Saturday the Blue Devils will get a chance to do something no Duke team has done since World War II.
The Blue Devils head to Winston-Salem, N.C., this weekend looking to secure their ninth win of the season, a feat Duke last accomplished in 1941. The Blue Devils are on a six game winning streak, and Wake Forest has lost its last three games.
"I like history," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "I think it's fun to mimic it, or make it, either one. I would like that for our program and for our kids. There's only one way were going to get it, though. We have to play well."
The No. 25 Blue Devils (8-2, 4-2 in the ACC) have turned the ACC Coastal Division on its head this year. Picked to finish last in its division, Duke now sits in first place and controls its own destiny in hopes of playing against No. 2 Florida State in this year's ACC Championship game. A win against the Demon Deacons (4-6, 2-5) would leave the Blue Devils just one victory away from a trip to Charlotte to play in the conference title game for the first time in program history.
Duke also finds itself in an unusual position among its ACC counterparts. Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami and North Carolina are all nipping at the Blue Devils' heels, looking for a chance to finish the season atop the division.
Despite losing to Louisiana-Monroe in week three, Wake Forest got off to a promising 4-3 start to the year. The Demon Deacons relied on strong defensive efforts—letting up 10 and 13 points, respectively, to ACC foes N.C. State and Maryland—to win games. But the inability to put points on the board has plagued Wake Forest all season, especially during the Demon Deacons' current three-game slide.
Wake Forest's offense has struggled this season, and the loss of star wideout Michael Campanaro to a collarbone injury stole the Demon Deacons' biggest playmaker. The senior racked up more than 800 receiving yards and six touchdowns prior to his injury against Syracuse three weeks ago. Wake Forest's offense averages only 17.8 points per game, ranked 114th out of 123 FBS teams. Without Campanaro on the field, the Demon Deacons have only scored a combined three points in their last two games.
"I think they are finding themselves," Cutcliffe said. "I enjoy watching Campanaro play until we have to play them. He's got some good tape out there. He's a really good football player. I love his competitiveness, and his skill level is high. Anybody would miss him. Compare that to if you don't have Jamison Crowder suddenly. That affects any football team."
On the offensive side of the ball for the Blue Devils, the dual quarterback combination of Anthony Boone and Brandon Connette proved extremely effective against Miami. Boone went 11-for-15 for 104 yards and started the game under center. Connette worked in throughout the game and finished with five touchdowns, four of which came on the ground. Although Boone is listed first on the depth chart for Saturday's game, Cutcliffe indicated he will continue to split time between his two quarterbacks.
"We're not doing two because we don't have one," Cutcliffe said. "We're playing two because we have two."
The biggest obstacle the Blue Devil offense will have to overcome this weekend is nose tackle Nikita Whitlock. The redshirt senior has compiled 16.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks on the year, as well as two blocked kicks. Whitlock provides the foundation for the Demon Deacon defense, which allows less than 24 points per game.
"He is fun to watch as a football coach until the week you play them," Cutcliffe said. "He plays wire-to-wire every game and goes wire-to-wire every play with his effort. I don't know if you could give a player more accolades."
Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe lost his first of 12 career matchups against the Blue Devils last season. Replacing an injured Sean Renfree, Boone led Duke to a 34-27 victory over the Demon Deacons, the first win against Wake Forest since 1999. Despite the historic significance of last year's victory, a Blue Devil win this year would have even larger implications for Duke football as it tries to secure a spot in the conference championship game and a chance at a BCS bowl bid.
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