Virginia Goes for Seventh-Straight Victory over Duke
When Virginia welcomes Duke to Scott Stadium on Saturday, the Hoos will look to take down the Blue Devils for the seventh time in a row. The Cavaliers have won each of the last six matchups in a streak which dates back to 2015.
Let’s take a look back at how UVA was able to defeat Duke in six consecutive games.
November 21, 2015: Virginia 42, Duke 24
In the second to last game of Mike London’s final season as Virginia’s head football coach, the 3-7 Cavaliers welcomed the 6-4 Duke Blue Devils into Scott Stadium. UVA proceeded to score the game’s first 21 points and never relinquished that lead, holding off Duke’s comeback attempt en route to a 42-34 upset victory. Taquan Mizzell rushed for 61 yards and two touchdowns and added 43 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. Olamide Zaccheaus, a true freshman at the time, hauled in three receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Olamide Zaccheaus scores a touchdown against Duke in 2015.
Photo courtesy of Amber Searls/USA TODAY Sports
Matt Johns went 24/33 for 344 yards and two touchdowns as the Hoos snapped Duke’s three-game winning streak in the series and began a winning streak of their own.
October 1, 2016: Virginia 34, Duke 20
This game will always be remembered as the day Jordan Mack nearly killed Daniel Jones as Mack delivered a crushing hit on Jones in his own end zone.
The hit forced a fumble, which Eli Hanback recovered in the end zone for a UVA touchdown, which put the Hoos up 34-20 with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was the second straight win for the Cavaliers, but those two wins would be the only victories for Virginia that season, as the Hoos turned in a 2-10 overall record in the 2016.
October 7, 2017: Virginia 28, Duke 21
Both Virginia and Duke had good starts to the 2017 season and the Cavaliers and Blue Devils delivered a great game in UVA’s first ACC contest of the season. Quin Blanding opened up the scoring with a 58-yard pick six to give UVA an early 7-0 lead.
Quin Blanding returns an interception for a touchdown against Duke in 2017.
Photo courtesy of Amber Searls/USA TODAY Sports
But, Duke responded by scoring the next 14 points. Kurt Benkert then threw three touchdown passes as part of a 21-0 UVA run to take control of the game and the Hoos held off Duke’s rally and won 28-21.
October 20, 2018: Virginia 28, Duke 14
In 2018, Bryce Perkins left his mark on the Virginia-Duke football series. Perkins scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half to give UVA the early lead and then found Evan Butts in the corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter to seal the 28-14 victory for the Hoos.
Bryce Perkins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Duke in 2018.
Photo courtesy of Rob Kinnan/USA TODAY Sports
Perkins threw for 189 yards and ran for 61 yards in the game. The Virginia defense, led by Chris Peace and Charles Snowden, who each tallied seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, held Duke to just 58 rushing yards.
October 19, 2019: Virginia 48, Duke 14
In one of the more lopsided results in the history of the series between Virginia and Duke, the Cavaliers held the Blue Devils scoreless for the first 40 minutes of the game and built a 27-0 lead. Bryce Perkins ran for three touchdowns and Wayne Taulapapa added another pair of rushing touchdowns. The UVA defense forced five Duke turnovers as the Hoos completely suffocated the Blue Devils’ offense. Joe Reed also took a kick return back for a 95-yard touchdown immediately following Duke’s first score of the game.
Joe Reed returns a kickoff for a touchdown against Duke in 2019.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
October 26, 2020: Virginia 38, Duke 20
Finally, Virginia defeated Duke in the season opener at Scott Stadium in 2020. The Blue Devils outscored the Cavaliers 10-0 in both the first and third quarters, but the Hoos responded both times, going on a 17-0 run in the second quarter and a 21-0 run in the fourth. Brennan Armstrong threw for 269 yards and scored three total touchdowns and Wayne Taulapapa ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns. The UVA defense intercepted Duke five times, two of which were by Brenton Nelson.
Lavel Davis Jr. catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Duke in 2020.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
It was also a coming out party for true freshman Lavel Davis Jr., who had four receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including this incredible catch to give Virginia the lead in the fourth quarter.
Check out our full preview of Virginia's game against Duke on Saturday here.
