Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years: 98. Duke
Duke? More like..
Now that more Power 5 teams are coming up, I need to up my game since more people will be paying attention. Duke is the 2nd worst Power 5 team on this list, but make no mistake, they’re much better than Vanderbilt. While Vanderbilt only had 3 winning seasons in 40 years, Duke’s had 9. Mostly thanks to David Cutcliffe: 6 of those 9 seasons have come since 2013. Had it not been for Coach Cutcliffe, Duke would’ve been the worst P5 team and possibly bottom 10 given how bad some of their “worst” seasons have been.
Best Seasons and Highlights
+------+------+------+--------------+--------+
| rank | team | year | resume score | record |
+------+------+------+--------------+--------+
| 27 | Duke | 2013 | 15.03 | 10-4 |
| 26 | Duke | 1989 | 12.999 | 8-4 |
| 27 | Duke | 2022 | 10.603 | 9-4 |
| 36 | Duke | 2014 | 8.906 | 9-4 |
| 31 | Duke | 1994 | 7.63 | 8-4 |
| 38 | Duke | 2018 | 6.615 | 8-5 |
| 35 | Duke | 1988 | 5.576 | 7-3-1 |
| 45 | Duke | 2017 | 2.721 | 7-6 |
| 57 | Duke | 2015 | -1.531 | 8-5 |
| 58 | Duke | 1987 | -13.151 | 5-6 |
| 64 | Duke | 1991 | -16.06 | 4-6-1 |
| 75 | Duke | 2012 | -16.588 | 6-7 |
| 82 | Duke | 2019 | -17.062 | 5-7 |
| 81 | Duke | 2008 | -21.038 | 4-8 |
| 81 | Duke | 2009 | -21.947 | 5-7 |
| 88 | Duke | 2016 | -22.347 | 4-8 |
| 74 | Duke | 1985 | -23.235 | 4-7 |
| 78 | Duke | 1990 | -23.42 | 4-7 |
| 77 | Duke | 1986 | -24.378 | 4-7 |
| 78 | Duke | 1998 | -26.476 | 4-7 |
| 80 | Duke | 1983 | -27.564 | 3-8 |
| 86 | Duke | 2003 | -27.721 | 4-8 |
| 90 | Duke | 1999 | -29.388 | 3-8 |
| 84 | Duke | 1993 | -30.055 | 3-8 |
| 99 | Duke | 2011 | -32.739 | 3-9 |
| 86 | Duke | 1995 | -33.093 | 3-8 |
| 96 | Duke | 2010 | -34.575 | 3-9 |
| 92 | Duke | 1992 | -35.108 | 2-9 |
| 93 | Duke | 1997 | -38.264 | 2-9 |
| 102 | Duke | 2004 | -40.392 | 2-9 |
| 92 | Duke | 1984 | -40.817 | 2-9 |
| 123 | Duke | 2020 | -46.021 | 2-9 |
| 103 | Duke | 2002 | -46.473 | 2-10 |
| 118 | Duke | 2021 | -47.814 | 3-9 |
| 113 | Duke | 2007 | -50.611 | 1-11 |
| 115 | Duke | 2005 | -57.298 | 1-10 |
| 106 | Duke | 1996 | -60.493 | 0-11 |
| 115 | Duke | 2000 | -63.439 | 0-11 |
| 116 | Duke | 2006 | -65.352 | 0-12 |
| 116 | Duke | 2001 | -66.228 | 0-11 |
+------+------+------+--------------+--------+
Overall Score: 5512 (98th)162-304-2 record
1 conference title
4-5 bowl record
3 consensus All-Americans
23 NFL players drafted
Do you see what I see? That’s right, four 0-win seasons! Yahoo! Early 2000s Duke was legitimately one of the worst stretches by a team ever, going just 10-82 from 2000-07. If you take their 4-8 year in 2003 out of the equation, that’s just 6-74. So give Cutcliffe a TON of credit for going 77-97 in his 14 seasons from 2008-21. Duke’s All-Americans were WR Clarkston Hines (1989), OL Laken Tomlinson (2014), and DB Jeremy Cash (2015).
