As of August 30, 2002, the Duke University football team owned the nation's longest losing streak in the country. By August 31 at 9:15 p.m., the Blue Devils were in a four-way tie for first place in the ACC.
Duke ended its 23-game drought in the pouring rain Saturday with a 23-16 win over East Carolina behind 109 rushing yards from Alex Wade, a 28-yard interception return from Brendan Dewan, and a 56-yard field goal by Brent Garber.
"This was a great experience for everyone; for the team, for the coaches, for their families, for our families, for Duke, for the city of Durham, and for the ACC to finally not have a team that hasn't won a game," Wade said.
Linebacker Jamyon Small, the team's lone senior, was the only Blue Devil who had ever played in a Duke victory.
An exuberant celebration with the students followed the game, and like the losing streak, the goal posts at Wallace Wade Stadium became a thing of the past.
The much awaited success came from a defensive effort that head coach Carl Franks said was the best he had seen in his four-year tenure at Duke.
"Defensively, they really stood up for the offense," Franks said. "I don't know if we have played defense that well before. Our team really fed off the way the defense played tonight."
The scoring began after Duke's Orrin Thompson forced a fumble from ECU's Art Brown on ECU's first play from scrimmage--one of four turnovers for the Pirates, compared to none for Duke.
"They took care of the ball--we didn't, and that was the end of it," East Carolina head coach Steve Logan said.
Duke then drove the ball to ECU's 9 yard line, setting up a 28-yard field goal from Brent Garber.
Chris Dapolito replaced starter Adam Smith on Duke's next scoring drive. Dapolito had a 29-yard run in his first experience of a fourth down, which eventually set up his four-yard touchdown run.
After a training camp of quarterback controversy, Dapolito and Smith shared playing time throughout the game, neither making costly mistakes in his first game experience.
With Smith back in the game in the second quarter, the Blue Devils had a seemingly unsuccessful drive to the ECU 38. When Franks brought in the field goal unit from this massive distance, there was a murmuring of "fake" from the suspecting Duke fans.
Last season against N.C. State, the Blue Devils unsuccessfully faked a field goal under similar circumstances en route to a Wolfpack route.
But this was no ordinary day in Duke football.
Under horrendous circumstances of rain and wind, Garber kicked a 56-yard field goal, the second longest in Duke's history.
"Brent Garber had a great game," Franks said. "I had been worried about him all preseason. He had been very inconsistent."
The Blue Devils' fortune continued on ECU's next drive when inexperienced quarterback Paul Troth threw an interception to the Blue Devils' Dewan, who subsequently ran for a 28-yard touchdown.
With approximately eight and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Blue Devils had a 20-0 lead, and East Carolina had not gained a first down.
East Carolina quickly made adjustments and ended the half on a 10-0 run.
The Pirates scored another touchdown on their first drive of the second half. It looked as if the game were to be another chapter in Duke's heartbreaking recent history.
"Sometimes you think what are you going to say after a win, sometimes, you start thinking about what you're going to say after a loss," Franks said. "I really don't know what I would have had to say tonight... if it hadn't gone our way."
Beginning with ECU's missed extra point after the touchdown, fortune began to fall on the Blue Devils.
Both defenses, with assistance from the inclement weather and inexperienced quarterbacks, held the other team scoreless until the Blue Devils' triumphant final scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
Starting with 10:56 left in the fourth quarter, Alex Wade ran for 43 yards on nine consecutive carries. Wade had to come off the field because of cramps before Garber's 41 yard field goal with 3:04 left ended the scoring.
"I told him I was going to run him 'til he dropped and I almost did," Franks said. "He had a terrific game."
The Blue Devil defense once again stopped the Pirates, allowing the Duke offense to run out the clock.
At 9:15 p.m., the Blue Devils streak of futility ended.
The celebration began immediately.
"Duke students must drink a lot, because I didn't see a sober eye in [the celebration]," Wade said.
The players instituted a new alcohol policy on themselves this offseason. The team made the commitment not to drink any alcohol until it won a game.
Despite the elation, Franks kept the win in perspective.
"I hate to be tearing down the goal post for just one win," Franks said. "But I was glad to see [the University excited]."
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