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NATSman
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Some insight into Cutcliffe's approach and personality.
The reason I'm pasting the entire article rather than a link is to save everyone the trouble of registration which is req'd to read.
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Cutcliffe has Devils' focus on Yellow Jackets
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Oct 1, 2008DURHAM -- For about two seconds, it sounded like one of the most blatant cases of bulletin board-bound trash talk in college football history. "I've hated yellow jackets since I was 8 years old," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. Duke faces the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech in a key ACC matchup Saturday (noon, ESPNU), but it instantly became obvious that those weren't the Yellow Jackets that Cutcliffe was talking about. "I was out cutting grass," Cutcliffe continued, "and I ran over a nest in the ground of yellow jackets. I don't know how many of you have been stung by 'em, but it doesn't feel good. They got after me, and I was mad. I hated them. "So I went and got me some diesel fuel and I put it in a sprayer, and I went back on the attack. If you put diesel fuel on them, they can't fly, so I nailed them with the diesel fuel and then went and got me a match. There went the yellow jackets. "It's not that easy with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. They're a little tougher than that." Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1 ACC) was on fire in its last game, a 38-7 romp over Mississippi State on Sept. 20 made even more impressive by an early-game hamstring injury suffered by quarterback Josh Nesbitt that forced true freshman Jaybo Shaw to take over first-year Coach Paul Johnson's option attack. It's still unclear which quarterback will start Saturday, but either one could sting Duke (3-1, 1-0). Just one-third of the way into the season, Georgia Tech's offense already has produced 27 plays of 20 or more yards, including nine touchdowns. Georgia Tech had 11 scoring plays of 20 or more yards all of last season. Duke should be prepared for the option, having already beaten Navy -- Johnson's old team. Yet in that game, Duke did give up 31 points. "It's the same offense with better talent," Cutcliffe said. "Paul Johnson obviously, I don't think there's anybody that knows the offense as well as he does -- no offense to the people at Navy. He knows the offense and knows how to adjust it. "And he's seen us against Navy so he has a pretty good general idea about some of our philosophies to stop the option. So we're going to have to play a little cat and mouse." Soon after Cutcliffe's anecdote proved to be anything but trash talk, he swung the pendulum in the other direction, heaping piles of praise on the Yellow Jackets. "This is certainly the best team we've played, far and away," he said. "We've got to play great in all areas -- and I mean great -- to have a chance to stay on the field." In reality, the jury is still out on Georgia Tech just as it is on Duke, which is off to its best start since 1998 but is facing its first road game. The Blue Devils have dropped 16 consecutive ACC road games and haven't won an ACC game outside the state of North Carolina since 1999. Next up for the Blue Devils is an open date, followed by homecoming against Miami. You can almost hear Cutcliffe now. "I hate hurricanes," he might start out.
The reason I'm pasting the entire article rather than a link is to save everyone the trouble of registration which is req'd to read.
======================================
Cutcliffe has Devils' focus on Yellow Jackets
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Oct 1, 2008DURHAM -- For about two seconds, it sounded like one of the most blatant cases of bulletin board-bound trash talk in college football history. "I've hated yellow jackets since I was 8 years old," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. Duke faces the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech in a key ACC matchup Saturday (noon, ESPNU), but it instantly became obvious that those weren't the Yellow Jackets that Cutcliffe was talking about. "I was out cutting grass," Cutcliffe continued, "and I ran over a nest in the ground of yellow jackets. I don't know how many of you have been stung by 'em, but it doesn't feel good. They got after me, and I was mad. I hated them. "So I went and got me some diesel fuel and I put it in a sprayer, and I went back on the attack. If you put diesel fuel on them, they can't fly, so I nailed them with the diesel fuel and then went and got me a match. There went the yellow jackets. "It's not that easy with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. They're a little tougher than that." Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1 ACC) was on fire in its last game, a 38-7 romp over Mississippi State on Sept. 20 made even more impressive by an early-game hamstring injury suffered by quarterback Josh Nesbitt that forced true freshman Jaybo Shaw to take over first-year Coach Paul Johnson's option attack. It's still unclear which quarterback will start Saturday, but either one could sting Duke (3-1, 1-0). Just one-third of the way into the season, Georgia Tech's offense already has produced 27 plays of 20 or more yards, including nine touchdowns. Georgia Tech had 11 scoring plays of 20 or more yards all of last season. Duke should be prepared for the option, having already beaten Navy -- Johnson's old team. Yet in that game, Duke did give up 31 points. "It's the same offense with better talent," Cutcliffe said. "Paul Johnson obviously, I don't think there's anybody that knows the offense as well as he does -- no offense to the people at Navy. He knows the offense and knows how to adjust it. "And he's seen us against Navy so he has a pretty good general idea about some of our philosophies to stop the option. So we're going to have to play a little cat and mouse." Soon after Cutcliffe's anecdote proved to be anything but trash talk, he swung the pendulum in the other direction, heaping piles of praise on the Yellow Jackets. "This is certainly the best team we've played, far and away," he said. "We've got to play great in all areas -- and I mean great -- to have a chance to stay on the field." In reality, the jury is still out on Georgia Tech just as it is on Duke, which is off to its best start since 1998 but is facing its first road game. The Blue Devils have dropped 16 consecutive ACC road games and haven't won an ACC game outside the state of North Carolina since 1999. Next up for the Blue Devils is an open date, followed by homecoming against Miami. You can almost hear Cutcliffe now. "I hate hurricanes," he might start out.
