Duke football and bowl games have had a curious relationship. For three decades Duke football was nationally elite. In a 36-year span beginning with Jimmy DeHart’s final season in 1930 and Bill Murray’s last season in 1965, Duke had only three losing seasons. Duke had seven seasons with one loss, 10 with two losses in that span.
Nationally elite.
And Duke went to exactly six bowl games during that period. Under Wallace Wade Duke went 9-1 in 1933, the only loss 6-0 to Georgia Tech. Three years later Duke again went 9-1, the only loss 15-13 to Tennessee. In 1939 Duke went 9-1, the only loss 14-13 to Pittsburgh. Pitt finished first in the AP poll in 1939.
Duke went to a bowl game following none of those seasons.
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