Duke passing list: Quentin Harris moves into top 30

In an ongoing series, we'll track quarterback Quentin Harris' progress up three of Duke's career passing lists: Yards, completions and touchdowns. Rather than just listing who he's jumped on the list, however, we'll try to dig into the history books and introduce ... or re-introduce ... you to the former Blue Devils who should be more than just names in a media guide.

Quentin Harris continued his climb up the Duke career passing charts.

Harris finished with 237 yards passing on Saturday, which moved him up six spots on the yardage list, to No. 30.

Harris passed:

Worth Lutz (969 yards): A quarterback and fullback for Duke from 1951 to 1954, Lutz was All-Southern Conference in 1952. Nicknamed Worth “a million,” Lutz is perhaps best known for getting stopped on a fourth-down quarterback sneak at the goal line that ended a 14-13 loss to Army in 1954. Prior to the play, assistants on the sideline had thrown the kicking tee onto the field to prepare for the potential game winning field goal. Lutz threw it back and called his own number. He went on to found Durham’s Habitat for Humanity.

Todd Orvald (1,007): Duke’s quarterback from 1964 to 1966. He was the first Duke quarterback to throw three touchdowns in his first start, against Georgia Tech. Harris is the most recent to do so. Orvald went on to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Gil Garner (1,014): Was Duke’s quarterback from 1960 to 1962. In his first year, he was a backup on the team that reached the Cotton Bowl. While he didn’t play much, the bowl experience changed his life. When Duke arrived in Dallas for the game, they were met at the airport (appropriately named Love Field) by a welcoming committee of SMU female students, who presented each player with a Stetson. Garner married the girl that handed him his hat, and the couple has been together for more than 50 years.

Sonny Jurgensen (1,128): He played quarterback and defensive back for Duke from 1954 to 1956. Jurgensen also played on the baseball team. He’s best known for his Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Eagles and Redskins.

Bob Brodhead (1,139): He played for Duke from 1956 to 1958. The start of his pro career was delayed by a stint in the armed services, but he eventually played for Saskatchewan in the CFL and the Buffalo Bills of the AFL. He later served as GM of the Houston Oilers and athletic director of LSU.

Zack Asack (1,168): The starter as a freshman in 2005, he was suspended in 2006 for plagiarism. When he returned, he backed up Thaddeus Lewis in 2007 and on David Cutcliffe’s first team in 2008. He had planned to move to safety for his senior year but was dismissed from the team prior to the 2009 season for violation of team policy.

Harris’ 24 completions in the game gave him 107, moving him up nine spots on that list, into a tie for 26.

He passed Brodhead and Garner on that list, as well as Jerry Barger, Matt Rader, Don Altman, Ron Sally, Steve Prince, Brandon Connette and tied Stanley Driskell.

Don Altman: Duke’s quarterback in 1959 and 1960, he threw the game-winning touchdown in Duke’s 7-6 win over Arkansas in the 1960/61 Cotton Bowl. He went on to pitch three years in the minor leagues for the Houston Astros, including a 1-2 record in two seasons with the Durham Bulls.

Matt Rader: He split time with David Green for Fred Goldsmith’s 1996 Blue Devils, then transferred to Penn after he was asked to move to defense for Duke. He was second-team All-Ivy League at Penn, passing for 3,858 yards and 20 touchdowns in two years with the Quakers.

Harris’ four touchdowns gave him 16 for his career, breaking a tie with Walt Rappold and Mike Schneider and moving him up four spots, into a tie for 14. He passed Spencer Romine and Adam Smith, tying Connette and D Bryant.

We’ll have profiles of Barger, Sally, Prince, Connette, Driskell, Romine, Smith and Bryant in future weeks, as Harris passes them on the yardage chart.