DALLAS (FWAA) The Duke Blue Devils (6-2) pulled off their first upset over a ranked team on the road since 1971, ending No. 16 Virginia Tech's six-game win streak, 13-10, and ending a 12-game losing streak to the Hokies dating back to 1981. By winning in Blacksburg for the first time in the 21-game series, Duke earned the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 26.
The announcement came exclusively on SiriusXM Radio's "College Sports Today," hosted by Mark Packer and Eddie George.
Duke intercepted four passes, the last on a deflection with four minutes left, to win the defensive struggle. The win was Duke's first over a ranked opponent since 1994. Duke, which has never played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons, is now bowl-eligible for a second straight year
"Being a part of a change in the program is the most amazing feeling you can have," said Duke linebacker David Helton, who had 19 tackles and a pass breakup in the game. "It feels out of this world."
Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 26 included:
Minnesota (6-2): Quarterback Philip Nelson accounted for three touchdowns and David Cobb added 138 rushing yards as Minnesota snapped a 16-game losing streak to Nebraska with a 34-23 win. After trailing 10-0, the Golden Gophers rallied to take a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, marking Minnesota's first lead against Nebraska since 1969, a span of 11 meetings.
South Carolina (6-2): Quarterback Connor Shaw, nursing a shoulder injury, came off the bench with the Gamecocks trailing No. 5 Missouri 17-0 in the third quarter and led a remarkable comeback that finished in a 27-24 overtime win. Shaw finished 20-of-29 for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri was the highest-ranked team the Gamecocks have defeated on the road since 1981.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the ninth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2013 college football regular season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.
Founded in 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted seven games that have decided the college football national championship, including four Bowl Championship Series title games. This season, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played on Jan. 1, 2014, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl will be played on Dec. 28, 2013, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,200 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 972-713-6198.
For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.