Record setting year for Duke football?

[Bluedawg]

MOST CONSECUTIVE LOSSES
34—Northwestern, from Sept. 22, 1979, vs. Syracusethrough Sept. 18, 1982, vs. Miami (Ohio) (endedwith 31-6 victory over Northern Ill., Sept. 25, 1982)

At 0-22 we are 12 short. Will we make it?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

At 0-22 we are 12 short. Will we make it?

NO!

Make that HELL NO!

[Lavabe]

NO!

Make that HELL NO!

Please say that you are sticking with your prediction of 3 wins this season. Anything less than that will mean our paradigm of optimism has succumbed to the perils of pessimism.

3 wins?
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Bluedawg]

NO!

Make that HELL NO!

Just asking...I had predicted 4 wins, and i still stand by that, although now it's three since UConn was one of the 4.

[arnie]

We have a chance of not only breaking the all time losing streak, but busting right on through to 40+. The thing that might end the streak could be a weak 1AA (or is it championship subdivision?) opponent on our schedule next year. Anyone know our out-of-conference opponents for 2008?

I believe we can set the record against UNC this year!

[wilson]

I believe we can set the record against UNC this year!

an 0-12 season would put us at 32 straight losses. We can't break the record until next season.

[arnie]

You're right - I was just too excited about achieving something this year in football. I am curious as to who may be on our schedule next year. Thought I remembered James Madison showing up in future years.

[Wander]

The schedule for next year is James Madison, Navy, NC State, Virginia, UNC, and Miami at home and Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech away.

However, Northwestern was listed as a home game for this year, so maybe it's a mistake for 2008 too, and it should be listed as home when it's listed as away.

[arnie]

I just found what appears to be our OOC football schedule for next year. Northwestern, Navy, Vanderbilt and James Madison. We should be sending multiple scouts to each of their games including spring practices in 2008. This could be the game!!

[hurleyfor3]

That's the I-A record, right? I recall the "all division I" record was set by Columbia in the 1980s, and someone check with Bates to see what the record is for the entire NCAA.

[Bluedawg]

That's the I-A record, right? I recall the "all division I" record was set by Columbia in the 1980s, and someone check with Bates to see what the record is for the entire NCAA.

yes, this is the I-A record

the IAA record is worse...

MOST CONSECUTIVE LOSSES
80—Prairie View, from Nov. 4, 1989, until Sept. 26,
1998

[TheDuke11]

what is the record for most 20+ game lose streaks in a 10 year period?

[johnb]

For the few of you who seem to get giddily hostile about the football team's record, don't expect support from the majority of the readers on a Duke fan site. You might have an axe to grind (e.g., getting rid of the athletic director), but it seems low to make fun of guys who are leaving it on the turf every day to win some games.

My hunch is that the Virginia game will be typical for the next year or two, and, if that's the case, we'll get some breaks and win some games.

[Bluedawg]

For the few of you who seem to get giddily hostile about the football team's record, don't expect support from the majority of the readers on a Duke fan site. You might have an axe to grind (e.g., getting rid of the athletic director), but it seems low to make fun of guys who are leaving it on the turf every day to win some games.

My hunch is that the Virginia game will be typical for the next year or two, and, if that's the case, we'll get some breaks and win some games.

I don't think anyone is making "fun of guys who are leaving it on the turf every day to win some games." most everyone is questioning that with the talent level Duke has why are they not winning games.

[Highlander]

yes, this is the I-A record

the IAA record is worse...

I worked for someone who graduated from Prarie View when they broke that record. You would have thought the football team had won the super bowl as proud as they were that day.

[GrayHare]

I don't think anyone is making "fun of guys who are leaving it on the turf every day to win some games."

Agreed. It takes a special strength of character to continue to strive each day in the face of defeat. It's easy if you're winning (or so I've heard)...

VICTORY IN DEFEAT

Defeat may serve as well as victory
To shake the soul and let the glory out.
When the great oak is straining in the wind,
The boughs drink in new beauty, and the trunk
Sends down a deeper root on the windward side.
Only the soul that knows the mighty grief
Can know the might rapture. Sorrows come
to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.

Edwin Markham from "The Shoes of Happiness, and Other Poems"
Garden City NY: Doubleday, Page, and Co., 1921

(oddly enough, the copy scanned into Google is from the library at the University of Michigan, where they might be pondering similar sentiments)

[throatybeard]

Were all of Northwestern's losses against I-A opponents? If we're going to be honest with ourselves, we should throw out the win against lowly (for I-AA) VMI. This losing streak goes back to Clemson in 2004, really.

