The history of Duke Blue Devils football began in 1888, when Duke University first fielded a football team.
History Early history (1888–1930)
The Duke Blue Devils, then known as the Trinity Blue and White, first fielded a football team in 1888, coached by John Franklin Crowell. The first game against North Carolina was the first "scientific" game in the state. Trinity finished the first two seasons in their football history with records of 2–1 in 1888 and 1–1 in 1889. From 1890 to 1895, Trinity competed without a head coach. The 1891 team went undefeated. Trinity did not compete in football from 1895 to 1919. The Trinity Blue and White resumed football competition in 1920 under head coach Floyd J. Egan, compiling a record of 4–0–1 that season. In 1921, they finished 6–1–2 were led by James A. Baldwin, previously the head coach at Maine.
In February 1922, Herman Steiner was selected as the head coach of the Trinity College football team for the 1922 season. During the 1922 football season, Steiner coached the Trinity football team to a 7–2–1 record as the team outscored its opponents 156–57. E. L. Alexander took over the reins of the Trinity Blue Devils in 1923 and led the team to a 5–4 record. In their first season competing as Duke University, Howard Jones took over in 1924 and led the Blue Devils to a 4–5 record before leaving for USC. Former Indiana head coach James Herron led the Blue Devils to another 4–5 record in 1925. From 1926 to 1930, the program was led by head coach James DeHart, who compiled a 24–23–2 record during his tenure. DeHart led the Blue Devils, an independent for all of its history up to that point, into the Southern Conference in 1928.
Wallace Wade era (1931–1950)
In late 1930, Wallace Wade shocked the college football world by leaving national powerhouse Alabama for Duke. He had been at Alabama since 1923, after assisting Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores during two undefeated southern championships. An upset by the Florida Gators in 1923 is all that stopped Alabama from a conference title in Wade's first year. In 1924 he won the SoCon title, and in 1925 and 1926 won national championships. His 1925 team was the first Southern team to win a Rose Bowl. Wade was under fire at Alabama after lackluster seasons in 1928 and 1929, which included narrow losses to Robert Neyland's Tennessee Volunteers. Wade submitted his resignation on April 30, with the caveat that he coach next season. John Suther described the feeling before the Tennessee game that year, which Alabama won 18–6. "Coach Wade was boiling mad. He was like a blood-thirsty drill sergeant anyway, and those critics made him more fiery ... He challenged us to help him shut up the loudmouths that were making his life miserable." In his final year at Alabama, Wade won his third national championship. Though Wade refused to answer questions regarding his decision to leave Alabama for Duke until late in his life, he eventually told a sports historian he believed his philosophy regarding sports and athletics fit perfectly with the philosophy of the Duke administration and that he felt being at a private institution would allow him greater freedom. Wade's success at Alabama translated well to Duke's program. He sent former Alabama players and future Duke assistants Herschel Caldwell and Ellis Hagler to the school a year early to prepare a team. Duke won 7 Southern Conference championships in the 16 years that Wade was coach. He also led the team to 2 Rose Bowls. Wade served a stint in the military in World War II, leaving the team after the 1941 season and returning before the start of the 1946 season. Wade's achievements placed him in the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1933, Duke, led by North Carolina's first first-team All-American Fred Crawford, upset Neyland's Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 10–2. It was Tennessee's first loss in over two and a half seasons. It caused Neyland to say of Crawford: "He gave the finest exhibition of tackle play I have ever seen." The most famous Duke football season came in 1938, when the "Iron Dukes" went unscored upon for the entire regular season. Duke reached their first Rose Bowl appearance, where they lost 7–3 when USC scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game on a pass from a second-string quarterback to a third string tight end.
While Wallace Wade was serving in the military, Duke football assistant coach Eddie Cameron was promoted to head coach to fill in for Wade until his return from service. Cameron's Blue Devils teams were successful, going 25–11–1 in Cameron's four seasons as head coach, highlighted by an 8–1 1943 season. Cameron's 1944 team won the Sugar Bowl, beating Alabama 29–26. Cameron would go on to serve as Duke's athletic director from 1951 to 1972, and for his service to the athletics program and the university as a whole, Duke named their basketball arena after him, Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Blue Devils basketball teams still play their home games today.
