Notre Dame Week: Duke's David Cutcliffe Talks Irish

Blue Devils headed to South Bend for first game

It was far from a sure thing during the long and eventful offseason, but it’s game week for Duke football.

“We get to talk about a season, a real game, game week 2020,” David Cutcliffe said. “Nothing has been normal about this year.”

The Blue Devils will open the year against a top 10 Notre Dame team on the road.

“We’re starting at a very historical place,” Cutcliffe said. “College football has been such a great part of Notre Dame, the institution. I think it’s unique, and it’s appropriate that 2020 opens in South Bend. They’re a top 10 team, no doubt, looking at their ability and their talent, but as a program, they’re one of the top five programs in college football. It’s a great opportunity to test your team and energize your team.”

The chance to open with such a spotlight game helped motivate the Blue Devils during summer workouts.

“When we found out we were playing Notre Dame there to open, I think that helped us,” Cutcliffe said, “realizing how big a challenge that is. It really did infuse some energy into our camp, into preseason work and practices. Notre Dame is formidable and physical. They have a great player at quarterback in Ian Book, a great offensive front, plenty of skill around it. Defensively, they have a lot of players back that are big time playmakers. You can see their speed, their strength. They’re outstanding in the kicking game. They have good specialists. Beyond that, their players play hard. They compete. They’re well-coached. We’re going to find out a lot about ourselves.”