ractice. If you approach it being sluggish like, `Im not reall

DURHAM, N.C. -- One by one over the past few years, Duke has taken care of nearly every item on its program-building checklist.The Blue Devils have posted three straight winning seasons. Theyve won an Atlantic Coast Conference divisional championship and played for a league title. Theyve reached four straight bowls, finally winning one.Now Duke wants to take yet another step forward and win a conference title.That will be a big challenge in a league that has two College Football Playoff contenders in Clemson and Florida State, but its another sign of progress that the Blue Devils goal cant be summarily dismissed.We have high expectations, which is a good thing when it comes to Duke football, coach David Cutcliffe said, and we know they have set their sights high.Bowls have become an every-year thing at Duke. Nobody on this years roster knows what its like to miss the postseason. Thats a 180-degree turn from the late 1990s and 2000s, when the Blue Devils went 17 years between bowl appearances and went winless four times in that span.Duke is coming off its first bowl victory since 1961, an overtime win over Indiana in the Pinstripe Bowl, and the Blue Devils say ending a year with a win kept them hungry for more during the offseason.We love having that trophy. We love having the rings from that bowl game, quarterback Thomas Sirk said. We want to win another bowl game. We want to win an ACC championship and ultimately play in the College Football Playoff.Other things to watch for this season from Duke:SIRKS WORKSirk hopes to be ready for the opener Sept. 3 against North Carolina Central after rupturing his left Achilles tendon during a conditioning workout in February. Sirk missed the 2013 season after rupturing his right Achilles, and that familiarity with the comeback process has made this rehab easier. He was listed as the starter on the preseason depth chart. Sirk -- a dual-threat QB who led the team in rushing last season and was co-MVP of the Pinstripe Bowl victory -- says he wont alter his style: I dont think its going to change who I am, he said.GROUND GAMEDuke ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing last season, and needs more from its stable of experienced running backs, none of whom averaged more than 46 yards in 2015. Cutcliffe says that starts up front with three starters back on an offensive line that he says could be the biggest, most physical offensive line wed had. He says the goal is to develop a power-running game thats less dependent on zone blocking and finesse.KEY GAMESTwo losses from 2015 haunt the Blue Devils: a 30-27 loss to Miami that led to a complete overhaul of the leagues instant replay system after numerous officiating errors were noted on the Hurricanes game-ending kickoff return for a touchdown, and the embarrassing 66-31 loss to rival North Carolina the following week. Duke faces the Tar Heels on Thursday night, Nov. 10, and ends the season at Miami on Nov. 28.SEASON OPENERDuke opens with crosstown opponent N.C. Central on Sept. 3, and the school will unveil the second phase of construction at remodeled Wallace Wade Stadium -- the crown jewel of which will be the five-story, 90,000-square-foot tower of boxes and luxury suites that replaced the sports medicine building that used to double as the press box.PREDICTIONWin 7, Lose 5. Nike Shoes Clearance Uk . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Cheap Nike Shoes Uk Outlet . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. http://www.nikeshoescheapuk.com/ . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. Cheap Nike Shoes Free Shipping .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. Cheap Nike Shoes From Uk . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Virginia wont be going to a bowl game again, the fifth consecutive season without a postseason appearance for the Cavaliers.Its a first in Bronco Mendenhalls 12 years as a head coach, but the Cavaliers (2-7, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) are not saying his first season at Virginia is a failure.Graduating senior center Jackson Matteo, one of three captains, said the foundation Mendenhall is establishing supersedes everything, and a 27-20 loss at Wake Forest last weekend that ended the Cavaliers bowl hopes has done little to dampen their enthusiasm.There is so much more to play for than a bowl game, the former walk-on said this week. Everyone who is not a part of the University of Virginia football program does not understand that. ... There is so much more at stake than really what meets the eye. This program, these coaches, theyre trying to build a legacy, a dynasty.Thats also true in Miami, which Virginia hosts on Saturday.The once-mighty Hurricanes (5-4, 2-3) havent won a national championship since 2001, and havent even played for an ACC championship since their heralded move from the Big East to the league in 2004. The Hurricanes started this season 4-0 and rose to No. 10 in the Top 25 , but then lost four in a row under their first-year coach Mark Richt.Quarterback Brad Kaaya, coming off one of his best games -- a four-TD-passing, one-TD-rushing, 356-yard gem against Pittsburgh -- isnt ready to write off the rest of the season, and thinks the Hurricanes might be able to regain some lost steam.I think the moods great in terms of players, Kaaya said.The Hurricanes, at least, still have several chances to qualify for a bowl game.Many Cavaliers thought they would, too, after Mendenhall arrived with a resume that showed 99 victories and 11 consecutive bowl appearances in 11 years at BYU. But despite their elimination from consideraation, Matteo said the players buy-in remains powerful, and the seniors role in changing the culture remains steadfast.dddddddddddd.I think that a couple of the things that are going to change this program is the amount of people that have fully, wholeheartedly bought in completely to showing up every day, to building good habits, and to being selfless, he said. I think in the past, the type of guy that we had in our locker room generally speaking (were) kinda `me guys, and its really tough to be successful when youve got those guys.Matteo isnt alone in his disappointment, or his confidence that change is happening.Its just how you approach even the small things, said senior wide receiver Keeon Johnson, the teams No. 2 receiver with 40 catches. How you approach practice. If you approach it being sluggish like, `Im not really feeling this, then youre not going to have a good practice nine times out of 10. So were all really focused on approaching everything with a positive attitude, and that translates to the field, which translates to game days.The Cavaliers finish the season at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech so this game will be the last at home for Virginias seniors, 17 of whom appear on the two-deep depth chart.Senior nose tackle Donte Wilkins shared a conversation with linebacker and fellow tri-captain Micah Kiser that summed up their careers.Were going out there every day and were just fighting as hard as we can. Talking to Micah after the game, he immediately said, `I cant give no more.When you give all youve got, theres no frustration.---AP sports writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr ' ' '