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Duke Blue Devils slide in bowl game projection after blowout loss

By Kevin Connelly

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils watches a play in the second half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach David Cutcliffe of the Duke Blue Devils watches a play in the second half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Football time slid in the latest ESPN bowl game projections after a blowout loss to the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon.

The Duke Blue Devils didn’t show up to Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon to face the Virginia Cavaliers, falling 48-14.

With the loss, Duke dropped to 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in ACC play and took a slide in the latest ESPN bowl projections.

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According to college football experts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, the Blue Devils reach the postseason, but they disagree on where Duke will end up.

Kyle Bonagura has Duke getting a berth into the New Era Pinstripe Bowl which will take place on December 27 at Yankee Stadium from the Bronx, New York. Bonagura has the Blue Devils facing the Michigan State Spartans out of the Big Ten Conference.

Duke last played in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2015 when the Blue Devils defeated Indiana University, 44-41 in overtime.

Mark Schlabach has the Blue Devils playing not too far away from Durham in the Belk Bowl which is held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Belk Bowl is on December 31 with a noon kickoff.

The Blue Devils were a participant in the Belk Bowl in 2012 when Duke squandered a 16-3 first quarter lead to the Cincinnati Bearcats, losing 48-34.

Duke still has a up-hill mountain to climb to become bowl eligible as the Blue Devils need two wins to reach the postseason.

The schedule will not do Duke any favors as the Blue Devils have road games against North Carolina and No. 25 Wake Forest while hosting No. 8 Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Miami.

Duke has made a bowl game in six of the past seven years, with 2016 being the only exception. The Blue Devils lost its first three bowl game during that stretch but have since won three in a row, starting with the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl and running through Duke’s win in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl last season over Temple.

The Duke Blue Devils will try and get one win closer to bowl eligibility on Saturday, October 26 in the Battle for the Victory Bell in Chapel Hill against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

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