the last time duke won a bowl game was 2017.
when was the last time duke won a bowl game?
2017
prior to joining conference usa, smu had only one winning season since returning from the "death penalty", in 1997. in 2009, the mustangs made their first bowl appearance since 1984, a 45–10 victory over nevada in the hawaii bowl. they succeeded in winning the c-usa west division in 2010, giving them their first shot at winning a conference since 1984, but they lost in the conference usa championship to ucf, 17–7. they did receive a second consecutive bowl bid, however. smu was invited to participate in that year's armed forces bowl to face army in what amounted to another home game for smu: because of construction at the game's primary site, amon g. carter stadium in fort worth, the game was held at smu's gerald j. ford stadium. they would end losing this game despite playing it on home turf by a score of 16–14. in 2011, the mustangs were invited to the bbva compass bowl in birmingham, alabama—the first time they'd made three consecutive bowl appearances since the glory years of the early 1980s. the game was played on january 7, 2012, the first january bowl game for smu since their appearance in the cotton bowl in 1983. by coincidence, they played pittsburgh, the team they had defeated in that cotton bowl game, in the bbva compass bowl and defeated them 28–6 for their second bowl win in three seasons. they moved to the american athletic conference in 2013. in 2017, the mustangs played in a bowl game for the first time since 2012, losing to louisiana tech 51–10 in the inaugural edition of the frisco bowl.
southern methodist university football scandal
the 20–16 upset victory sent shock waves throughout the country. most people south of the mason-dixon had expected an easy duke victory. sid feder of the associated press labeled it the biggest upset in the rose bowl's history. the player of the game was probably duke's steve lach, who rushed for 129 yards and averaged 47 yards a punt, but the honor went to dan durdan. his 54 yards rushing and 44 yards per punt coupled with the beaver's 20–16 victory carried the day. the game was the first, last, and only rose bowl victory for oregon state and was also the first, last, and only time the rose bowl has not been played in southern california. it was also the last time duke and oregon state played each other on the gridiron.
history of oregon state beavers football