Top 5 Seasons
Worst Season: 2001 (0-11 overall, 0-8 ACC)
I feel like as far as worst teams go, this is pretty tame for Duke. I personally would’ve chosen the 2006 team here, which lost to FCS Richmond, and Virginia/Virginia Tech by a combined score of 0-73. Still, 2001 was very bad. The team averaged just 19.3 PPG while the defense was the 2nd worst in the nation with 44.6 PPG allowed. 8 of Duke’s 11 losses came by 21+ points, and non-conference results included losses to Rice, Vanderbilt, and 7-44 to Northwestern. Having gone 0-11 in 2000, this was one of the only times a team has ever gone winless in two straight seasons. QB D. “My first name is 1 letter” Bryant completed just 49% for 2454 passing yards 11 TD 17 INT in his final season with the Blue Devils, but would go on to make the Arena Football League All-Rookie Team in 2008.
5. 1994 (8-4 overall, 5-3 ACC)
So what’s up with the 1994 Blue Devils? The previous 4 years they were 13-30-1, and the 4 years after they were 9-35. What made ‘94 so good? 1st year head coach Fred Goldsmith instilled some life into the program. A soft schedule to open the season led to a 3-0 start with wins over Maryland, East Carolina, and Army. After a surprising 27-12 victory at Georgia Tech and a 47-14 win over Navy, Duke was 5-0 and ranked 25th in the nation. 2 more wins over Clemson and Wake Forest, and all of a sudden Duke was 7-0 overall, 4-0 in the ACC, and #16 in the nation! They were a legit ACC contender, and headed to #9 Florida State for their biggest game of the season. They’d lose 20-59 to a superior team, but a bounce back win over #13 Virginia showed this Duke team wasn’t a fraud. FSU would go on to finish #4 in the nation, however Duke would fall off toward the end, dropping games to in-state rivals NC State and North Carolina by 1 point each, and then lose the bowl against Wisconsin. The offense ranked 15th nationally in PPG with 31.7 thanks to RB Robert Baldwin accumulating 1445 yards and 13 TD from scrimmage. QB Spence Fisher threw 16 TD 8 INT in his junior year, and would end up being Duke’s 2nd all-time leading passer with 9021 yards.
4. 2014 (9-4 overall, 5-3 ACC)
Coming off their best season in 25 years, Duke was picked 2nd in the ACC Coastal for 2014, and even received the most 1st place votes. They’d live up to expectations, getting off to an 8-1 start and #21 ranking. The non-conference schedule was incredibly soft with Troy, Tulane, Kansas, and Elon. That’s 2 bad football teams, farmers masquerading as a football program, and a billionaire tech mogul. Thus the #21 ranking despite their record. Needing to win just 2 of their last 3 games to make the ACC Championship for the 2nd straight year, they’d lose 16-17 to Virginia Tech and 20-45 to North Carolina to end the regular season at 9-3, before losing 31-36 to #15 Arizona State in the bowl. This team was filled with some big names and a lot of unsung heroes. OL Laken Tomlinson was a Consensus All-American and 1st round NFL selection. WR Jamison Crowder had 1000+ receiving yards and ended his career as Duke’s 2nd all time leading receiver with 3641 yards. LB David Helton won the “Academic Heisman”; the Campbell Trophy, for leading the ACC in tackles for the 2nd straight year with 135. S Jeremy Cash had a do-it-all season with 100+ tackles, 5+ sacks, 5+ TFL, 5+ PBU, and 2 INT. He’d one-up himself and become a Consensus All-American in 2015 with 100 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 15.5 TFL.
