Duke's David Cutcliffe on the 0-4 Start

Slump is the worst to open season in coach's career

Duke football has had long winless streaks to start seasons before, but they all came before David Cutcliffe took over as coach, until this year’s 0-4 start.

“I have not been 0-4 as a head coach,” Cutcliffe said, “but I was 0-6 at Tennessee as an assistant, and it wasn’t much fun. What can happen from it, if you’re willing to learn, if you’re willing to work, we went from 0-6 to 5-6 and the very next year to 11-1. I will never forget those lessons.”

The lessons involve avoiding finger pointing and working together.

“One of the things you have to do is be a great teammate,” Cutcliffe said. “You have to be true to each other. You can’t start thinking, ‘Well, what if such and such did this?’ I think the biggest thing is us pulling together is the only possible path. We have enough playmakers to find a way to win football games.”

With the unique experience of the pandemic scrambling preseason preparation, Cutcliffe and the coaches are on an unfamiliar path.

“I don’t know exactly what you have to do, step-by-step. We’re learning, because it’s difficult, what we’re dealing with. What I do know is you have to fight, and you have to fight together. So I’m anxious to see how many great teammates we have on this team, and I believe in my heart it’ll be everyone.”

“I think it’s always harder when you lose,” Cutcliffe continued. “When you’re in a losing streak, a slump, you have to deal with the negativity that comes into your mind. You wake up and you can’t believe it’s happening to you. The best way to deal with that is not independently. The best way is to keep striving and working.”