Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff Wednesday, July 21, 2021 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Duke Blue Devils Coach David Cutcliffe Q. You led the nation in turnovers last year. How do Press Conference you emphasize and discipline and get that message to your team about ball security?

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Cutcliffe. DAVID CUTCLIFFE: That is not the first time I've heard that question (smiling). Rightfully so. Q. Ended the season at Notre Dame, held them to no first downs in the first quarter. Until they had a fake Obviously, we have studied that. I've never had an issue punt that worked, you were dominating the game. with that in my career until the last two years. Again, that From that promising start, what were some of the goes back to habits. It goes back to a head coach. You factors that happened to cause Duke's season to get select the people on the staff, the players, everybody away from you? involved. You create a practice schedule that creates good habits, if you're doing a good job. DAVID CUTCLIFFE: That's the first time I've been asked that question. We asked ourselves that quite a bit as But then most importantly you evaluate it. I've gone back reviewed during the season. and looked at practice tape, just random Tuesday and Wednesday practices. If you're not doing everything you I thought we played well. We were healthier than we had should do, every drill matters when it comes to ball been. We had an unusual off-season where 140 days our security. It matters that your team, and I believe these team was not together, couldn't come to campus. I think young men believe me, they have to do a better job of there were so many different factors. giving them ownership.

But in the end, as I viewed it, I learned a lot of lessons for a If you rant and rave about ball security, it's like being in a 45th year of coaching just how important my job as a head slump or when I couldn't hit free throws, whatever. The coach is of putting everybody in the best position they can more you hear negative, maybe the tougher it gets to get be. out of that slump.

There are no excuses. You go play to win, and regardless I'm asking our squad to own their habits. I'm asking our of what your team looks like. I think I learned the culture, staff collectively to own that habit. But my job, it still falls the chemistry of a team is built from January. I've had an on David Cutcliffe to ensure as a head football coach this is old saying, there's an old farmer's saying that you plant all happening right. well in the spring or beg well come fall. I think I realized more and more how critically important planting from So I take full responsibility. And if you don't take care of January all the way through the summer is to be able to the football, you're not going to win. That's been the sustain a season. biggest issue we have faced on the scoreboard. The only statistic that really matters is points per game. I don't know I'm very proud of those young people. Their commitment of anything that affects it more than turning the ball over to each other was impressive. I wished I would have put because every one of those you're not scoring. them in a better position to be successful. But I think that all that we went through will be a part of who we are the Q. Name, image and likeness is something that is rest of our lives. obviously surrounding all of collegiate athletics right now. Being a coach as you have for so many years, So I'm not going to blow that season off as a loss. I think what can you say about what you know of it and what we learned a great deal. you think of it as we step forward?

110520-2-1001 2021-07-22 21:59:00 GMT Page 1 of 3 DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I've been fortunate to serve on different NCAA committees, including the Football Watching him develop not only as a player but as a person Oversight Committee. Had a lot of previous conversations. has been extremely important for me. To see his mother I think it's a great thing that a player has the opportunity to celebrate his success. He's a graduate student. Can you own and build their image. believe that? I never got to be a graduate student. My grades got in the way. I'd have been a Rhodes scholar if it I told our players name, image and likeness, we used to hadn't been for my grades, Gunnar. call it reputation. Let's not forget that as you build this. But he's a graduate student. Just really proud of him. The intention is for a player to be able to build an image and benefit from it. There's a lot of ways you can do it, Q. There's a lot of turnover on the roster this year. through even social media. You don't need representation. You are bringing just under half your starters. What You can give private lessons at an appropriate time. positional group are you looking forward to most see progress this season? What you can't do with name, image and likeness is get so carried away with it that you erode your image. It can be a DAVID CUTCLIFFE: It depends upon how you look at our dangerous thing. team as far as the number of starters returning.

It also should not be a part of the recruiting climate. I I think the biggest challenge that we would face is the loss winched when I saw a quote from a state legislator, We in the defensive line. But we got a lot of young talent. have to get this law passed, this is hurting us in recruiting. We've got more depth than we've had at that position. That's not the intent of this. The intent, again, is ownership Competition always strengthens a team. that's earned. That's a fair assessment of life. So DeWayne and I have talked a lot about that recently. I think my job as a coach is to really try to help parents and He obviously is a very experienced player. But I'm excited players understand, not only once they're in your program about what they're going to do. I'm excited about every but in the recruiting process, that this is not a good position we have. selection of a school based on if that's what you're looking for. That's never been the premium value of college Really, I think this team, since we've been at Duke, and football. this is going into year 14, has the most balance and competition at every position. That is always in my past It's been my whole life college football. So I embrace the made a football team better. opportunity. I think it's great. But I think a lot of people are going to have to learn how to manage it, not just players, Q. Last year the ACC went with no divisional play. families, coaches, media. There's a lot of responsibility to This year you're back to divisions. Having our great game to make sure that we're very good to our experienced both now, which do you prefer? Does it players with this in an appropriate manner. even really matter?

Q. Can you walk us through the recruitment of Gunnar DAVID CUTCLIFFE: I personally like -- I've been part of Holmberg and his progress to this point. division play in the Southeastern Conference. I think it creates more excitement for the player to have the DAVID CUTCLIFFE: Well, Gunnar started recruiting me opportunity to win a division championship so you get into (laughter). No, I'm just kidding, Gunnar. November where college football gets really serious, where champions are determined. You're going to end up having Gunnar game into quarterback camp and was just so five or six teams in the hunt for an opportunity to be an impressive as an athlete, as an enthusiastic young ACC champion with division play. I think it's the better way quarterback. Right off of bat, I don't remember if you to go. remember this, Gunnar, but your 40 was 4.5. It popped my eyes wide open. His character. It's no different than you'd see in professional sports. You're trying to win your division. So I think it's much more Then as we recruited Gunnar, the story surrounding player-friendly than the other way. Gunnar ended up in our area, getting to know his mom, what a great mom she had been after Gunnar's father had Q. You're opening with two Friday games on the lost his life, just how close the three -- his sister, his mom, schedule. When you talk about forming habits, and he -- were throughout all of this. routine, what does that mean for your preparation? Do

110520-2-1001 2021-07-22 21:59:00 GMT Page 2 of 3 you think it's an advantage for you to start off with the Friday games whereas other teams have those later in the season?

DAVID CUTCLIFFE: We've got two Fridays and a Thursday. They present challenges. If we're going to play on Fridays, and we are in college football, then I do like Friday-Friday rather than a Saturday and then a Friday, et cetera. The short weeks are what gets hard.

I don't think there's any advantage to any of it. I do think early in the season if I'm going to do it I'd rather do it there because we do have a little time as a staff on Saturday to really evaluate the game, catch up, then you got a Sunday following that.

But I've gone into a lot of detail with our practice schedules already. It requires a lot of overtime work in the summer. So it is always going to be a challenge to play on a non-traditional day.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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