Cutcliffe faces difficult decision about Duke's backup quarterback

By BRYAN STRICKLAND

bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671

DURHAM -- Duke coach David Cutcliffe slowly has accepted the fact that he might have to burn freshman quarterback Sean Schroeder's redshirt at some point during the final two games of the regular season, but starting quarterback Thad Lewis is determined not to put the Blue Devils in that position.

"I only have two games left in my career, so I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to play," said Lewis, who hopes to play every snap when he heads home to face Miami on Saturday (noon, ESPNU). "I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch my team play without going out there to help them.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be all right going into the rest of the games. Obviously, I might have to be."

Lewis made those comments after Saturday's 49-10 loss to Georgia Tech, a game in which backup quarterback Sean Renfree tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Lewis didn't take part in Tuesday's weekly news conference, instead using the time to rehab his own set of injuries, including a painful thigh bruise that contributed to Renfree being in the game in the first place.

Cutcliffe said Tuesday that Schroeder is working as the team's second-string quarterback, with punter Alex King working as the No. 3. Cutcliffe said if Lewis had to sit out a series or so, he'd go with King, but if Lewis had to come out longer, he'd go with Schroeder.

"Sean Schroeder and I have talked about it, and he understands the circumstance," said Cutcliffe, who has warmed up to the idea after initially saying Saturday that he wouldn't use Schroeder. "I've got two quarterbacks returning to the program. One of them has a limited number of snaps, and one of them has none. The one that has the limited number of snaps is facing surgery, so I can't assume that everything is going to go smooth.

"So it's not going to hurt to get my other guy some game reps."

It's not a question of whether Schroeder is ready to play. When Lewis missed about three-quarters of preseason practice because of an ankle injury and the swine flu, Schroeder got plenty of snaps in practice behind Renfree.

"That put him on an accelerated path," Cutcliffe said. "He's a bright young man, so he would operate our entire gameplan. He understands pass offense and is extremely mobile. I like his poise. He's a smooth ball handler. He's got a little knack back there. He's a little slick.

"He's got that lefty look about him. He spins the ball well -- throws it well -- and he can find little pockets and little seams. I get to see him work a lot against our defense, and he frustrates them a lot."

King, a sophomore walk-on from Winston-Salem who saw his first college action as a punter on Saturday, has played quarterback for the scout team, has worked extensively with the running game and has gone through various drills alongside the other quarterbacks.

"Alex is a pretty savvy youngster and a good athlete," Cutcliffe said. "We do a little period at the end of every practice called an 'opportunity period' where we're working young receivers and all the redshirt players, and he throws in that.

"I always try to keep a guy like that around our program, and he's a good one."

While Cutcliffe believes in Schroeder and King, he would rather keep both on the sidelines. Lewis needs 240 yards to break Ben Bennett's career yardage record, and the Blue Devils need Lewis if they're to keep their postseason hopes alive.

"He's really, really tough," Cutcliffe said. "He's missed very little time, and he's a fierce competitor."