Conversion therapy

DURHAM -- Two weeks ago, Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis peered over his offensive line at N.C. State's defense with supreme confidence. It was late in the fourth quarter, and the Blue Devils were facing third-and-2 from their 19-yard line.

Weeks earlier, when Duke ranked as the ACC's worst team in terms of converting third downs, those 2 yards might as well have been 20. But Lewis had been having success on third down all afternoon against the Wolfpack, and he recognized that sophomore receiver Johnny Williams was facing man-to-man coverage in the middle of the field.

Lewis dumped a pass to Williams, who raced 43 yards downfield, setting up another touchdown in what was ultimately a 49-28 rout.

"You've got to love third down," Lewis said, recalling the play. "There's nothing like converting a third down and keeping a drive going."

Duke finished the game 13-for-19 on third-down conversions, handling third-and-long and third-and-short situations with a decidedly improved proficiency. At the start of the season, though, the Blue Devils were simply awful on third downs, converting only 9 of 42 of them into first downs the first three weeks.

That didn't sit well with Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who spent the past three weeks in practice demanding improvement. As the Blue Devils (3-3, 1-1 ACC) return from an off week to host Maryland (2-5, 1-2) today at 1:30 p.m., coaches and players say there is a direct correlation between the team's improved play and their concentration on third down.

The Blue Devils have improved to seventh in the ACC in third-down conversions (38.3 percent).

"That combination has made us be where we think we should be all the time -- a highly efficient third-down team," Cutcliffe said. "We think we have a great third-down scheme. We just weren't executing very well early."

Cutcliffe laid down the challenge in coarse terms unfit for a newspaper, he said.

"They let us know," offensive lineman Kyle Hill said.

Duke coaches studied film of every failed third-down play. They found missed protection assignments from offensive linemen and running backs, poor decisions by quarterbacks and errant routes by receivers.

"We weren't as sharp as we needed to be in execution," offensive coordinator Kurt Roper said. "On your assessment, what you do is say, 'What gives us the best chance to end every error that could take place?' "

The Devils scaled back their variety in third-down situations and now rely on formations that players understand. A more thorough knowledge of plays on that down helps eliminate mistakes, Roper said.

The team also practices third downs in pads to simulate game days. There are series where quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and tight ends run plays against coverages they expect to face. Then there are full-team series, with about 30 plays dedicated to third-down scenarios.

On Tuesdays, Duke's offense practices third-down situations in the red zone. "We just run the plays over and over and over and over again," Williams said.

They also study defensive coverages on film to better understand what a called play means against certain schemes.

With repetition, the offensive line has improved its pass blocking, giving Lewis more time to find openings. Players say there's also been more communication about nuances of plays in practice, something that gives them complete confidence on Saturdays. And the mental reps make all the difference, Lewis said.

Not every team spends as much time practicing third-down situations.

Georgia Tech (6-1, 4-1) has the ACC's best third-down conversion rate of 52.6 percent (51-of-97). Yellow Jackets quarterbacks coach Brian Bohannon said his team, which ranks second in the league in scoring with 32.4 points a game, rarely practices third-down situations. They give the ball to their playmakers and look for them to churn out yards.

"We've got a lot of competitive guys out there that when it comes to that time, they want the ball," Bohannon said.

Duke coaches don't want to rely on converting third downs to score points, but they know the Devils will face them. So it was important to create opportunities for their playmakers.

"I tell the quarterbacks all the time, those guys in the NFL, they make those millions and millions and millions of dollars not because of what they do on first and second downs, but because of what they do on third down," Roper said. "That's when it gets tough. That's when you're going to get a lot of pressure and multiple looks from defenses."

"Offensively, that's the biggest down," junior wide receiver Austin Kelly said. "It's whether you're going to stay on the field or make the defense come back out. It's kind of something we took to heart."

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