DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- David Cutcliffe hasn't been all that interested in dwelling on the years of struggle that came before his arrival at Duke. That's not to say he won't mention it

occasionally -- like this week.

The Blue Devils haven't won an Atlantic Coast Conference game in nearly four years, a run of 25 games that is flirting with their record 30-game league skid that ended in 2003. They have a chance to end the streak this weekend against Virginia, the final contest in a four-game homestand that has provided the platform for a strong start to Cutcliffe's tenure here.

“We've got to get in the game," Cutcliffe said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. "I mentioned it to them. Somebody asked me about that, do you bring those things up? Well, I try to

talk truth to players. I don't try to sugarcoat when they don't practice well and when they do practice well, I'm going to tell them.

"The fact of the matter is our seniors are 0-24 in their three-year career playing in the ACC. We've got a few redshirts (seniors) and they're 1-31."

Coming off a bye week, Duke (2-1) still figures it has the chance to carry the momentum from that fast start into the league schedule. The Blue Devils have already matched their win total of

the past three seasons combined, but now they have to figure out a way to break through in an ACC game.

Duke hasn't won in the league since beating Clemson 16-13 in November 2004. The Blue Devils lost to rival North Carolina to close that season, then went 0-8 in each of the next three seasons.

That's essentially left the upperclassmen to shrug their shoulders when asked what a league win feels like.

"We're not harping or dwelling on it," senior linebacker Michael Tauiliili said. "We know what's at stake. We know it's our first conference game and could potentially be the first ACC victory for everybody on this team. We've talked in the locker room that, 'Just wow. All this time.' Now it's time to make it really happen.

"I don't think anybody imagines that when they sign on the dotted line."

The Blue Devils certainly have reasons for optimism. They enter the week with the league's fifth-best scoring offense at 30.7 points per game while ranking sixth in total defense at 308 yards

allowed per game -- both significant improvements from past years of struggling to score while watching opponents march up and down the field. Perhaps most importantly, they proved in the 41-31 win against Navy that they can find a way to respond when things go badly in the second half of a close game.

Now the Blue Devils are feeling enough confidence to think about more than just what happens on the field. They're talking optimistically about playing well enough to lure more students to

games, a departure from the days of empty bleachers at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Of course, they know the only way to really change that is to keep winning games -- and start winning in the league.

"I think the students are starting to realize that we're for real this year," running back Cliff Harris said. "They're showing us great support and we really appreciate it. You can tell that the

students are starting to get into it. I think that gives us a lot of confidence, that we know we've got our fans that are backing us now -- that we're not in it by ourselves."