When Louisville takes on Duke Thursday night in Durham, it will be just the third all-time meeting between the two programs. This was not supposed to be the case.
At the beginning of this century, the Cardinals and Blue Devils signed a contract to play four games — two in Louisville and two in Durham — between 2002 and 2009. The first game took place without issue on Sept. 7, 2002, as U of L went on the road and destroyed Duke 40-3 inside Wallace Wade Stadium.
Although David Cutcliffe has turned the program into a perennial bowl team (or at least contender), the 2002 game took place in the middle of the lowest of the low years for Duke football.