Duke to play Orange Bowl champion Stanford

Duke released its schedule yesterday, and it’s highlighted by a certain Heisman frontrunner’s arrival to Wallace Wade Stadium.

After starting off with Richmond, last seen beating the Blue Devils in 2009, Duke will host Stanford at home. Led by standout quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal defeated Virginia Tech by 28 points in the 2011 Orange Bowl, in which Luck threw four touchdowns. The meeting with Stanford is the first in a home-and-home series, meaning the Blue Devils will travel to Palo Alto, Calif., in 2012.

Duke then takes to the road to play Boston College. The Eagles beat the Blue Devils last year in a close 21-16 contest.

It will be four more weeks before Duke takes on another conference opponent, taking on Tulane and Florida International Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, respectively before a bye week. When the Blue Devils start that ACC schedule, though, it’s not easy. They take on Florida State, which defeated South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last season, on Oct. 15. After a brief reprieve with Wake Forest Oct. 22, Duke faces Virginia Tech Oct. 29, then Miami Nov. 5 on the road. Miami beat the Blue Devils by 15 at home last season.

Duke’s final three games are on the road at Virginia, at home versus Georgia Tech, then on the road against North Carolina, in which the Blue Devils will try to take back the Victory Bell.

Overall, Duke faces three opponents who finished last season ranked in the AP poll—Stanford, Virginia Tech and Florida State. The difficult schedule includes opponents that combined for a 85-68 record in 2010.

— from staff reports