Duke would be invited again to make the trip to Pasadena, California for the 1942 Rose Bowl, this time to play Oregon State. Due to fears of additional west coast attacks by the Japanese in the wake of Pearl Harbor, the decision was made to move the game to Durham. As Duke's stadium was significantly smaller than the regular venue, bleachers were borrowed from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, which boosted capacity from 35,000 to 55,000. Despite being 3 to 1 favorites, the Iron Dukes would lose the game 20–16. Wade retired after the 1950 season and, for his great achievements, Duke named their football stadium after him. The Blue Devils still play their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium. Wade's final record at Duke is 110–36–7.
Bill Murray era (1951–1965)
Delaware head coach Bill Murray was chosen to replace Wallace Wade as Duke's head coach in 1951. The football program proved successful under Murray's tutelage, winning six of the first ten ACC football championships from 1953 to 1962.Duke Blue Devils . Theacc.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2007. From 1943 until 1957, the Blue Devils were ranked in the AP Poll at some point in the season. Murray's Duke teams would be last successes the Blue Devils football program would have for another two decades. Bill Murray would be the last Duke head football coach to leave the Blue Devils with a winning record until Steve Spurrier, and the last to leave Duke after having won multiple conference championships. After Murray's retirement following the 1965 season, Duke's football program would steadily decline into becoming the ACC's "cellar-dweller". Murray led Duke to its last bowl appearance and conference championships, shared or outright, until 1989. Murray's final record at Duke was 91–51–9 in 15 seasons.
Murray led the Blue Devils to a 5–4–1 record in his first season. The 1951 campaign began with a wins over South Carolina and Pittsburgh. The game against Pittsburgh, was broadcast by NBC, and was the first nationally televised sporting event in American history. After losing to No. 16 Tennessee, the Blue Devils won their next two over NC State and Virginia Tech. Murray's squad then lost to Virginia, tied #5 Georgia Tech, lost to Wake Forest, lost to William & Mary and beat North Carolina. In 1952, in what was their last season as members of the Southern Conference, Duke went 8–2. The Blue Devils started the season by defeating Washington & Lee, SMU, #11 Tennessee, South Carolina, NC State and #9 Virginia. The Blue Devils suffered their first loss of the season in their seventh game of the season against Georgia Tech and lost again the next week to Navy. Murray's team closed the season with wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina. The Blue Devils were awarded the Southern Conference championship in their last season as members of the conference. Duke, along with the University of North Carolina, University of Virginia, North Carolina State University, Wake Forest University, Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland chartered the Atlantic Coast Conference on May 8, 1953. In 1953, Duke finished its football season with a 7–2–1 record. The Blue Devils, who began the season ranked No. 10 in the country, started with wins over South Carolina, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Purdue. After losing a thriller to Army, The Blue Devils blew out NC State and Virginia. The Blue Devils then tied Navy in a scoreless bout. Murray's Duke team closed the 1953 season with a 13–10 loss to No. 12 Georgia Tech and a 35–20 win over archrival North Carolina. The Blue Devils won the first ever ACC football championship in 1953. The Blue Devils compiled an 8–2–1 record in 1954. Beginning the season ranked No. 19 nationally, the Blue Devils annihilated Pennsylvania by a score of 52–0 and defeated Tennessee in a thriller by a score of 7–6 to start the season at 2–0. The Blue Devils then tied #5 Purdue and lost to No. 18 Army. The Blue Devils won their next two over NC State and Georgia Tech, scoring 21 points in both games. After losing to No. 19 Navy, the Blue Devils won their last four of the season; defeating Wake Forest by a score of 28–21, South Carolina by a score of 26–7, North Carolina by a score of 47–12 and Nebraska in the Orange Bowl by a score of 34–7, the Blue Devils' first bowl appearance since 1945. For the second straight year, Duke won the ACC conference championship. The Blue Devils finished 7–2–1 in 1955. Murray's team began the season 4–0 with wins over NC State, Tennessee, William & Mary and #14 Ohio State. Duke lost its next two to Pittsburgh and #12 Georgia Tech. After tying #9 Navy, The Blue Devils capped the season with wins over South Carolina, Wake Forest and North Carolina. The Blue Devils were awarded their third straight ACC championship in 1955.