Virginia Tech-Duke matchups are rarely pretty.  Well, I guess last year’s game was pretty for Duke fans, but as a Hokie fan that doesn’t happen very often. I think a lot of us go into each game against the Blue Devils with a “let’s just get through it” type of mentality.  I know I do.

Here’s a quick recap of the most recent games with the Blue Devils…

• 2011: 14-10 VT win.  A Tech team that put up a lot of points that year barely scraped through against the Blue Devils.
• 2012: 41-20 VT win.  The Hokies won this one by three touchdowns, but not before Duke jumped out to a 20-0 lead.
• 2013: 13-10 Duke win.  Both quarterbacks combined for eight interceptions in a game that set football back decades.
• 2014: 17-16 VT win.  I remember almost nothing about this game, except Marshawn Williams tearing his ACL and a sideline miscommunication that led to an accidental fake punt for the Hokies that could have cost them the game.
• 2015: 45-43  Duke win (4OT).  Exciting game.  Bad result.
• 2016: 24-21 VT win.  A very good VT team struggled to get a good result in Durham.
• 2017: 24-3 VT win.  A boring game in the pouring rain.
• 2018: 31-14 VT win.  Probably the most entertaining VT-Duke game of the last decade, until yesterday.
• 2019: I’m pretty sure the Hokies didn’t play Duke in 2019.  That one is buried with the cancelled Temple game in 1998, right?

The Hokies were missing 21 players, three starters and key backups in the secondary, the cornerbacks coach, and the defensive coordinator/safeties coach.  And Duke games are generally a rock fight.  I’ll take the win, whether it was 38-31 or 10-3.  “Let’s just get through it.”

Tech got through it.  Now, on to the next one.  But first, let’s take a look at a few talking points from yesterday’s victory.

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