I suppose by that standard you could thow out the loss to Richmond as well. But I mean, come on, when a home win over VMI is all that separates you from an even longer losing streak, that's not very meaningful.

We could just schedule Jordan HS each year so that we don't show up in the papers as having the longest losing streak in I-A...

[Patrick Yates]

For the few of you who seem to get giddily hostile about the football team's record, don't expect support from the majority of the readers on a Duke fan site. You might have an axe to grind (e.g., getting rid of the athletic director), but it seems low to make fun of guys who are leaving it on the turf every day to win some games.

My hunch is that the Virginia game will be typical for the next year or two, and, if that's the case, we'll get some breaks and win some games.

Some of us are giddily hostile. It has nothing to do with the players who are probably leaving it all on the field. Much like President Bush's America, one can support the institution without respecting the man (coach Roof nor Alleva) or the policies.

Our giddy is not directed towards the players. It is directed at the Roof/Alleva/Losing apologists who insist that all-is-well, despite their complete inability to ennumerate a shred of proof that the team is improving. Our giddy stems from the fact that we have spent years decrying the coaching staff and/or ADs office, only to be shouted down by the rest of the board.

We are vilified as being horrible, evil, anti-duke haters who either have an axe to grind, have some sort of psycological disease, or are just flat out stupid. Our giddy comes from the fact that we were 100% right, not that any of the name-callers will cop to being wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, the critics of the football team do not want the team to lose. We want them to win [more than the apologists, since we are advocating steps that might actually lead to winning a few games], and we take no joy in their losses. But there is giddy to be had in knowing we were right.

As for pointing to the UVA game as a sign of victories a-comming? Not so much.

1. UVA is bad. Really bad. Not as bad as Duke, but they are no better than the third worst team in conference this year. Only Duke is definitely worse, and UNC may be worse. Keep in mind that the ACC as a league is comically bad this year. Two of our supposed better teams got absoluted raped this past saturday. The league might very well be won by a mediocre GT, BC or Clemson team. Indeed, the ACC might not have a single team that would have a winning record in either the PAC-10 or SEC (depending on schedule). Basically, we got beat by a UVA squad that would be the Duke of every single other major conference. They are so bad that their starting QB was yanked from a game he was winning. So comming close against UVA doesn't mean anything.

2. Despite the above, if Duke had won some close games lately, I might agree that our play vs the Wahoos would constitute progress. But we lose all the close games, or at least we have for 2+ years. We never find a way to win. Indeed, we frequently find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (which is becoming an unfortunate trademark of Duke athletics as a whole). You talk about some games breaking our way. That hasn't happend in years. That is not just bad luck. Not every single close game breaking against us. Keep in mind when talking about coming close that Duke sneaks up on every single team we play. When every opposing player printed out his schedule this year, the chalked up Duke as an automatic win. This isn't basketball season. They are never up to play us. They usually look like they are sleepwalking for a half. We take advantage of that, playing them close for a half. At halftime, their coach embarrasses them with the thought of Duke playing them tight, and the team comes out fired up, and puts Duke away by the end of the third period. (sound eerily familiar, no? Relax, we are not caught in a time loop)

UVA is not indicative of progress. It is merely another example of Duke failing to seize victory, and this against a team that would be laughably bad were it not for Duke's abject failures.

Patrick Yates
your much maligned paradigm of realism

[TheDuke11]

honestly, how many other teams in D-1 have suffered MULTIPLE 20+ consecutive loss streaks in the last 10 or so years?

This is humiliating. God bless those players.

[mapei]

Lyrics courtesy of the Saw Doctors:

To win just once would be enough
For those who’ve lost in life and love
For those who’ve lost their guile and nerve
Their innocence, their drive and verve
For those who feel they’ve been mistreated
Discriminated, robbed or cheated
To claim one victory inspired
To win just once is their desire

To win just once against the odds
And once be smiled on by the Gods
To race with speed along the track
Break the tape and not look back
To never have considered losing
As if to win is by your choosing
Bare you soul for all to find
An honest heart and an open mind

To Win just once
That would be enough
So come all ye fulltime smalltown heroes
Cast away your inbred fears of
Standing out from all the rest
The cynics and the pessimists
The self-indulgent almost rich
The blatant hurlers on the ditch
Time is passing so come on
And face the ball, the game is on

To win just once
To win just once
To win just once
That would be enough!