Small college Richmond came down to Duke twice in the last five years and defeated the Blue Devils, the last time in 2009.

Just two years later, there aren’t many of the same players around.

Duke will be playing 16 or 17 players who have never played a college game. Richmond is even more handicapped as they have a new coach, a brand new coach in Wayne Lineburg.

Lineburg, 37, was introduced as interim football coach less than two weeks ago after the resignation of former head coach Latrell Scott, who was arrested for the second time for DWI.
“He’s got his hands full,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “He’s a very capable coach. He has a great history and résumé. I’m sure he’ll do it fine.”

He said that the Spiders’ system is in place and they have veteran offensive and defensive coordinators.

“But I’m sure his heart’s thumping as he goes near game time. I know my first experience as a head coach, certainly I felt that,” Cutcliffe said. “He’ll get a big adrenaline rush, there’s no question about that.
But once that ball kicks off, you’re doing what you’ve always done. It kind of consumes you. Afterwards he’ll be tired regardless of outcome.”

Duke is the favorite but they’d been the favorite against Richmond before. “They’re just a physical football team,” Cutcliffe said. “They much more physical than we anticipated in 2009. We got enough of our kids around that they remember that.”