There was a time when Duke football was not good—it was awful.
Between 2000 and 2007, the Blue Devils won only 10 games, including just three in the ACC. The string of poor seasons was perhaps best summarized by this punt return Oct. 8, 2005 by then-Miami star Devin Hester, who went on to set the NFL career record for return touchdowns.
How many defenders he makes look awful is a total that you can decide. Given how bad Duke was from 2000 to 2007, the Blue Devils had no chance against a top-10 Hurricanes team. The touchdown was as much a testament to Hester's incredible skill as it was a result of poor tackling.
As it turned out, the touchdown didn't even count. Miami called for a holding penalty at the Duke 13-yard line, meaning Hester likely would have scored anyways. It didn’t matter, though, because Miami went on to win 52-7 as the Blue Devils finished the year with just one win.
Duke finally got its revenge in 2013, when the Blue Devils defeated the Hurricanes 48-30 in a historic season under head coach David Cutcliffe. It marks the only time Duke has beaten Miami in their last 11 meetings. The Blue Devils almost won a second time last year, but Miami won in improbable fashion thanks to a controversial kick return for a touchdown as time expired.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.