Duke–NC State football rivalry
American college football rivalry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Duke–NC State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game between the Duke Blue Devils and NC State Wolfpack.[1][2][3]
NC State 14, Duke 0
Duke 45, NC State 33
| First meeting | September 27, 1924 NC State 14, Duke 0 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | September 20, 2025 Duke 45, NC State 33 |
| Next meeting | November 7, 2026 |
| Trophy | None |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | 86 |
All-time series | Duke leads, 44–37–5 |
Largest victory | Duke, 75–0 (1943) |
Longest win streak | NC State, 11 (1994–2008) |
Current win streak | Duke, 3 (2023–present) |
History
This game is part of the larger Tobacco Road rivalry between North Carolina Power 5 universities NC State, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest. The series is also significant due to the geographical location of both schools, with just 30 miles separating the respective campuses. The rivalry dates back to 1924 and was played every year uninterrupted from then until 2003 except for 1944.[4] After the Atlantic Coast Conference split into non-geographical divisions in 2004,[5] the Wolfpack and Blue Devils were placed in opposite divisions and weren't designated as each other's annual cross divisional opponent, thereby ending the annual series and making the rivalry intermittent.[6][7] With the ACC ending the divisional format after the 2022 season in favor of an arrangement that calls for three annual conference opponents with five rotating, the four North Carolina schools were designated as all three of each other's annual conference opponents, thus reviving the annual series between the Wolfpack and Blue Devils for the foreseeable future.[8][9] Duke dominated the early years of the rivalry but NC State has won 15 of 20 since 1990.[1] As of 2025[update], Duke leads the all-time series 44–37–5.[10][11][12]
Game results
| Duke victories | NC State victories | Tie games |
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Notable games
1924: First meeting
NC State defeated Duke (then known as Trinity College) by a score of 14–0 in the first football game played between the schools.[15]
1928: Duke's first victory
In the fifth game between Duke and NC State, The Blue Devils emerged with a 14–12 victory, their first-ever win over the Wolfpack. Duke utilized two drop kicks throughout the game to help secure the win.[16]
1943: Largest victory
Duke prevailed 75–0 in the 1943 meeting, the largest margin of victory for either team in the history of the rivalry.[17] The Blue Devils won despite 32 members of their football team being absent due to service in World War II.[18]
1948: First tie
The teams fought to a 0–0 tie in the 1948 meeting, the first such result in the history of the series. Both teams' defenses dominated en route to not allowing a single point scored.[19]
1999: First overtime game
NC State scored ten points in the final ten minutes of regulation and clinched the win with a seven-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jamie Barnette in overtime.[20][21] To date, this is the only football game between the Blue Devils and Wolfpack to go into overtime.[1]
2002: Wolfpack rout Blue Devils en route to historic season
Quarterback Philip Rivers went 26 of 37 passing for 364 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack to a 24–22 victory in the 2002 game.[1] Duke had a chance to win it at the end but missed a 65-yard field goal attempt.[22] The win improved NC State's season record to 8–0, matching the best start to a season in program history, and would set a new school record at season's end for victories in a season, finishing 11–3.[23][24]
2003: End of the annual series
The 2003 matchup saw the Wolfpack escape with a 28–21 win.[25] This would be the last annual meeting between the teams for the next two decades, as the ACC moved to a divisional scheduling format the next year and placed the Blue Devils and Wolfpack in opposite divisions while not choosing not to make the cross-divisional matchup an annual game.[5]
2009: Blue Devils snap ACC skid
Quarterback Thad Lewis completed 40 of 50 passes for a career-high 459 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils to a 49–28 win.[1][26] In so doing, Duke snapped a 20-game conference losing skid dating back to 2003 and an eleven-game losing streak to NC State.[27][28]
2013: Two touchdowns in 16 seconds lift Blue Devils
Duke defensive back DeVon Edwards scored on a kickoff return touchdown plus two interceptions returned for touchdowns in just 16 seconds of game time to lift the Blue Devils to a 38–20 win over the Wolfpack.[29] The win guaranteed Duke of their first winning season in nearly 20 years.[30]