Seminoles aim to extend long streak

TALLAHASSEE — FSU has another impressive winning streak it wishes to continue when visiting Duke on Saturday.

The Seminoles are a perfect 19-0 against the Duke Blue Devils, a streak that began in FSU’s first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992 and was last revisited in FSU’s 45-7 win in the 2013 conference-title game.

Despite FSU’s 1-3 start to the 2017 season, Duke coach David Cutcliffe and his players are not taking the Seminoles lightly by any means. The Blue Devils (4-2, 1-2 ACC) see the matchup as a litmus test they hope to pass during the noon matchup in Wallace Wade Stadium

“I think when you're playing a program like Florida State, there's a lot of people probably in the same boat that Duke is in that haven't beaten them. That's just a fact. Or even fortunate to beat them once or twice,” Cutcliffe said during Wednesday’s ACC conference call.

FSU and Duke played annually from 1992-2007 and have played only three times under Jimbo Fisher, a 41-16 win at Duke in 2011 and a 48-7 win in Tallahassee in 2012.

With a win over Duke, FSU would have at least 20 wins against eight teams, joining Clemson, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Florida, NC State, Wake Forest and Miami.

“It's a great football traditional program,” Cutcliffe said of FSU. “Our players are very aware of who we're playing and the quality of that program. You know that this is a test that you're going to go and you're going to have to play well and compete at the highest level to have an opportunity.”

Next: FSU at Duke, Saturday, noon, ESPN2

Safid Deen