How to watch or stream Duke vs UCF Military Bowl college football game Wednesday
While posting its most regular season wins and most ACC wins since 2014, Duke was highly competitive in every game while also noticeably lacking quality wins.
Entering Wednesday’s Military Bowl game with UCF, the Blue Devils (8-4, 5-3 ACC) own just one win over a team that finished with a winning record this season.
That win came in Duke’s most recent game, a 34-31 win over Wake Forest in the regular-season finale on Nov. 26. The Demon Deacons (8-5) have since completed their season by beating Missouri, 27-17, in the Dec. 23 Gasparilla Bowl.
In UCF (9-4), the Blue Devils have a chance to add another quality win and head into the offseason thinking about even bigger accomplishments in 2023.
But beating the Knights and quarterback John Rhys Plumlee will require Duke to play some of its best football, Blue Devils coach Mike Elko said.
“Really a tremendous football team,” Elko said of UCF. “Really explosive on offense with a dynamic dual threat quarterback who really is going to challenge us. Defensively, I think they do a lot of different things schematically challenging us with the blitz game and the different ways that they bring it. It’s going to be a big challenge. We have to come out, we have to play our best football, to give ourselves a chance.”
While Plumlee is in better health these days after an injury-plagued regular season, the Blue Devils also benefit from the time away from games over the last four weeks.
Veteran players like wide receiver Eli Pancol and right guard Jacob Monk are able to play again after being slowed over the last half of the regular season with injuries. Tight end Nicky Dalmolin is back at practice, too, but is considered a game-time decision, as is linebacker Shaka Heyward.
“You know, a lot of guys had some knocks and bruises throughout the end of the season,” Elko said. “This extra time, this extra rest gets those guys back in healthy. So we should be a fast, fresh team on Wednesday.”
Kickoff time + TV channel for Wednesday’s game
The game will start at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and will air on ESPN, which is available on major cable and satellite services, like Spectrum, Dish Network and DirecTV.
How to stream Duke vs UCF game online
Are you a cord-cutter?
If your preferred method of watching games involves streaming, there are options for that, too.
ESPN is available on Sling, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTubeTV streaming services.
Game day details: Duke vs. UCF
Teams: Duke Blue Devils vs Central Florida Knights
Where: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 28
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Betting line: After UCF opened as a 2.5-point favorite, the line moved so that Duke is now a 3.5-point favorite and the over-under total is 62.5 points.
Series history: Duke and UCF have never met in football.
Pregame reading
Why the Military Bowl time slot gives Duke football a chance to show out
How Duke’s football turnaround season in 2022 is impacting future Blue Devils rosters
Duke football, in a bowl for first time in four years, will face UCF in Military Bowl
Duke football head coach Mike Elko named ACC Coach of the Year in first season at the helm
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard’s success fueled by preseason doubt, ‘blatant disrespect’
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 5:45 AM.