Can Duke go bowling?

By Lee Roberts  |   Thursday, October 30, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Duke Blue Devils
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The Duke Blue Devils may be playing in a bowl game this college football season. Trust me, that fact shocks me as much as it shocks you. With its win at Vanderbilt, Duke set itself up for a legitimate run at a bowl game.

Commentary: David Cutcliffe came to Duke in the offseason and the level of excitement surrounding the football program grew immensely. Of course, when a program hasn’t won a conference game since 2004 and only two total contests since 2005, there’s nowhere to go but up.

This season, Duke has eclipsed all expectations. Many people thought Duke would be improved this season, but no one expected this. With over half the season in the books, Duke is 4-3 with wins over ACC Coastal Division leader Virginia and SEC surprise Vanderbilt. I’m pretty sure no one saw Duke going on the road to an SEC venue and winning.

Now, the question is: Can Duke get two more wins to become bowl-eligible? The home game against North Carolina State appears to be a pretty solid chance for a win, but that sixth victory will be the tricky one. Three road trips remain, with Duke going to Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech. None of those teams are striking too much fear in their opponents this season, but none are easy road trips. This weekend at Wake is probably the best bet for a road win.

The last game on the schedule is an end-of-season showdown with North Carolina. This game will be in Durham and the Blue Devils would like nothing more than to clinch a bowl bid with a win over their arch-rival. The Heels are talented, but they're also young and prone to inconsistency. A Duke win in that game would be a seminal victory for a rising program.

Fan Pulse: Duke fans are picking apart the schedule to find two more wins. They seem pretty confident they can get there; in fact, some fans think seven wins is a real possibility.

Injury Watch: Defensive backs Leon Wright and Lee Butler were injured against Vanderbilt. Duke hopes they’ll be back to shore up the secondary.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
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