DURHAM, N.C. — The bulldozers emblazoned with Duke logos started warming up on a cold Saturday night late in the fourth quarter, ready for to say goodbye to the old Wallace Wade Stadium and usher in a new era of Duke football.

That new era is already here, of course. Under head coach David Cutcliffe — a five-time national Coach of the Year — Duke has won nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history, and has a chance to make it double digits again this season.

When Cutcliffe first arrived on campus in the fall of 2007, he knew what is happening to the stadium would be possible. He’s always believed. And that’s why everything has changed so much for the good under his watch.

"I didn’t know what the timetable would be or where we were headed," Cutcliffe said. "I knew we had a lot of work to do. But I did visualize a lot of hard work paying off. I believed. And I believe we’re not where we’re going to be. We’re on our way where we need to be."

Cutcliffe saw a small stadium, one that often felt more like a large high school stadium than a Power 5 conference team’s home field. It was ringed by a track, something that made it feel extra amateurish, and the press box was at the top of a building that doubled as the Sports Medicine Center.

All of that will change. The track will be removed, the tower will be used strictly for football, featuring luxury suites, more concessions, restrooms and dining options. The Blue Devils will have a brand-new LED board that will be double the size of the previous one, and will add more than 300 restrooms in addition to putting in new turf.

As the bulldozers began rumbling, Duke was putting the finishing touches on a 41-21 drubbing of Wake Forest on Senior Night. It was a win that felt disappointing in some ways, because it was a game that was closer than it needed to be. But after losing two in a row, Duke will certainly take it.

Cutcliffe’s first class of seniors in 2008 tripled its career win total over three years from two to six. His next class went up to 10 wins. To put those numbers in perspective, Duke won 10 total games last year alone.

The win totals per class gradually increased — 13, 15, 17, then way up to 22 for the 2013 class and 28 for this year’s group. Again, the first class Cutcliffe inherited had two total wins over its first three seasons. Two.

"All of these players that have played with us over the last seven years, there’s a big part of them on this field," Cutcliffe said.

I guess there is no turning back now. Wallace Wade Stadium is now under construction! pic.twitter.com/lzPRZ2OEu6 — Duke Grounds Crew (@DukeGroundsCrew) November 30, 2014

Perspective is necessary in these instances, of course, because it’s a testament to what he has built in Durham, too. And that can’t ever get lost.

But just as the stadium is being rebuilt in the image of a big-time — or at least a big(ger)-time — football stadium, so must the Duke program.

That’s why the Wake win left something to be desired, and it’s OK to say that. It’s also OK to say that Duke missed an opportunity to defend its Coastal Division crown, losing back-to-back games to North Carolina and Virginia Tech, each of which finished 6-6. Because it’s true, and the Blue Devils should be disappointed about that.

The atmosphere during much of the Wake game was relatively muted. But for the fans who stuck around to be part of the post-game ceremony to open up the new field, there was nothing but excitement.

One of Duke’s seniors — Jamison Crowder, a winner of 28 games over his college career — spoke to the assembled media on the field, in front of a group of fans roped off behind him.

"I guess I’m ready to leave it behind. The track, I never really thought much about the track. It’s just something that’s just there," Crowder said. "It’s good that they’re going to have some changes to the stadium. I can’t wait to see how this place is going to look in the next few years."

As he spoke, some fans behind the rope started a "Crow-der!" chant. He grinned in acknowledgement. After he was done, a middle-aged couple approached him with a camera. "She loves you more than I do," the man said of his wife, an attractive woman wearing sparkly blue devil horns. "I do," she said in a southern drawl, smiling at him sweetly.

Crowder had his 15th 100-yard receiving game of his career. Fellow senior receiver Isaac Blakeney had a big night as well, and senior quarterback Anthony Boone

They’ve each had their ups and downs throughout their Duke careers, but they’ll graduate as the last group of Duke seniors who have missed a bowl game in their careers.

"I told our freshmen, ‘You watch these seniors play. As you move forward, understand what it means to be a Duke football player,’" Cutcliffe said. "A lot of these guys have changed what that meaning is."

As the ceremony began, Cutcliffe climbed on top of the blade of the bulldozer alongside former offensive lineman Dave Harding, who now works in Duke’s in-house media department. The air was chilly, and Cutcliffe still had some residual moisture of the postgame Gatorade bath on his face as he spoke, breath visible in the cold air.

"We love you, Cut!" a voice in the crowd would yell more than once as he spoke.

Athletic director Kevin White had some words as well. And after that, it was time to break ground. The shiny silver shovels were, of course, Duke shovels. As several people took the ceremonial first chunk out of the turf, it was then the bulldozer’s turn.

A "Let’s go Duke!" chant echoed through the night and a huge round of applause punctuated the loud motoring of the bulldozer as it pushed forward, symbolically ushering out one era of Duke football and beginning a new one.

After the ceremony, fans rushed Cutcliffe to get a picture with him, while still others — who were encouraged to do this, if they wanted, by the school before the game — pulled large chunks of sod out of the field to take home as souvenirs. One man had multiple large rectangles of sod in a big trash bag. One family kept theirs in neatly-packed Ziploc bags. Most ripped the pieces out with their bare hands. The midfield "D" logo was the most popular target.

When Cutcliffe finally made his way to the media, he couldn’t stop smiling. But unlike many of the onlookers, he didn’t want to take anything with him from the old Wallace Wade. Well, almost.

"I don’t think I’ll take anything. I’m just looking forward to the new," Cutcliffe said. "I am going to keep my shovel. Nobody needs to ask me back for that. That will be my memento. And my hard hat."