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Triple 10′s for Double D’s dancing

WR Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd’s Week 10 “Freestyle” performance was invigorating and had a perfect score to match it. The duo received 59 out of 60 total combined points for the night and are tied for second place in this Season 14 contest of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Each couple showcased two dances for the evening, one being Freestyle (a dance of their choosing with creative latitude) and the other being a standard ballroom dance.

Driver’s country-inspired Freestyle combined his Texas roots (outfitted in a green and gold Western ensemble with a cowboy hat) with pure athleticism. His dance showcased his dexterity, coordination and stamina, particularly with the lifts required in this performance. After Driver’s last dance, also the last dance of the evening, it was tough to discontinue the enthused crowd from clapping.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba rewarded Donald and Peta with a personal standing ovation. “It was my favorite dance tonight,” Inaba said.

Judge Len Goodman said, “Chances win dances. Fantastic.”

At that point, all knew Len would be giving Donald and Peta their first 10 of the series and their first perfect score.

Prior to the evening, each of the judges each visited one of the remaining couples: Driver, Cuban-born actor William Levy and Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins during weekly practices. Driver handled it similarly to that of one of his on-field coaches when Inaba came for a visit to inspect his Argentine Tango. She expected bigger, dynamic movements from Donald. He took the criticism well, stayed professional and didn’t disagree. The WR allowed his competitive instinct take over and scored a 29 on his Argentine Tango, missing that final 10 from Len.

The previous Argentine Tango that Driver/Murgatroyd showcased was in Week 5 which left the couple with a total of 27 of 30 points. The same score as Week 4 and for what would be repeated during the three ensuing weeks. Donald’s final Argentine Tango of the season tonight showcased lifts and quick-paced steps similar to previous installments but with enhanced and more detailed choreography for the finals per Inaba, but it wasn’t enough for a perfect score.

“The finals are here, you have to peak at the right time,” said Driver.

It looks like the duo of Driver and Murgatroyd is continuing to peak the more they dance.

One more dance is slotted for tomorrow’s finale. Will Driver continue to peak?

It’s often the job of football officials to make the final call but this contest involves no instant replay or overtime. It will be left up to the millions of voting fans and the three judges.

Help be a judge. Viewers can vote via phone at 1-800-868-3403 until 10 a.m. CT. Log on to abc.com to learn all the ways fans are encouraged to vote.

Driver’s dancing by the numbers

Completed Dances

• Donald Driver will dance “Freestyle” and the Argentine Tango tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ABC in the finals. He and partner Peta Murgatroyd have already showcased these dances as a couple on “Dancing with the Stars”: Cha-Cha-Cha, Quickstep, Rumba, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, Tango, Waltz and Samba. That’s 10 variations, not counting group dances, or dance elimination challenges.

Highest Scoring Couple (in finals) by Week

• Week 1: Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas, Foxtrot
• Week 2: Jenkins and Ballas, Jive
• Week 3: Jenkins and Ballas, Waltz
• Week 4: Driver and Murgatroyd, Paso Doble
• Week 5: (Tie) Jenkins and Ballas, Argentine Tango; William Levy and Cheryl Burke, Argentine Tango
• Week 6: Jenkins and Ballas, Samba
• Week 7: (Winning couple not in finals)
• Week 8: (Tie) Jenkins and Ballas, Cha-Cha-Cha; Levy and Burke, Foxtrot
• Week 9: Levy and Burke, Samba

Highest Individual Scores

• Levy and Burke, 30/30 for their Foxtrot and Samba
• Jenkins and Ballas, 29/30 for their Waltz, Argentine Tango, Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha and Quickstep
• Driver and Murgatroyd, 29/30 for their Samba

Couple Scoring Totals to Date

• Of the twelve dances already completed, Driver and Murgatroyd’s weekly average individual score is the lowest of the three finalist couples at 26.4, a fraction behind second-place duo Levy and Burke at 26.9. Jenkins and Ballas, despite last week’s dip in score, are still the reigning individual point leaders with a 27.3 average of a possible 30 points.

Most Important Number

• 1 (800) 868-3403