Duke football fans, admittedly, might not want to remember much of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The Blue Devils put together one of the most impressive seasons in program history under new head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], sweeping the state of North Carolina en route to the school’s fourth nine-win season since 1941. The reward for that success, however, came in the form of a bowl matchup against the Ole Miss Rebels, a 9-3 SEC team that felt snubbed from the College Football Playoff and brought back all of its best players for one last ride.
Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for 404 yards, ran for 43 more, and tossed four touchdowns as the Blue Devils scrambled to keep up with a deep Rebels wideout room. Meanwhile, Duke quarterback Henry Belin IV took time to settle in during his first start of the season, ending up with 236 yards but failing to pick up a first down on the opening two possessions.
Final score aside, a game played is still a memory for this Duke team. Check out the best photos from Thursday’s 52-20 loss below.