Associated Press

Duke coach David Cutcliffe reacts during the second half against Navy. Duke beat the Midshipmen 41-31.

At no point in its 25-game ACC losing streak has Duke gone into a conference football game as a favorite.

In that sense, the Blue Devils already have ended one streak, having been installed as a 6 ½-point choice over Virginia.

Actually winning the game would be a lot more meaningful.

Duke already holds the ACC record for consecutive conference defeats, having dropped 30 in a row between 1999-2003, but that doesn't mean the 25-game skid has gone unnoticed.

"They know about it," said David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils' first-year coach. "We talked about it [with the players] last week."

Like Virginia, Duke (2-1) is coming off an open date. The Blue Devils have beaten Division I-AA power James Madison and Navy, and they had a potential game-winning touchdown nullified by penalty in a 24-20 loss to Northwestern.

The players "are very aware that these seniors are 0-24 in their tenure here, and we've got a couple of [fifth-year] redshirts and those redshirts are 1-31," Cutcliffe said.

"I don't have to tell 'em. They know it. It's obviously a big challenge, playing a team that's a perennial winner in Virginia.

"I think they welcome the challenge, but I think they understand that all the snakes are getting ready to rise. We haven't played an ACC team yet. It's all going to be different come Saturday."

Duke finds itself favored against an ACC team for the first time since 2002 finale, a span of 40 games

North Carolina came to Wallace Wade Stadium as an underdog in 2002 and defeated the Blue Devils 23-21.

Virginia (1-2) has lost by 45 and 35 points in two games this year against Division I-A opposition and has dismissed sophomore quarterback Peter Lalich, the starter in a 16-0 victory over I-AA Richmond.

"I think they're a really talented team; they've just played a vicious schedule," Cutcliffe said. "It's hard to get started when you open up against Southern Cal. Southern Cal made Ohio State look like an average team.

"They've played two really good teams and UConn's beaten everybody. Virginia's a whole lot better football team than a lot of people give them credit for, and they know that. We know we've got our hands full."

Some coaches might ignore losing streaks such as Duke's, "but I'm upfront with everything," Cutcliffe said. "I don't sugar-coat anything. I tell 'em when they're good and I tell 'em when they're not.

"I believe in being honest with your players. If you ever say something that's not being yourself or that's not true, you completely lose their trust. Maybe I'm a bad psychologist, but I've never been afraid of that stuff.

"Hey, if we don't like it, let's do something about it."