It’s hard to believe that one play could turn a football program around, but that’s what happened to Duke on the afternoon of Oct. 31, 1998. The Blue Devils, rebuilding from an 0-11 season in 1996, took a 4-4 record into Vanderbilt Stadium that afternoon.

After the previous week’s 28-23 victory over Clemson, Duke looked like a program on the rise, perhaps headed to just its third bowl trip in 38 years.

But that Halloween trip to Nashville turned into a nightmare for the Blue Devils. Star receiver Richmond Flowers suffered an attack of appendicitis just before kickoff and missed the game. Linebacker Todd DeLamielleure, the team’s top tackler, suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter that would force him to miss the rest of the season. And on the final play of regulation, receiver Scotty Montgomery -- the team’s top player -- suffered a dislocated shoulder trying to reach what would have been the game-winning touchdown pass.

That’s the play that haunts former coach Fred Goldsmith and the Duke program to this day. Montgomery, who already had 243 yards receiving that day, somehow got behind the Vanderbilt secondary on the final play of regulation. Quarterback Bobby Campbell’s pass was right there, just inches beyond Montgomery’s grasp. It’s not hard to visualize Montgomery catching the pass, giving the Devils a miraculous win, lifting Duke’s record to 5-4, and continuing the steady improvement in Goldsmith’s program.

Instead, Vanderbilt pulled out a 36-33 victory in double-overtime and a dispirited and crippled Blue Devil team seemed to give up on the season, finishing with lackluster performances in losses to Maryland and North Carolina. That was enough for first-year athletic director Joe Alleva, who canned Goldsmith and hired Steve Spurrier protégé Carl Franks to restore Duke’s tattered fortunes.

Alas, the downward spiral that started that afternoon in Nashville has continued -- and even accelerated under Franks. His first Duke team, dominated by seniors recruited and nurtured by Goldsmith, won three games -- one less than Goldsmith’s last team. Franks’ last two squads, dominated by youngsters he has recruited, have yet to break into the win column.

Duke’s current 23-game losing streak is the nation’s longest and by far the worst in the school’s proud football history.

The passing game that Franks learned under Spurrier requires a lot from the quarterback -- mentally and physically.

D. Bryant, who inherited the job early in the 2000 season and took almost all the snaps thereafter, never had a problem with the physical demands of the job. Bryant’s problem was his long struggle to grasp the offense mentally. The tragedy of his recent academic demise is that Franks believes that Bryant had begun to master the intricacies of the position and was ready to be a winning quarterback.

But he is ineligible for the year and Franks will have to begin the teaching process with a pair of sophomores -- Rutgers transfer Chris Dapolito (6-3, 215) and Californian Adam Smith (6-5, 205). The Duke coach can only hope that at least one of them is a faster learner than Bryant.

Sophomore Chris Wispelway (6-5, 200) is a bit behind on the depth chart coming out of spring, but the former New Jersey prep star is not out of the picture.

"He’s a big tall guy with a good release," Franks said.

Unlike Smith and Dapolito, Wispelway has actually thrown a touchdown pass in a real game. His 29-yard scoring strike to Khary Sharpe late in the Clemson loss was one of his two completions on the season.

But Wispelway may not be available after being charged with DUI in mid-July. Authorities have said that Wispelway was driving the wrong way down a one-way street and registered a .17 blood-alcohol level, more than twice the legal limit.

Franks recruited one quarterback in this class, Mike Schneider (6-3, 215) from Sharon, Pa., but it would be a surprise if the modestly rated prospect doesn’t red-shirt as a freshman.

Not too many Duke players have established themselves among the best in the ACC at their positions. Chris Douglas (5-10, 190) is the exception.

The speedy junior is one of the most dangerous and versatile running backs in the conference.

"Chris Douglas is a guy who can make a huge difference in a football game," Franks said. "When we play people, he’ll be the guy they say, 'We’ve got to make sure he doesn’t beat us,’ because he has the speed to do it. I’m sure Chris will be a focus for people. We’re going to have to continue to find creative ways to get him in open areas."

Franks hopes to use junior tailback/fullback Alexander Wade (6-1, 250) to both relieve Douglas in Duke’s one-back set and to complement him in the two-back set. The bruising tailback/fullback has never been stopped for a loss in 84 career carries. He rushed for 249 yards and four touchdowns last season and caught 16 passes for 158 yards.

