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The Daily Tar Heel

Blue Devils Strive for Elusive Win

After last year's second winless season in a row, Coach Carl Franks said he is hopeful that summer practices and scrimmages will be enough to ready the Blue Devils to play in their first game against East Carolina on Aug. 31.

This year's defense will look to the team's lone returning senior, outside linebacker and team captain Jamyon Small, as well as junior inside linebacker Ryan Fowler, for leadership. The team hopes to improve on last year's ACC record of 491 points allowed.

Fowler, who moved inside this year after tallying 127 tackles last year at the outside position, already has shown his eagerness to take charge, leading the defense with two tackles and a forced fumble in a preseason scrimmage Wednesday.

Franks will look to a former linebacker turned tackle, junior Matt Zielinski, to anchor the team's defensive line. With the loss of ends Nate Krill and Charles Porter and the addition of two sophomores to the line, Zielinski will have to work overtime to frustrate opposing offenses.

Duke's own offense suffered a surprise blow this off-season with the loss of quarterback D. Bryant to academic ineligibility.

Franks must now choose his starter from a trio of untested sophomores: Chris Dapolito, Adam Smith and Chris Wispelwey.

"It's going to come down to who can make the best decisions and take care of the football and move the team," Franks said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

While the question of who will be lining up in front of him remains undecided, junior tailback Chris Douglas is a lock to lead the Blue Devils' running attack into 2002.

Douglas has proven that he hasn't lost a step since last year's honorable mention All-ACC performance, rushing for 111 yards on 10 carries during the Aug. 21 scrimmage.

With a bounty of exuberance from his young team, Franks can only hope that it will be enough to break the Blue Devils' 23-game streak of despair.

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