Duke’s football season effectively started the day it lost its quarterback.
Less than a week before the opener, Thomas Sirk re-injured his Achilles, and the Blue Devils were forced to regroup on the fly. The results were mostly predictable. They’ve struggled to move the ball early. They’ve lost too many close games. They’ve suffered myriad injuries to other key players and, as the season draws to a close, Duke is now clinging to the hope that an upset of Miami could still earn them a bowl invitation despite falling short of the necessary six-win threshold.
To be sure, this is a step back for a program that might be as flush with talent as at any point in David Cutcliffe’s tenure.