If the Devils need a more traditional blocking back, Franks will turn to sophomore Zack Novak (6-2, 235). If Franks needs another runner, his first choice will be sophomore Cedric Dargan (6-0, 200), who averaged 4.2 yards a carry in limited duty last season.

Franks thinks running back is one of the team’s strengths, which is one reason he’s moved red-shirt freshmen runners Jamin Pastore (5-9, 195) and Brendan Dewan (6-2, 210) to defense.

There is also a chance that freshman Malcolm Ruff (6-1, 220), a prep All-America running back from Baltimore, could be thrust into action, although Franks would prefer to red-shirt the highly rated recruit.

If Franks’ passing game is going to get off the ground this season, he will need more than a strong performance from one of his young quarterbacks. He will need somebody to step up in the receiving department.

It doesn’t help that last year’s two top receivers -- tight end Mike Hart and wide receiver Ben Erdeljac, who between then caught 72 passes for 1,160 yards -- have graduated.

Hart was the only Blue Devil to earn All-ACC honors, yet he may be the easiest to replace. Franks has been grooming junior Nick Brzezinski (6-5, 245) to fill Hart’s role at tight end. The Michigan native caught 13 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore. And he will be backed up by sophomore Calen Powell (6-5, 235), a superior athlete who competes in the decathlon for the track team. He averaged 21.7 yards on his three receptions last season.

The prospective wide receivers are more promising than proven. Speedster Sharpe (5-11, 170) is the top returning wide out after catching 23 passes for 274 yards as a red-shirt freshman. He could form a potent combo with oversized wide receiver Reggie Love (6-4, 225), a member of the successful Blue Devil basketball team who caught 18 passes for 266 yards as a sophomore. That was actually a disappointing season for a player the Duke coaches believe has star potential.

Love was pressed in spring practice by sophomore Lance Johnson (6-1, 190), another multi-sport athlete who caught just one pass last year, but is also a player that Franks projects as a potential star.

If Franks’ system is going to work, he needs more than two or three productive wide receivers. He would like to utilize three to five wide-outs on a regular basis.

He has a host of potential candidates, but none that are proven. Sophomores Senterrio Landrum (5-9, 185), the son of former Major League baseball player Cedric Landrum, and Darryl Scott (6-3, 210), who came to Duke as a quarterback, made brief appearances last season, but were two of the most improved players in spring practice.

Franks will also take a look at red-shirt freshmen Ben Kittleson (6-0, 185), the Kentucky prep 200-meter champion two years ago, and Mark Wigal (5-10, 185), who was the West Virginia player of the year as a senior in Morgantown, W. Va.

One promising prospect who won’t be in the mix is Jeremy Battier, the younger brother of former Duke basketball star Shane Battier. The former prep All-American wide receiver had to drop football for medical reasons after suffering a series of concussions.

While no one would label Duke’s offensive line a finished product, there is some tangible evidence that the Blue Devil blockers are making progress. For instance, the 34 sacks Duke’s line allowed in 2001 might have been the most in the ACC, but that total was 19 less than the Devils allowed in 2000. And while Duke’s 113.0 rushing yards a game ranked just seventh in the nine-team league, it was still 31 yards a game more than the Devils managed a year earlier.

New offensive line coach Rich McGeorge, a former pro tight end and a long-time associate of Franks, will try to continue and accelerate that performance. He inherits a front-line unit that boasts size and experience.

Junior center Luke Bayer (6-5, 285) is the only starter under 300 pounds. He started six games at guard last season but also saw action as Shawn Lynch’s backup at center.

He will be flanked by massive guards Rusty Wilson (6-3, 320) and Daryl Lewis (6-3, 330). The two juniors have started 22 games between them.

The strength of the line is at tackle, where junior Drew Strojny (6-8, 300) brings both experience (19 career starts) and exceptional skills -- Franks rates him as the most talented offensive lineman he has had at Duke.

"Drew Strojny is a guy who has the ability to be as good an offensive lineman as we’ve ever had here," the Duke coach said.

The other starter at tackle, sophomore Christian Mitchell (6-7, 325) overcame injury problems early last season to earn a starting job. As good as he was by the end of last season, he was even better in the spring, when he was voted the team’s most improved offensive lineman.

