Steady diet of quarterback runs helps Duke beat Virginia Tech

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk had a wicked cough after the Blue Devils’ 45-43 four-overtime win at Virginia Tech, the type of cough that forced him to stop talking several times.

But he knew his throat wasn’t the only thing that was going to be sore the next day.

That’s what 18 rushing attempts for a career-high 109 yards will do to a body.

“I know that was part of the game plan,” he said. “I knew I had to go out there, and I had to run the ball.”

When Duke lost to Northwestern on Sept 19, head coach David Cutcliffe was unhappy with how many times Sirk decided to tuck and run the ball, exposing himself to unnecessary contact. But that was then, and the now called for a steady diet of those kinds of quarterback runs.

Because Virginia Tech is willing to play man-to-man pass coverage in the secondary, the Hokies have extra defenders to commit to stopping the run. In order to get enough blockers to match up with run coverage defenders, the quarterback must become the primary runner and absorb the contact that comes with that role.

“We know where we are in this stage of our season,” Cutcliffe said. “We’re playing to win games.”

If the quarterback gets through the line of scrimmage, then there is room to run, as the other defensive backs are tied up downfield guarding their man. At this point, this is a tried-and-true gameplan to beating the Hokies. ECU backup quarterback James Summers ran for 169 yards in the Pirates win earlier this year.

Sirk averaged 6.1 yards per carry and didn’t lose a yard, a testament to his offensive line and his ability to pick the right hole to hit as he takes off from the shotgun.

And one more group deserves credit for Sirk’s success: Duke’s running backs. Outside of one 58-yard option pitch touchdown run by Shaun Wilson, the Blue Devils’ running backs had 11 carries for 10 yards. But they spent most of the game doing the unsung work of blocking for Sirk.

“A lot of those lead draws, our backs are sticking their nose in there hitting a mike linebacker,” Sirk said, “And that makes it all possible.”

On the most important run of the game, Sirk’s three-yard rush for the winning two-point conversion, running back Shaquille Powell was knocked down while blocking defensive end Dadi Nicolas at the 5-yard line. But he got up, and helped clear just enough space near the goal line for Sirk to power through 283-pound defensive tackle Luther Maddy and score.

“Let’s also not forget how good of job our running backs, who weren’t getting the ball a lot, did blocking for Thomas,” Cutcliffe said. “I saw multiple outstanding blocks. That’s the only way you get enough hats against them.”

Anytime a quarterback can win a conference game on the road – a four-overtime game in a hostile environment, no less – that means he is getting better, Cutcliffe said. And with the toughest part of Duke’s schedule upcoming, Sirk is growing into his position at an ideal time.

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Steady diet of quarterback runs helps Duke beat Virginia Tech."