This year the Blue Zone will be running a series looking back on important moments in the Duke football team’s history. Today, we take you back to Oct. 31, 2009.
Duke notched a win in Charlottesville this past weekend, beating Virginia 35-22 in a come-from-behind-victory that put the Blue Devils on the cusp of bowl eligibility. This week, we rewind to week nine of the 2009 season, when Duke won its third straight ACC victory, topping the Cavaliers 28-17 for the second straight year.
Led by senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, the Blue Devils entered the game looking for their third straight ACC victory, something they had not done since 1994. Virginia, on the other hand, was hoping to get back in the win column after being thumped by Georgia Tech one week earlier.
The Blue Devils scored on their first three drives of the game, but failed to get the ball into the endzone. Kicker Will Snyderwine had a career-high five field goals in the game, three of which came in the first half.
On the other side of the football, the Duke defensive unit held the Cavaliers scoreless in the first quarter. Defensive back Leon Wright intercepted a pass from Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell, returning it 32 yards deep in Cavalier territory, setting up Snyderwine’s third field goal of the day.
Virginia would eventually get on the scoreboard in the second quarter when kicker Robert Randolph booted in a 33-yard field goal. The rest of the half would remain scoreless, but the Cavaliers were dealt a blow when Sewell left the game with an injury, forcing backup quarterback Mike Verica into action for the rest of the half. Sewell would return for the second half.
The Cavaliers ignited their offense on the first drive of the third quarter, as Sewell led an eight play, 66-yard drive that resulted in his one-yard touchdown run, giving Virginia a 10-9 advantage.
The Blue Devils failed to retake the lead that quarter, hampered by penalties, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on wide receiver Conner Vernon that stalled a promising drive late in the third quarter.
Duke would find its offensive stride early in the fourth quarter, as Lewis found wide receiver Donovan Varner and tight end Brett Huffman for receptions of 32 and 17 yards. The drive led to another Snyderwine field goal, allowing the Blue Devils to regain the lead.
The Cavaliers quickly responded with a touchdown and the Duke offense got the ball back, down 17-12, with 11:17 to play in the game. Lewis led Duke down the field, completing 4-of-6 passes for 72 yards, moving the offense into the redzone. But Lewis would make a crucial mistake on a third down and goal, when he underthrew his wide receiver Austin Kelly and was intercepted by Virginia defensive back Chase Minnifield.
Luckily for the Blue Devils, the defense would force the Cavaliers to a three-and-out, giving Lewis another chance. This time he would find the end zone.
On a third-and-long just inside Virginia territory, Lewis dropped back to pass and faced pressure from a fierce blitz by the Cavalier defense. Just before getting hit by a Virginia defender, Lewis threw a dart to Vernon on a slant route. Vernon made the catch in stride and then ran past the goal line for a touchdown putting Duke ahead by a single point. Lewis finished the game 24-for-40 with 343 yards and a touchdown, and Vernon finished with seven receptions for 103 yards.
On the next Cavalier drive, the Blue Devil defense would come up with a big play of its own. Defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk forced Sewell to fumble and nose tackle Charlie Hatcher scooped up the ball and ran in for a touchdown.
Virginia would not score for the remainder of the game and Duke would improve to 3-1 in the ACC and 5-3 overall with the 28-17 win. But for the Blue Devils, their three game win streak would be snapped one week later in a 19-6 loss to North Carolina and they would not win another game during the 2009 season, finishing the year at 5-7.
The 2009 campaign was Duke Football’s best season since 1994 and was a huge step for a program that had not gone to a bowl game in 15 years. The five wins that season were only topped by the 2012 squad that won six games and made a postseason trip to the Belk Bowl.
On Saturday, Duke travels back to the Commonwealth State and looks to become bowl eligible for the second straight year with an upset win over No. 16 Virginia Tech. The 2013 team has a golden chance to make history, as the Blue Devils have never been to consecutive bowl games.
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