DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — For all of Duke's accomplishments during its contempo acceleration to relevance, it's still been 20 years back the Blue Devils started a division with three beeline victories.

Duke is attractive to analysis that off its agitation account back the Blue Devils host rebuilding Kansas on Saturday.

The Blue Devils' 1994 aggregation had been the best contempo accepted of success for a affairs that had been abreast the basal of the Basin Subdivision afore starting its ascend in 2012.

Since then, Duke has becoming a acceptable season, basin berths and civic rankings — all were firsts back '94. But anniversary of the aftermost two seasons additionally included aboriginal slip-ups.

A win over Kansas (1-0) will accord the Blue Devils (2-0) their best alpha back the 1994 aggregation opened with seven victories.

Kansas drillmaster Charlie Weis was talking about Duke's breach but could accept been apropos to the affairs as a accomplished back he said, "They've been on a cycle now for over a year and it doesn't attending like they're activity to apathetic down."

If the Jayhawks can acquisition a way to stop them, they'll acquire a bit of history of their own: Kansas hasn't won a alley bold back 2009 and has yet to alpha 2-0 beneath Weis.

"They had a lot of assignment to do — that's accessible — but their cadre is starting to appear into play," Duke drillmaster David Cutcliffe said. "This aggregation looks added like a Charlie Weis football team, for accessible reasons. ... Their cadre is starting to appearance up."

And conceivably added importantly, the Jayhawks accept they can win. Duke abstruse to bright that brainy hurdle during its contempo awakening and now that's article Kansas is starting to amount out, Weis said.

"I anticipate that our players accept beheld affirmation on band that they accept a accepted adventitious of winning," Weis said. "Based off of what they've apparent aftermost year and what they've apparent these aboriginal two amateur ... they should go bottomward there with the apprehension of acceptable the game, not aloof acquisitive to win."

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Some things to apperceive about Duke's aboriginal appointment from Kansas:

MEETING HIS FORMER BOSS: Cutcliffe was declared to be Weis' accessory arch drillmaster at Notre Dame in 2005 but had to abandon the position afterwards anytime apprenticeship a bold because of complications from accessible affection surgery. Cutcliffe calls that accommodation "one of the toughest things I've had to do, by far, in the business." He sat out that division while he recovered, alternate to Tennessee as an abettor in 2006 and was assassin by Duke afterwards the 2007 season.

KANSAS' FIREPOWER: The Blue Devils are abnormally alert of green quarterback Montell Cozart, who threw for three touchdowns in the aperture achievement over Southeast Missouri State, and receiver Nick Harwell, a alteration from Miami of Ohio who bent two of those scores.

STRENGTH ON STRENGTH: The acumen for Weis' optimism is that he feels his accessory is best able to handle the centermost position on Duke's abyss blueprint — its accepting corps. Jamison Crowder and Issac Blakeney accept accumulated for bristles touchdowns while the Jayhawks' accessory — led by chief Dexter McDonald's two interceptions — best off three passes aftermost week.

STEADY BOONE: Duke quarterback Anthony Boone has started this division by throwing 74 beeline passes afterwards an interception. Aftermost year he was best off 13 times in 11 amateur — including one that was alternate 55 yards for the acceptable touchdown in the final account of the Chick-fil-A Basin accident to Texas A&M. Cutcliffe says Boone has "worked absolutely adamantine ... compassionate back he can cull the activate and back he can't."

IT'S BEEN A WHILE: This marks the additional bold of a home-and-home alternation that started in 2009 — back Kansas wasn't far removed from its Orange Basin achievement and Duke's rebuilding activity was still in its infancy. The Jayhawks won 44-16. "They were a acceptable football aggregation and we weren't there yet," Cutcliffe said. "Athletically, there's a cogent aberration (in Duke now). No breach to any of our acceptable folk from 2009, but it's aloof a fact."

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Lawrence, Kansas, contributed to this report.

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