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. Authentic Custom Mariners Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Custom Mariners Jerseys .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. http://www.custommarinersjersey.com/ . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Mariners Jerseys China . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Custom Edgar Martinez Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday.NEW YORK -- Slumping Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira could be sidelined a while longer because of his ailing right wrist. "I havent done anything, but Im leaning toward the disabled list," New York general manager Brian Cashman said Monday on a conference call. Teixeira missed the first 53 games of the season because of a wrist injury. The All-Star slugger is hitting just .151 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 53 at-bats. The 33-year-old Teixeira left the team during its recent West Coast trip, returned to New York and got a cortisone shot Sunday. Cashman said Teixeira probably wouldnt be able to play for at least a week. Teixeira and the Yankees talked before the season about surgery, but decided against it. Cashman said he had "no regrets" about trying to heal the injury without an operation. "Is it something thats going to force him to have surgery? I cant rule any of that out," Cashman said. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long recently said the switch-hitting Teixeira seemed to be having more trouble swinging left-handed. Teixeira is just 3 for 35 (.086) as a lefty. Cashman said he wasnt mad at Long for that public comment. But Cashman sounded a bit miffed, saying Long hadnt reported that problem to the medical staff or front office. The Yankees already have a crowded disabled list that includes infielders Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Youkilis and Eduardo Nunez, outfielder Curtis Granderson, catcher Francisco Cervelli and pitcher Michael Pineda. Cashman said Youkilis is being examined by a back specialist. The former star is hitting .219 with two homers and eight RBIs in 105 at-bats. Cashman said hes hoping Youkilis condition improves, but "back issues usually dont get better." Several of the rehabilitating Yankees worked out Monday at the teams spring training complex in Tampa, Fla. Rodriguez faced a minor leaguee right-hander in his first live batting practice session.dddddddddddd He saw 30 pitches, broken into two rounds, and put a half-dozen balls into play. Rodriguez also fielded grounders at third base and made throws to first and second, and ran sprints in the outfield. Jeter took batting practice for the first time in the indoor cage. Nunez and Cervelli played long toss. Granderson also long tossed and said he would be in New York on Thursday to have his broken knuckle examined. NOTES: The Yankees, who have lost five of six, were off Monday. They open a two-game series Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their first visit to the Bronx since clinching the 1981 World Series. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who starred for the Yankees and later was a coach, will be in uniform at Yankee Stadium for the first time since being passed over after the 2007 season to become the teams manager. Cashman reiterated he thought he made the right choice in selecting Joe Girardi over Mattingly and Tony Pena. Cashman said the fact that Mattingly hadnt been a major league manager at that point "was a big separator." Cashman said this series would be a chance for Yankees fans to salute Mattingly, adding Donnie Baseball "is and will always be a Yankee." Over the weekend, Mattingly said he was looking to seeing a lot of familiar faces in the Bronx and had no negative feelings about getting skipped over as manager. "Not one bit," Mattingly said. "Everything worked out for the best. I love being the manager of the Dodgers and am proud to work for another great organization." ... The Yankees are adding former big league DH-1B Randy Ruiz to their Triple-A roster. Ruiz, 35, was born in the Bronx and hit .272 with 12 home runs and 25 RBIs in 68 games with Minnesota and Toronto in 2008-10. The righty hitter has played in Japan, Mexico and the minors since then. ' ' '