David Cutcliffe’s overtime preparation sets Duke up for historic victory

Back in 2001, David Cutcliffe was on the losing end of the longest FBS football game ever played—a seven-overtime affair between Arkansas and his Ole Miss Rebels. The experience caused him to spend much time preparing for future overtime situations.

"You better learn when you win or lose, but you darn sure better learn when you lose," he said.

Thanks to some of those lessons learned, the No. 23 Blue Devils prevailed in the longest game in ACC history, winning 45-43 at Virginia Tech.

Cutcliffe developed an overtime checklist, which he considers proprietary information that gives the Blue Devils an edge. Among the items on the list: practice, practice, practice. Everything from the way the signalers relay the plays and substitutions are made—the players are much consistently much further from the midfield benches in overtime situations—to a weekly pre-selected list of plays on a game sheet is reviewed.

"We practice overtime in (preseason) camp," Cutcliffe said. We make a big deal out of it. We have the coin toss, and you do different ends of the field and all those good things. You hope there is an imagery that they are going to be successful.

"And as a coaching staff, we discuss it every week," Cutcliffe said of overtime situations. "We prepare it every week."

The Blue Devils (6-1, 3-0 ACC) scored a field goal, touchdown, field goal and touchdown and two-point conversion, respectively, on their four overtime possessions. Kicker Ross Martin missed a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter—his foot got too much of the ground, he said—and a potential game-winning 46-yarder with 1:04 left in regulation off of the right upright. He has only missed four field goals in two years—all against the Hokies—but he was able to convert when the stakes were highest.

The tenor of the game changed in the third quarter, when the Hokies (3-5, 1-3 ACC) marched 95 yards down the field on a 20-play drive that took 9:46 off the clock—the longest drive in Frank Beamer’s long tenure at Virginia Tech. Obviously, it took a toll on Duke’s defense.

"You just had to keep pushing through," safety Jeremy Cash said of the mentality. "I know people were tired. After they went in the end zone, I went on the sideline, ‘hey we’ve got to catch our breath, because this game isn’t over.’"

As it turned out, the defense had several more drives to defend. The most crucial stop came in the fourth overtime, when the Hokies were, by the rules of overtime, forced to attempt a two-point conversion after a one-yard touchdown run by Travon McMillian. Brewer’s pass fell incomplete.

"We actually knew what play they were going to run, based off of the formation and watching it on film throughout the week," Cash said. "They ran that play twice against N.C. State. So, we were actually prepared for it."

On the very next snap, Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery called a pass designed to go to tight end Erich Schneider. His job was to sell a screen before breaking up the left sideline to the end zone.

"When the play call comes in, you go, oh, wow, I could make a play here," Schneider said of his elevated nerves.

He executed it perfectly, beat his man in 1-on-1 coverage and was open at the pylon.

On Duke’s mandatory two-point conversion attempt, the call was for a quick sprint-out pass. But nobody was open, and Sirk didn’t want to force a ball and extend the game to a fifth overtime. So, he went to plan B: tuck and run.

"They brought a lot of guys to the right side of the field, and it opened up a running lane to the left," Sirk said. "I just had to trust myself and trust my legs."

All of Duke’s preparation paid off as Sirk crossed into the end zone for the 45-43 win. And as much as the mental preparation for overtime was necessary, so, too, was the grinding, physical kind.

"All that conditioning we did in the spring and summer really paid off," DeVon Edwards said.

Cutcliffe joked that he has made every mistake possible over his long coaching career. But while Virginia Tech was struggling with game management—running just three plays before a missed 67-yard field goal attempt in the final 1:04 of regulation was ugly—Cutcliffe’s organization and preparation served Duke well. A team can never be too ready for even the unlikeliest of scenarios.

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This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 9:31 PM with the headline "David Cutcliffe’s overtime preparation sets Duke up for historic victory."