Unfortunately, McGeorge will have to back up his starters with an extremely young group of reserves.

Red-shirt freshmen Jim Moravchik (6-6, 305) and Kurt Falke (6-6, 300) emerged from spring practice as the backup tackles, while converted defensive lineman Joe Boniewicz (6-4, 290) and freshman Chris Best (6-5, 270) are the second-team guards.

Franks believes that junior Brent Garber (6-1, 195) has one of the strongest legs in the ACC, but so far Duke’s anemic offense hasn’t allowed the Georgia kicker much chance to show his stuff.

He has connected on 13-of-21 field goals in his career, including long kicks of 48 and 47 yards. His leg strength shows up best on kickoffs -- just 22 of 45 kickoffs were returned against Duke in 2001.

"He’s got a tremendously strong leg," Franks said. "Sometimes the best kickoff coverage is a touchback."

The new system that Roof brought with him from Georgia Tech will change Duke’s defensive look from primarily a 3-4 set to a more traditional 4-3 scheme. However, Franks said it might not be quite that simple.

Perhaps the key switch won’t be made at all. The Duke coaches would like to move sophomore linebacker Jim Scharrer (6-4, 240) to defensive end. But Scharrer, a freshman All-America selection last season by Football News, missed spring practice after shoulder surgery, denying the Duke coaches a chance to try him out at the new position.

Franks knows that Scharrer, a former minor league baseball player who is Duke’s oldest player, will figure prominently in the defense somewhere -- he is just not sure where.

If Scharrer plays on the defensive front, he will contend with sophomore Micah Harris (6-4, 235) at one end spot. Harris, who played in all 11 games as a freshman last season, had 27 stops in his last seven games. The other end will be manned by junior Shawn Johnson (6-5, 265), who has bounced between defensive tackle and defensive end during his first two years at Duke, establishing himself as the team’s most reliable defensive lineman.

There is considerable competition for playing time at the tackle spots. Junior Matt Zielinski (6-2, 290) and sophomore Orin Thompson (6-7, 270) go into the season as starters.

The defensive shifts will continue at linebacker, where junior Ryan Fowler (6-4, 235), the team’s most productive defender in each of the last two years, has been shifted from an outside spot to middle linebacker.

"I think Ryan Fowler moving inside gives him a chance to make a lot more plays than being on one side of the field," Franks said.

Fowler has made plenty of plays in his first two years at Duke. The agile Floridian already has 10 career quarterback sacks and 214 total tackles. Only two players in Duke history have had more tackles going into their junior year.

He will play alongside Duke’s most experienced defender, senior Jamyon Small (6-1, 225), a Michigan native with 20 career starts to his credit. He started every game last season and recorded 83 tackles -- 20 of them in a close loss to Wake Forest.

If Scharrer ends up at linebacker, that would give Duke the most experienced returning trio of linebackers in the ACC -- Fowler, Small and Scharrer recorded 279 tackles last season, more than any other threesome in the league.

If Scharrer winds up at defensive end, sophomore Philip Alexander (6-4, 235) is in line to join Fowler and Small in the starting lineup. The Bronx, N.Y., native was a surprise as a freshman in 2001, playing all 11 games and recording 25 tackles. He could be pushed by another sophomore from New York who made an impression last season as a freshman. Staten Island’s Giuseppe Aguanno (6-1, 235) even started one game as he recorded 26 tackles in a limited role.

Franks has made at least some progress in addressing most of Duke’s problems, but the biggest problem of all -- the Blue Devils’ pathetic pass defense -- remains an unresolved nightmare.

Franks has juggled everything from his players to his coaches in an effort to shore up his inept secondary. He replaced backfield coach Bob Trott (who was also his defensive coordinator) with Denny Creehan after watching his secondary get shredded in 2001. The Blue Devils ranked dead last in the ACC in pass defense, allowing opponents to complete 61.1 percent of their pass attempts for 25 touchdowns and an average of 246.4 yards a game.

If that’s not bad enough, Creehan, who coached Duke’s special teams last year, has had to replace four-year starting cornerback Ronnie Hamilton, who wasn’t an all-star or anything, but was clearly Duke’s best defensive back.

