Blue Devil Rewind: Victory in Knoxville

This series will take an inside look at top moments in Duke football history and are not meant to be a complete listing of all memorable accomplishments, but a sampling of great moments as determined by the GoDuke.com staff.

On September 10, 1988, behind standout performances by the 1988 ACC Player of the Year and a future College Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, Duke pulled off one of the most prolific wins in program history. That day, Duke traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on a Tennessee Volunteer squad filled with more than 10 NFL draft picks and over 93,000 fans inside Neyland Stadium.

Quarterback Anthony Dilweg and wideout Clarkston Hines' offensive performances silenced every Vol fan inside the historic venue. Dilweg finished his day by completing 21-of-32 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. One hundred and forty-five of those yards and all three scores went to his primary target – Hines – as the two led the Blue Devils to a 31-26 win at Tennessee.

Duke outscored the Vols, 24-7, in the first half alone behind Dilweg's 16-of-23, 214-yard performance. Hines caught six passes during that stretch for 112 yards and two of his touchdowns which covered 26 and 18 yards. The third and final Dilweg-to-Hines score (15 yards) came with 2:42 left in the third quarter and handed the Blue Devils a 31-7 lead which they would never relinquish.

Dilweg and Hines combined for 10 touchdowns that season, which is the third-most by a duo in program history. Both still have their names listed among the top 10 in a number of Duke records such as the highest passing efficiency rating for a career (Dilweg; 128.94) and the most touchdown receptions in a career (Hines; 38).

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FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW
Anthony Dilweg (Duke Football Quarterback, 1985-88) – "Playing in front of over 90,000 fans at Neyland Stadium and being led by a College Football Hall of Fame player and coach, Steve Spurrier, was an unbelievable experience for me and I would have to believe as well for many of my teammates. I was energized, excited and awestruck all at the same time.

"I remember former Duke quarterback great Ben Bennett personally challenging me the week of the game to see if I could 'one-up' his stats and get an upset victory like his team did when Duke played Tennessee in 1982. They were the underdogs in '82 and so were we.

"I recall strong defensive performances by John Howell, Jeff Patten and Rodney Dickerson along with Jim Worthington coming up big on a 4th-and-short play to stop Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis just shy of a first down in the final quarter.

"Offensively – Clarkston Hines had an outstanding game. That game I felt we really clicked – just intuitively read each other extremely well. He made it look easy for me. Roger Boone had an extremely productive game rushing and catching the ball like he did all season. I believe he was close to 100 yards rushing that game.

"One of my more memorable images was when Randy Jones outran the Tennessee defense on a sweep play in the first quarter that put us up 14-0. That was very inspiring to watch Randy best an elite secondary by more than a few yards as he crossed the goal line.

"That game by far was my favorite and most unforgettable road experience during my entire football college career."

David Cutcliffe (Current Duke Head Coach and Former Tennessee Assistant/Offensive Coordinator [1982-98]) – "Going into the game, we knew Duke was a very good team. Defensively, they were active and their players really fit their scheme. And on offense, Clarkston (Hines) had already established himself as a terrific receiver. Anthony (Dilweg) was a senior, but starting for the first time, but boy did he play like a senior.

"What Anthony accomplished that season was truly remarkable – over 3,500 passing yards and 24 touchdowns – both school records that still stand today. He is a great example of perseverance and dedication. Playing in a backup role for three seasons before taking over as the starter in his final year; that isn't easy to do. And best of all, the first thing that Anthony would tell you about that game and that season is how great his coaches and teammates were.

"It has been a treat to get to know both Anthony and Clarkston – and a number of other members of that '88 team – since coming to Duke. Great players; and great people."

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Blue Devil Rewind: Victory in Knoxville

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