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Duke coach David Cutcliffe said he’s not a fan of a two-quarterback approach, yet starter Thad Lewis and reserve Sean Renfree both got extensive playing time for the second consecutive game in Saturday’s 44-16 loss at Kansas.
“We’re not a two-quarterback system, but then you’re going to say, ‘Well, what is a two-quarterback system?’ ” Cutcliffe said. “I understand that, but what is is that we have a young player that we want to play some, plus Thad has not been 100 percent healthy.”
Cutcliffe reiterated Sunday that Lewis is his starter and that Renfree is a promising freshman who needs to get some snaps and that also has earned the right to do so. Cutcliffe said that likely would be the set-up again when the Blue Devils host N.C. Central on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first matchup of the neighbors.
“That could change as I view this ballgame and this week of practice,” Cutcliffe said, “but I really don’t see that changing.”
Lewis on 10 possessions and Renfree on four combined for a pretty solid statistical day, completing 30 of 50 passes for 299 yards. Lewis ran for a 21-yard score but had two interceptions -- a back-breaker early in the second half and a Hail Mary on the game’s final snap. Renfree had a fourth-down touchdown pass under duress to Donovan Varner.
Overall, the yardage total didn’t translate too well to the scoreboard, but that might have less to do with how the quarterbacks are performing and more to do with how those around them are performing.
“They both got hit pretty good,” Cutcliffe said. “We’re struggling with protecting the quarterback, and that’s not an easy thing to fix. That’s not so much schematic as it is losing some one-on-one battles.
“They both competed, and both of them made some plays.”
