Duke Football: Way-too-early 2022 game-by-game predictions
By Austin Lloyd
Game 4: at Kansas (L)
The Kansas Jayhawks are, at the very least, in the running for worst Power Five program of the 21st century, and their performance against Duke last season did little to combat such an ungodly reputation.
But this time around, the Jayhawks will be hosting the Blue Devils following a conclusion to their 2021 slate that saw them very close to winning their last three games. It may not be a blowout, but this will be a statement win for Kansas — and a statement loss for Duke — nonetheless.
Game 5: vs. Virginia (W)
Similarly to Duke football, the Virginia Cavaliers have also encountered a change at head coach following the departure of Bronco Mendenhall. With him gone, Virginia may be in for some darker days of its own.
Some of those days will be so dark, in fact, that the Cavs will see themselves on the losing end of their battle with the Devils in Durham. If this match were to unfold in Charlottesville, then perhaps I’d swing the other way. However, the antagonistic atmosphere will be just enough to squeak Duke past Virginia in the former’s conference opener.
Game 6: at Georgia Tech (L)
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tied the Devils for worst overall record in the ACC last year (3-9), but even they downed Duke head-to-head. Now their meeting will be taking place in Atlanta, which is a brutal place to play. Georgia Tech gets the edge in this rivalry for the third year straight.