3. 2022 (9-4 overall, 5-3 ACC)
Knock on wood, but the future looks bright under coach Mike Elko. The former Texas A&M defensive coordinator took over for Cutcliffe and brought Duke back to their winning ways of the 2010’s. After a 3-0 start against cupcakes, 3-0 Duke played 3-0 Kansas in a game dubbed by redditors as “Game of the Century”, which Kansas ended up taking 35-27. Duke fell to 4-3 and 1-2 in the ACC. 2 programs went in opposite directions though, as Duke upset 9 point favorites Miami (FL) 45-21, to rain on new Miami coach Mario Cristobal’s fiesta. Duke finished strong after that, going 8-4 and got a 30-13 win over Gus Malzahn’s UCF in the bowl. Elko won ACC Coach of the Year. QB Riley Leonard led the team in passing (2967 yards 20 TD 6 INT) and rushing (699 yards 13 TD on 5.6 YPC) and will only be a junior next season. OT Graham Barton was Duke’s only 1st Team All-ACC selection and was PFF’s 5th best OT of 2022.
2. 1989 (8-4 overall, 6-1 ACC)
SPURRIEERRR…YOU THINK VISORS ARE COOL!? Before Steve Spurrier was “The Head Ball Coach”, he was just the head coach at Duke. Entering his 3rd season, he had already taken Duke to heights they hadn’t seen by leading them to 7 wins in 1988 for the first time since the 60’s. Before the 1989 season, Duke players told Spurrier that they could win the ACC. Spurrier himself was doubtful, especially after a 1-3 start. But that would be the last time they lost in the regular season. Duke hosted #7 Clemson as huge underdogs, but pulled off a 21-17 upset with a late TD. Despite not having a single defensive player sniff the NFL, Duke worked their way through the rest of their schedule, ending with a 41-0 victory over rival North Carolina to win a share of the ACC title with Virginia. #20 Duke lost the bowl game against Texas Tech, and just missed out on the top 25 in my rankings, finishing #26. WR Clarkston Hines finished a tremendous career with a season of 61 catches for 1149 yards and 17(!) TD. He won the 1989 ACC POTY, was 1st Team All-ACC for the 3rd time, and voted an All-American for the 2nd straight year. In 2010, he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Obviously, Spurrier is in the HOF as well for his work at Duke, Florida, and South Carolina.
1. 2013 (10-4 overall, 6-2 ACC)
Cutcliffe’s best year. As usual, Duke was picked last in the ACC Coastal, but in true Coastal fashion, they’d find themselves on top by the end of things. A 2-2 start with both losses to ACC opponents (14-38 to Georgia Tech and 55-58 to Pitt) wasn’t promising. They’d re-enter ACC play at 4-2 after wins over Troy and Navy. The cupcake schedule was over, now it was time to try and win 2 of their last 6 to make a bowl. A win over a weak Virginia team sent 5-2 Duke to Blacksburg to play #16 Virginia Tech. VT QB Logan Thomas, thought of as a future 1st round pick, completely fell apart, throwing 4 INT in a 13-10 Duke win. Duke surprisingly kept winning, over NC State, #24 Miami (FL), Wake Forest, and hit a FG to take a 27-25 lead over North Carolina to win the rivalry and the ACC Coastal Division all in the same kick. Toting a #20 ranking, Duke ran into a buzz saw in #1 Florida State with Heisman winner Jameis Winston, and lost 7-45. They’d face last year’s Heisman winner as well in the bowl, losing 48-52 to Texas A&M in a 21-point comeback by the Aggies. In hindsight, this team certainly had talent. WR Jamison Crowder had 108 catches for 1360 yards 8 TD, and DB Ross Cockrell, DB Jeremy Cash, and OL Laken Tomlinson were All-ACC selections, and ended up in the NFL. Cutcliffe won the Walter Camp National Coach of the Year Award for Duke’s best season since 1989.
5th Quarter
That’s 2 Power 5 teams we’ve seen now. Who’s next? And why do you think Duke’s football has been so unsuccessful compared to their basketball?
Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years - Main Hub
