia in his previous outings. Why do you think that is?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I think Virginia plays good defense. I don't think there's any other real reason. I've got to do a better job of having him prepared. Any time a player doesn't perform what they think is their best level, I always look at myself. Got to put our players in good positions to be successful. That's my job.

Q. Your time coaching him, how has he developed in terms of teams he plays two or three times? Does he gain a better handle or understanding on what they're trying to do?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I think every quarterback does that. You're fortunate when you have a guy that's a two, three, four year starter in your program. I think they all gain insight. He's really, really bright. What he's done is he's grown not just in any one opponent, his approach to preparation, his approach to studying team, his approach to how focused you have to be on practice, to being an owner on the practice field.

I think the quarterback has to be an owner out there because everybody on that offense affects him. Sometimes when you don't play well, it's not all on you. But your responsibility is there. I think Daniel has done a better job of being a great practice player. That will serve him well as he continues to grow.

Q. In looking at the ACC stats this week, it appears that Duke is in the top half of virtually every defensive category, which I guess hasn't been the reputation over the years. What do you feel proudest of your defense?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I think it's been such a team effort. Ben Albert, Matt Guerrieri, Kirk Benedict, who is our special teams coordinator also work in the defensive staff, just been an emphasis of trying to make a team effort of getting better.

Recruiting is better. Our commitment from our players, it's really a good focus. It's something we believe we can really build on. I don't think we've seen the best Duke defense yet. We're working very hard to continue to grow that.

Q. Something about Georgia Tech's left guard, Parker Braun. I believe you recruited, saw him the other day. Tell me what you've seen in him in the game, on tape.
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: You want to talk about now or while we recruited him?

Q. Talk about now.
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: Okay, sure.

Parker is an explosive guy, strong. Comes off the football, blocks the first level and the second level well. If I had to pick one thing about him, obviously I've watched him a lot in his career, not just this past week, is that his toughness and his tenacity. He competes hard. He stays after you the entire play, wire to wire. He's one of those guys that plays till the whistle blows.

Q. Talk about Virginia's defense. They played a really good game against Miami. What do you have to do on the offensive side on Saturday afternoon?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: Bronco Mendenhall is one of the better defensive coaches I've known. We've known each other quite some time. I studied what they did when they were at BYU because I thought they were good the at what they do.

I thought they were extremely well-respected for Miami. It almost seemed as if they were one step ahead the entire game. They do a great mixture of their defenses, great blend of different types of things, different personnel, use their personnel well.

I think you have to have a very focused offensive team. You have to have a team that can handle their versatility. You got to be proactive. If you become reactive to what Virginia is doing, you're going to be a step behind.

You try to put your plan in, believe it. I think what they do for me is they make you prepare really, really, really hard. They got a lot to prepare for. We've tried to be focused in practice. But they require that you do that. I think they have a bunch of good football players. I mean, they're good athletes, but I'm talking about good football players that know what they're doing. They also have just a tremendous scheme.

Q. What is it like coaching in a rivalry game that's dated back to 1890?
DAVID CUTCLIFFE: Since I'm old and I was in the first one, it's really unique? I think I've been around for all of them, what I feel like sometimes (laughter).

I think it's fun. Any rivalry game, I've been fortunate and blessed to be involved with a bunch of great rivalries. This is unique. It really is. I spent quite a bit of time off and on through the years up at Charlottesville before I was at Duke. It's a great university setting, as is Duke.

I think it's a good rivalry again student bodies, not just teams, sports teams.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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