It was a result that would have been hard to believe only a few years earlier.
On Nov. 30, 2013, the Blue Devils used a late Ross Martin field goal to seal a 27-25 victory at North Carolina, as well as the ACC Coastal Division title.
Under then-sixth year head coach David Cutcliffe, Duke opened a new chapter in its history after a brutal stretch before his arrival, including a 2-33 clip in the three seasons before he came to Durham. The win marked the Blue Devils' 10th of the season—a school record—en route to the ACC championship game and a second-straight bowl game after no previous trips to the postseason since 1994.
After dropping its third and fourth games of the season to Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, Duke reeled off seven straight wins for a chance to win the Coastal Division. There was a close battle against Troy to start the streak, double-digit wins against Virginia, N.C. State and then-No. 24 Miami and perhaps the biggest win of the year at No. 16 Virginia Tech, a 13-10 thriller.
Duke entered the top 25 before its Nov. 23 win at Winston Salem, but it still needed a win in the regular-season finale in Chapel Hill to clinch the division title. All-American return specialist DeVon Edwards—who wrapped up his illustrious college career this season—sprinted 99 yards for one of his six career kick returns for touchdowns to put the Blue Devils in front just before halftime, and Duke responded to the Tar Heels' go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter with an 11-play game-winning drive capped by Martin's 27-yard kick.
The Blue Devils finished the year with a 38-point loss against eventual national champion Florida State in the ACC championship before blowing a 21-point halftime lead in a 52-48 loss against Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Duke has had less successful seasons during the three years since, beginning with losses against Virginia Tech and North Carolina in 2014 that ended the Blue Devils' chance at a repeat trip to the ACC championship. Duke lost to Arizona State in the Sun Bowl that year before winning the Pinstripe Bowl in 2015 and missing a bowl game this season.
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