David Cutcliffe: Duke sticking with triple option long-term

Duke made all three of its fourth-down attempts against Georgia Tech, keeping its offense on the field on the way to a 41-23 win over the Yellow Jackets.

Coach David Cutcliffe said he has faith in his players to convert the down.

“I mess with them all the time about it,” he said, “because you know I’m gonna do it. They already know that. I tell them all the time, ‘You either love me or you don’t. If you don’t make it, ya’ll don’t love me anymore. I get it.’”

While going for it on fourth is a risk, Cutcliffe only attempts it when the numbers favor him.

“I think you have to understand, those circumstances are in our favor,” he said. “We intend to keep the ball, go down and score. We have trust and belief in our players. If I didn’t believe in them, I wouldn’t do it. I’m an analytical guy, and all the analytics are what I follow—yard-line, distance—that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Often, when it was fourth and short against Georgia Tech, Cutcliffe went to the triple option, the offense Tech ran until coach Paul Johnson retired after last season.

“Little reversal of roles right there,” Cutcliffe said. “I know Paul loves those kids, but I’ll probably call him tonight and say thank you.”

Cutcliffe isn’t looking at the triple option like a quirk or fad. It’s part of Duke’s scheme to stay.

“I’ve always believed in what they did,” he said. “It gives us a little bit of a physical edge. We’re gonna continue to grow it. We spent a lot of time working on this. We’re not backing down from it—not this year or next year or the next.”