With 5:36 remaining and held a 17-12 lead into Saturday’s match against Duke, it was all on the line of Virginia – his chances of winning the Coastal Division of the ACC, its prospects bowl and all that remained of coach Al Groh’s job security.

Two minutes and 14 seconds later, the door was nailed on the coffin Groh – or so the mass exodus of fans, including a game of possession would suggest.

“We put a lot into this – it has everything we have inside,” said Groh. “And when you get nothing in return, is an unsettling feeling.”

To understand this loss, you must get rid of the misconception that the Blue Devils are Satan incarnate, and their ineptitude unmatched in the world of football, ACC offers something of a test for the existence of God

The logic goes something like this: The Duke has not defeated an ACC opponent in consecutive seasons in 10 years. This is a solid decade of watching football from the point of view, “At least absolutely no interest to anyone. When is the next basketball game?” Duke snaps streak against Virginia that. Therefore, Virginia replaces Duke as the team that the worst of the worst BCS conference has to offer. And at least Duke can still look forward to five months of basketball supremacy.

But this Duke team is not that old Duke football team. David Cutcliffe was the offensive coordinator and assistant coach during the era of Tennessee and Peyton Manning became coach in Mississippi, after the Volunteers won the national championship in 1998. Compiled a 44-29 record in six years at Ole Miss, the pain of losing a single season. And in two years as head coach at Duke, Cutcliffe has introduced a culture of “at least act like you care.”

It seems that the players, in fact, care. Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is a legitimate NFL prospect – and he showed why against Virginia.devils

  • Share/Bookmark