Duke ends ACC skid

Media General News Service
Published: September 27, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. — The streak is over.

Perhaps another is gaining steam.

Thanks to 28 second-half points, Duke pulled away to blast Virginia 31-3 at Wallace Wade Stadium, giving the Blue Devils their first ACC win since Nov. 13, 2004 and their most lopsided league win in 18 years.

Virginia (1-3, 0-1 ACC) committed five second-half turnovers and lost to Duke (3-1, 1-0) for the first time since 1999.

“I don’t look at streaks. Those are things of the past,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “What happened today by tomorrow will be yesterday. What happened three years ago to us is yesterday.

“Nobody said that Virginia had X amount of a winning streak [over Duke] and we didn’t ever think of it because it didn’t mean anything. Those players who won those games are off doing other things this afternoon, maybe raking their leaves, playing golf, doing whatever they are doing, getting ready to play a game.”

All events except actually losing to Duke would have been sufficient for Virginia’s current crop of players, which have now been outscored 128-20 by its three FBS foes.

“It is embarrassing to lose to anybody,” Virginia fullback Rashawn Jackson said. “Any loss is embarrassing for me and I am sure for the rest of my teammates because we are all used to winning. When you come from a winning program, losing is the last thing you ever think about.”