1944 Duke Blue Devils football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1944

| team = Duke Blue Devils

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Southern Conference

| short_conf = SoCon

| record = 6–4

| conf_record = 4–0

| APRank = 11

| head_coach = Eddie Cameron

| hc_year = 3rd

| mvp = Tom Davis

| captain = Gordon Carver

| stadium = Duke Stadium

| champion = SoCon champion
Sugar Bowl champion

| bowl = Sugar Bowl

| bowl_result = W 29–26 vs. Alabama

}}

The 1944 Duke Blue Devils football team was an American football team that represented Duke University as a member of the Southern Conference during the 1944 college football season. In its third season under head coach Eddie Cameron, the team compiled a 6–4 record (4–0 against conference opponents), won the conference championship, was ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll, and defeated Alabama in the 1945 Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day. The Blue Devils outscored opponents by a total of 230 to 118.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/duke/1944-schedule.html|title=1944 Duke Blue Devils Schedule and Results|work=SR/College Football|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 8, 2019}}{{cite web| url=http://www.goduke.com/fls/4200/media-guides/football/2016/93-168_History.pdf |title=Duke Football 2016 Media Guide|publisher=Duke University|page=96|year=2016| access-date=March 8, 2019}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1944

| poll = AP

| rank = y

| attend = y

| source = y

| September 23 || Richmond ||Duke Stadium|Durham, NC | W 61–7 |8,250|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112757284/blue-devils-show-power-in-romp-against-s/|work=The News and Observer|title=Blue Devils show power in romp against Spiders|date=September 24, 1944|accessdate=November 8, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

| September 30 |at| Penn ||Franklin Field| Philadelphia, PA | L 7–18 |40,000|{{cite news |title=Penn Upsets Duke, 18-7, Before 40,000 |first=Art |last=Morrow |date=October 1, 1944 |page=S1 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66844224/1944-penn-duke/ }}

| October 7 || North Carolina Pre-Flight ||Duke Stadium| Durham, NC | L 6–13 |19,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-preflight-defeats/137241584/|work=Winston-Salem Journal|title=Preflight defeats Duke, 13–6|date=October 8, 1944|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

| October 14 |vs| No. 6 Navy ||Municipal Stadium| Baltimore, MD | L 0–7 |25,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-duke-beaten-blue/137241704/|work=The News and Observer|title=Duke beaten, Blue Devils miss scoring chances|date=October 15, 1944|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

| October 28 |vs| No. 2 Army ||Polo Grounds| New York, NY | L 7–27 |45,000|{{cite news|title=Army Crushes Duke, 27-7; All Backs Star|newspaper=New York Daily News|author=Jack Smith|date=October 29, 1944|page=76|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98964192/army-crushes-duke-27-7-all-backs-star/|via=Newspapers.com}}

| November 4 || No. 5 Georgia Tech ||Duke Stadium| Durham, NC | W 19–13 |30,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-duke-hands-tech/132748048/|work=The Atlanta Constitution|title=Duke hands Tech first loss, 19–13|date=November 5, 1944|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

| November 11 || No. 12 Wake Forest |20|Duke Stadium| Durham, NC | W 34–0|35,000|{{cite news|title=Spoilers of Southland: Duke Ends Another Perfect Record|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=November 12, 1944|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29205656/spoilers_of_southland_duke_ends/}}

| November 18 |at| South Carolina |10|Carolina Stadium| Columbia, SC | W 34–7 |12,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-greenville-news-duke-rips-carolina/137241786/|work=The Greenville News|title=Duke rips Carolina|date=November 19, 1944|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

| November 25 |at| North Carolina |11|Kenan Memorial Stadium| Chapel Hill, NC (rivalry)| W 33–0 |25,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-duke-wins-accept/137241878/|work=Atlantic City Press|title=Duke wins, accepts game with 'Bama in Sugar Bowl|date=November 26, 1944|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

| January 1, 1945 |vs| No. 16 Alabama |11|Tulane Stadium| New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | W 29–26 | 66,822 |{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-news-duke-edges-past-alab/137241976/|work=The Birmingham News|title=Duke edges past Alabama, 29–26|date=January 2, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}