For all the ups and downs in Duke football, there has been a magnificent accomplishment that has flown under the radar for quite some time.
Not anymore.
On Nov. 19, 1983, Blue Devil quarterback Ben Bennett broke the NCAA Division I passing record for career yards, becoming the all-time leading passer in college football history at the time in addition to already being the leader in passing attempts and completions.
To make the scene more dramatic, it came on the last day of his career, a 34-27 loss against North Carolina. Bennett entered the game needing 246 yards to break Jim McMahon's record of 9,536. Bennett only accounted for six yards in the first quarter, but he went on to break the record in the fourth quarter with a 24-yard pass to Doug Green.
It was a unique moment for the rivalry between the two schools, as Tar Heel head coach Dick Crum gave the game ball to Bennett after North Carolina's win, and the Tar Heel crowd even cheered for him after he broke the record during the game.
Sadly for Bennett, the game also epitomized the lack of success he had with Duke as a team. The Blue Devils went 17-27 during his career, and though he broke the NCAA record despite missing three games to an injury during his sophomore season, he never reached the postseason.
The Sunnyvale, Calif., native worked under the tutelage of offensive coordinate Steve Spurrier during his first three seasons. Spurrier went on to be the program’s head coach from 1987 to 1989, leading the Blue Devils in his final season to what is still their only ACC championship since 1962.
After the record-setting 1983 game in the locker room, Bennett's teammates lamented that they had not done enough to put him in position for a bowl berth.
“I wish he could have gone to a bowl, I really do, so the nation, the whole world, could have seen him,” safety Joby Branion said.
And Bennett felt the burden despite breaking the record in the locker room after the loss.
“It’s been a pain in the ass for me personally,” he said of his senior year. “I feel responsible for what hasn’t happened. We didn’t win any conference [championships], we didn’t go to any [bowl] games and we only had two winning records. Wins and losses—that’s the bottom line."
Bennett eventually had a Hall of Fame career in the Arena Football League after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He also served as Duke’s quarterbacks coach during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
But despite his promise and talent, he could never quite retain the national spotlight that he deserved.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.