The 2002 football season began with promise, but like the previous two seasons, ended in disappointment. The team began the season with a 23-game losing streak and were only 12 losses away from breaking Division I's all-time futility record, the exact number of games the team was to play this year.
With only one senior on the team, the university's suspension of star quarterback D. Bryant and early injuries to 2001's leading rusher Chris Douglas, many expected Duke to have lost 34 straight going into the final game of the season against North Carolina. These forecasters were proven wrong 13 weeks before the battle for the victory bell with Duke's triumphant win against East Carolina in the first week of the season.
Alex Wade ran for 109 yards in the pouring rain, and with the losing streak, the goal posts fell as well. Optimism was at an all-time high, and the gloom that followed the team was temporarily gone.
"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 after the game.
The team was quickly brought back to reality the next week by national power Louisville. Preseason All-American quarterback Dave Ragone dominated the Blue Devils en route to a 40-3 win, foreshadowing the problems Duke was to have in the secondary all season.
"They threw a few balls over our heads," Franks said about the weakness that improved little as the season went on. "That's always been an area of concern for us; getting some depth in the secondary." Duke went to Evanston, Ill, the following week to battle Northwestern in a very winnable game. However, the Blue Devils squandered a fourth quarter lead to lose 26-21.
This inability to win close games proved to be the Achilles Heel of Duke football all season. Unlike last year when the Blue Devils were manhandled nearly every game, Duke played most teams to a stalemate.
Besides the games against bowl-bound Louisville, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland, the Blue Devils had ample opportunity to win every game.
Duke would win only one other game after its opening victory though, a 43-17 thrashing of Navy at Navy's homecoming. The Blue Devils lost five games by five points or less during the season, and unfortunately for Duke, the highlight of the season was a loss.
Going into the N.C. State game October 19, the Wolfpack were undefeated and ranked No. 13 in the nation. Thwarting the Blue Devils strong running attack, Adam Smith threw for 353 yards, lighting up the State secondary, the ACC's best pass defense. Smith threw a 40-yard bomb with sixteen seconds left to pull the Blue Devils within two, but things did not become interesting until Duke recovered an onside kick.
Duke, however, was unable to take advantage of its luck, and once again the Blue Devils came up short.
"It would have been the biggest thing to happen to us in a long time, if we could have pulled this off," Smith said after the game.
The low-light of the season ended in a close loss as well, this time to last place rival North Carolina in the final contest of the season. After taking the lead on its final offensive drive of the game, Duke lost on a 47-yard field goal as time expired.
"I thought we were in pretty good shape with 53 seconds left, but they made some plays," a very disappointed Franks said.
Despite all of the teams' near misses, several individuals had outstanding seasons for the youthful Blue Devils. After only starting for one varsity season in high school, Smith emerged as a solid quarterback in the ACC, finishing fifth in the league in passing yards per game.
Duke's passing game was not the only successful part of its offense, as Wade and Douglas each finished in the top ten in the ACC in rushing.
The Blue Devils' run defense impressed the ACC the most, however. Finishing first in the ACC in rushing yards allowed, defensive-end Shawn Johnson was named first-team All-ACC after leading the league in sacks and tackles for a loss. Ryan Fowler and Matt Zielinski were named honorable mention for their efforts on the defensive line.
Duke returns its entire team, save Jamyon Small, and is looking to build on its already improved nucleus.
"We'll be back," safety Terrell Smith said. "We're going to be bowl contenders."
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