Duke to Honor 2013 ACC Coastal Division Championship Team on Saturday

DURHAM – Duke football will honor its 2013 ACC Coastal Division championship team on Saturday during its game against NC State.

Over 30 former players and staff will unite back in Durham to celebrate one of Duke's best seasons in program history. The Blue Devils and Wolfpack kickoff Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke's record-setting 2013 campaign was the culmination of a years-long process started by that season's National Coach of the Year David Cutcliffe and the coaching staff after their arrival in December, 2007.

The Blue Devils finished the season 10-4 overall and 6-2 in ACC play en route to their ACC Coastal Division championship. The year was capped by an appearance in the 46th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Ga., where Duke and Texas A&M played in the most-watched non-BCS game of the bowl season.

The ACC's Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013, Cutcliffe guided Duke to final national rankings in the BCS standings (24th), USA Today/Coaches poll (22nd) and Associated Press poll (23rd). Duke's 10 wins were also the most in school history, bettering the previous standard of nine set by the 1933, 1936, 1938 and 1941 squads.

"The players, coaches, and staff on the 2013 Duke football team were committed to what many considered to be impossible, winning a championship and bringing Duke Football back to prominence," 2013 Duke team captain and current Blue Devil radio analyst Dave Harding said. "We bought in when it wasn't 'cool' to play football at Duke. Being picked to finish last in the Coastal Division and being consistently disrespected only fueled our passion. We went to work, and we believed. That season had so many special moments, explosive plays, and clutch performances. I'll never forget going undefeated against our in-state foes, picking up a win over a ranked Virginia Tech team in Blacksburg, physically dominating Miami on senior night and the incredible fan turnout in the bowl game. Did I mention beating UNC at their place to clinch the division title and earn a trip to Charlotte? We were a team that never gave up, took pride in what we were doing and thrived under pressure. It was an honor to compete with them each day. I'm so excited to have many from that historic group back in Durham to celebrate our accomplishments and to cheer on our brothers on this year's team."

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2013

For the first time since the ACC went to divisional play in 2005, the Blue Devils captured their first Coastal Division championship after finishing with a mark of 6-2 in ACC play
The six ACC wins marked Duke's most conference victories since 1989 (6-1)
Duke broke the school wins record with its 10th victory following a 27-25 win at North Carolina on Nov. 30, 2013
The Blue Devils defeated two ranked teams that season when it took down No. 16 Virginia Tech and No. 24 Miami … the last time Duke beat two ranked teams in the same season was 1971 (No. 19 South Carolina & No. 11 West Virginia)
Duke also posted a perfect 5-0 record in road games, marking the first time since 1962 that Duke finished the season undefeated in true road games
Duke earned a berth to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, where it faced No. 20 Texas A&M ... the bowl berth was Duke's second straight, coming on the heels of the Belk Bowl in 2012 ... it marked the first time in program history that Duke advanced to bowl games in back-to-back seasons
Duke finished the season ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, No. 22 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the final BCS rankings … the last time Duke received a final national ranking was in 1962 when the UPI slotted the Blue Devils at No. 14
The Blue Devils also had numerous individual honors throughout 2013 to include:
- Team Captains: Anthony Boone, Ross Cockrell, Justin Foxx, Dave Harding, and Perry Simmons
- All-America: Jeremy Cash, Jamison Crowder, and DeVon Edwards
- Freshman All-America: DeVon Edwards
- Academic All-America: Perry Simmons
- All-ACC (Coaches): Kenny Anunike, Kelby Brown, Jeremy Cash, Ross Cockrell, Jamison Crowder, Braxton Deaver, Will Monday, Perry Simmons, and Laken Tomlinson
- All-ACC (ACSMA): Kenny Anunike, Kelby Brown, Jeremy Cash, Ross Cockrell, Jamison Crowder, Braxton Deaver, DeVon Edwards, Ross Martin, Will Monday, Perry Simmons, and Laken Tomlinson
- Carmen Falcone Team MVP: Jamison Crowder

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Duke to Honor 2013 ACC Coastal Division Championship Team on Saturday

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