Franks is optimistic that junior safety Terrell Smith (5-11, 175) and sophomore cornerback Kenny Stanford (5-9, 180) have the potential to surpass Hamilton and establish themselves as ACC-quality defensive backs. Smith, who started six games at cornerback last season, brings better speed to the safety spot than Duke has had in years. Stanford is another speedster who started five games as a freshman and was selected to the All-ACC freshman team by The Sporting News.

The rest of the secondary jobs are up for grabs. Sophomore Alex Green (6-2, 195) gets the first shot at the other safety spot. Red-shirt freshman John-Paul Kimbrough (5-11, 195) will try to prove himself at the other cornerback spot.

Green, perhaps the most heralded recruit Franks has landed during his tenure at Duke, played in 11 games last season and recorded 36 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception. Kimbrough, who posted some impressive prep numbers at a small school in Hendersonville, N.C., brings great speed to the position.

Sophomore Trey McDonald (6-2, 220) suffered a nightmarish collegiate debut last season when Florida State blocked two of his punts and returned both for touchdowns.

But McDonald recovered to record a credible freshman season. His average of 38.4 yards on 60 kicks was seventh best in the ACC, but Duke got good coverage on his kicks and he did average more than 40 yards a punt in his last three games.

There wasn’t much that was special about Duke’s special teams last season.

The Blue Devils did lead the ACC and rank seventh nationally in punt returns, but that was largely due to the departed Hamilton, who had 311 of the team’s 346 punt return yards. Otherwise, Duke was pretty much in the middle of the pack when it came to special team categories -- although middle of the pack isn’t too bad when you’re talking about an 0-11 team.

Franks does have a couple of promising special team performers. Junior Seth Carter (6-1, 240) is one of the best long snappers in the country -- a job he has handled flawlessly for two years. And Douglas is one of the nation’s most dangerous kickoff returners.

While Duke’s 2002 recruiting class didn’t rank among the best in the country -- or even the best in the ACC -- it was a surprisingly good class for a team coming off back-to-back 0-11 seasons.

Franks snared several top prospects, beating out a variety of more successful programs in the process.

"They had to be able to buy into the vision that we had for the program and see the commitment from the school," he said. "I think it’s our best recruiting class since I’ve been here, but only time will bear that out."

While his single most heralded recruit was Ruff, a prized running back who picked the Devils over Michigan and Penn State, the Duke coach said the strength of the class was on the defensive line and in the secondary.

Florida defensive end Eli Nichols (6-5, 225) was a surprising pick up, rated the No. 96 prospect in Florida by the Orlando Sentinel. Duke beat out several ACC rivals for the third-team all-state pick. Pennsylvania defensive lineman Ben Benion (6-3, 270) was even more heralded -- he was a first-team all-state choice who was selected Pennsylvania’s defensive player of the year by one publication.

The secondary will be bolstered by the addition of defensive back C.J. Woodard (6-0, 170) of Northern Vance (N.C.) High School. The all-state performer originally committed to Clemson, but switched to Duke, which is less than an hour’s drive south of his home. In contrast, Georgia first-team all-state defensive back Deonto McCormick (5-10, 180) passed up the chance to play close to home when he picked the Blue Devils.

No too many coaches could survive back-to-back 0-11 seasons. Franks is lucky he was hired by an athletic director who understands how difficult the job at Duke is. He’s lucky that the alumni’s passion is focused on the school’s basketball team, giving him a little breathing room to try and resurrect a program than has known little success since the glory days of Wallace Wade and Bill Murray.

Still, Franks is realistic. He understands that he’s not likely to survive another winless season. If Duke’s football team doesn’t begin to show progress on the field in 2002, somebody else will be given the job of reviving the program.

There’s some reason for guarded optimism. The Blue Devils will be older and more experienced in 2002, despite the unexpected loss of quarterback D. Bryant. His loss hurts, but it’s not like Duke was losing a Heisman Trophy candidate -- he had never directed the Devils to a victory in 18 career starts. And new defensive coordinator Ted Roof will almost certainly improve the defense -- it couldn’t get worse.

This team isn’t going to contend for the ACC title, and even a minor bowl bid is almost as much a long shot. But Franks doesn’t have to make it all the way back in one year. He just has to show a little progress -- two, three, four wins would solidify his job security and prove that the last three seasons weren’t totally wasted.