1951 Duke Blue Devils football team
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1951
| team = Duke Blue Devils
| sport = football
| image = 1951 Duke Blue Devils football team (Chanticleer 1952 page 221).jpg
| image_size = 280
| conference = Southern Conference
| short_conf = SoCon
| record = 5–4–1
| conf_record = 4–2
| head_coach = William D. Murray
| hc_year = 1st
| mvp = Bob Bickel
| captain = James Gibson
| stadium = Duke Stadium
}}
{{1951 Southern Conference football standings}}
The 1951 Duke Blue Devils football team was an American football team that represented Duke University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1951 college football season. In their first year under head coach William D. Murray, the Blue Devils complied an overall record of 5–4–1, with a conference record of 4–2, and finished sixth in the SoCon.{{cite news|title=1951 Duke Blue Devils Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=December 28, 2023|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/duke/1951-schedule.html}}
The team was ranked at No. 51 in the 1951 Litkenhous Ratings.{{cite news|title=Vols Top Final 1951 Litkenhous Ratings|newspaper=The Nashville Banner|date=December 14, 1951|page=49|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-vols-top-final-1951-lit/124782001/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1951
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 22
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = South Carolina
| site_stadium = Carolina Stadium
| site_cityst = Columbia, SC
| score = 34–6
| attend = 28,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rocky-mount-telegram-duke-swamps-gamecoc/137589801/|work=The Rocky Mount Telegram|title=Duke swamps Gamecocks, 34–6|date=September 23, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 29
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Pittsburgh
| site_stadium = Pitt Stadium
| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA
| score = 19–14
| attend = 20,066
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-duke-scores/137589918/|work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|title=Duke scores in fourth to edge Pitt, 19–14|date=September 30, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 6
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Tennessee
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Shields–Watkins Field
| site_cityst = Knoxville, TN
| score = 0–26
| attend = 45,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94696182/tennessee-vols-stop-devils-in-260-tilt/|work=Rocky Mount Telegram|title=Tennessee Vols stop Devils in 26–0 tilt|date=October 7, 1951|accessdate=February 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 13
| w/l = w
| opponent = NC State
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 27–21
| attend = 23,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-greenville-news-duke-dumps-nc-stat/137589996/|work=The Greenville News|title=Duke dumps N.C. State, 27–21|date=October 14, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 20
| w/l = w
| neutral = y
| opponent = VPI
| site_stadium = Foreman Field
| site_cityst = Norfolk, VA
| gamename = Oyster Bowl
| score = 55–6
| attend = 20,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-virginian-pilot-duke-crushes-virgini/137590121/|work=Norfolk Virginian-Pilot|title=Duke crushes Virginia Tech in fifth annual Oyster Bowl game, 55 to 6|date=October 21, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 27
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Virginia
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| score = 7–30
| attend = 25,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-cavaliers-score-fo/137590213/|newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel|title=Cavaliers score four in fourth|date=October 28, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 3
| w/l = t
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Georgia Tech
| opprank = 5
| site_stadium = Grant Field
| site_cityst = Atlanta, GA
| score = 14–14
| attend = 36,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94697920/duke-holds-undefeated-georgia-tech-to-14/|work=Asheville Citizen-Times|title=Duke holds undefeated Georgia Tech to 14 to 14 tie|date=October 4, 1951|accessdate=February 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 10
| w/l = l
| opponent = Wake Forest
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 13–19
| attend = 30,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rocky-mount-telegram-wake-edges-duke/137590312/|work=The Rocky Mount Telegram|title=Wake edges Duke|date=November 11, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 17
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = William & Mary
| site_stadium = Cary Field
| site_cityst = Williamsburg, VA
| score = 13–14
| attend = 14,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-william-mary-sh/137588189/|work=The Charlotte Observer|title=William & Mary shades Duke in sizzling loop clash, 14–13|date=November 18, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 24
| w/l = w
| opponent = North Carolina
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| gamename = Victory Bell
| score = 19–7
| attend = 41,300–50,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-fourth-period-rally-by-duke-su/137590396/|work=The State|title=Fourth period rally by Duke subdues North Carolina, 19–7|date=November 25, 1951|accessdate=December 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Duke Blue Devils football navbox}}
Category:Duke Blue Devils football seasons
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{{NorthCarolina-sport-team-stub}}