DURHAM--Duke's football players began the week still ticked off about a game they lost at Northwestern on Sept. 14.

Now the Blue Devils have something to really be steamed about.

Their 27-22 loss to Virginia in Wade Stadium on Saturday was the kind of experience that could drive a team berserk. Or -- worst-case scenario -- into depression.

Either way, it's safe to say that Duke hasn't played so well only to lose a game in years.

The Devils' defense gave up next to nothing on the ground. The offensive line pushed Virginia's front around most of the afternoon. Tailback Chris Douglas was remarkable, piling up 126 yards rushing and eight catches for 89 yards. Quarterback Adam Smith passed for 256 yards and 41 times without an interception until the very last play, which was a Hail Mary fling into a small army of defensive backs. The kicking game was fine.

"It's so frustrating," Douglas said.

It's frustrating because Duke, against all possible expectations, has quickly gone from horrible to competitive but still doesn't know how to close the deal.

Virginia, on the other hand, does. With only two yards rushing, the Hoos won a game Saturday. How's that for making the most of a deuce in the hole?

But as much as a win for Virginia and a loss for the Devils, the game said a good deal about the ACC.

Remember now, this was the game that was supposed to have determined last place in the league. In the preseason polls, the Cavaliers (4-2 overall, 2-1 ACC) were picked for eighth and Duke (2-4, 0-2) ninth.

Well, if Virginia and Duke are the ACC's worst teams, the league is not bad. It's not great, obviously. But it is a lot better than the preseason outlooks predicted -- Duke was expected to go no better than 1-11 and UVa was expected to win no more than three of 13.

"We needed it all today," said Virginia coach Al Groh.

The short story is that the Cavaliers are now three wins away from becoming bowl eligible while Duke has done enough to establish that wins could be possible against any team left on its schedule.

The Blue Devils' fans don't believe the team is better yet. On a sunny homecoming afternoon, the fans stayed away in droves. Maintaining a stiff upper lip, Douglas said it didn't matter that much.

"We know the fans are behind us," he said. "But we also know that every guy on this team is playing for each other, too."

Basically, the game turned on a decision by Duke coach Carl Franks that he'll second guess for weeks, if not longer.

On 4th-and-goal from Virginia's 2-yard-line with about eight minutes left, Franks opted for a field goal that made the score 20-16, Virginia.

The decision, while perfectly defendable given the amount of time left on the clock, turned out to be an emotional lift for the Cavs.

On its next defensive series, UVa forced Duke into a three-and-out, setting the stage for two gambles by Groh that sealed the outcome -- a fly-pattern pass to Billy McMullen for 35 yards and a flea-flicker pass from Matt Schaub to Michael McGrew for 54 yards to Duke's 3. The ensuing touchdown was the game-winner.

"I thought about going for it," Franks said.

In hindsight, Duke should have gone for the score, particularly in view of the way the Devils had played defense to that point. But that, too, is a part of the learning curve. Franks, like his team , rarely has been faced with such delicate decisions in the past.

You live and learn. Duke, without life for so long, is learning.

The Devils came to the yard as 12-point underdogs Saturday. They had a chance to win because they're tougher, stronger and better-coached than in years past. When crunch time arrived, they weren't yet quite prepared enough on the field or the sidelines. But Duke is better than than it has been in a long time. Proof of that was in the attitude the Devils took away from the stadium after a loss.

"We're mad," defensive end Shawn Johnson said.

Mad, in this case, is good. Mad teams don't quit and bad teams don't get mad.