WATCH: Blue Devils talk 'national stage' opener with Clemson

Duke's Jacob Monk says they are going in with the mindset to win.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Wednesday, July 26 2023

Clemson's opening opponent took the stage on Wednesday in Charlotte at the ACC Football Kickoff.

Clemson opens at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium on Labor Day (8 p.m. on ESPN), and that's just the kind of game Duke is welcoming after a 9-win 2022 season.

"I think being on that national stage is what we want Duke football to be," Duke head coach Mike Elko told TigerNet's David Hood. "Obviously Clemson has been the gold standard in this conference. We've not shied away from that this entire offseason, that they've done so many things to kind of carry the ACC and be our representative for so long.

"But if we want to get our seat at the table and we want to get talked about in that light, those are the games that we're going to have to play. So to be able to play that game in Durham in front of a packed house on Monday night with everybody watching, that's what you want. I think that's what our players want. That's what our kids want, and that's what our program wants.

"It's not to say that we don't have a ton of respect for who they are and what they do, but that's an opportunity that we're really looking forward to."

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