Change at Duke Quarterback? David Cutcliffe Addresses the Position
A week after Duke’s offense turned the ball over five times against Boston College, the Blue Devils reached a new low. Duke was even worse against Virginia, turning it over seven times, including four interceptions by Chase Brice, who now has six interceptions and seven turnovers in two weeks.
Brice won the quarterback job over Chris Katrenick and Gunnar Holmberg, with coach David Cutcliffe saying ball security was a key factor.
Holmberg got in for one series, late, and fumbled the ball away to set up a UVA touchdown. Katrenick also got in for a series and was sacked or tackled for a loss on three straight plays to lose the ball on downs.
After Saturday’s 38-20 loss in Charlottesville, he wasn’t ready to commit to a change at the position.
“I don’t think I can go there that quick after a ball game until I watch tape,” he said. “We work all three of those guys every week. We certainly always will be looking at that position, just like any other position, but I don’t need to create anything just yet. Let’s see where we are and what exactly happened.”
Cutcliffe also addressed the turnovers.
“I’m seeing it in real time,” he said. “I don’t see any replay, like you guys do. Certainly, I think there were a couple times where the ball was forced. I think pressure had a lot to do with it. I have to look at every bit of this and see where it all came from. We’ve got to protect the quarterback better. That’s part of my job too—to put ourselves in position to do that, and we always have to make great decisions at quarterback when it comes to taking care of the ball.”
