Offense: B
Rush: The Blue Devils averaged nearly just 2.5 yards per carry Saturday. For most teams, that would be the absolute minimum expectation, but given Duke’s lack of production from the backfield this season, the Blue Devils can be satisfied with their performance in this area against a Miami defense that thrives on stopping the run. Desmond Scott and Jay Hollingsworth both showed the ability to hit holes and break tackles, but David Cutcliffe seemed hesitant to hand them the ball in the red zone.
Pass: Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis passed for over 300 yards again—and set the Duke all-time passing yards record in the process—but once again, it wasn’t enough to get the Blue Devils a win against a superior opponent. Lewis made all the right reads in the first half and found Donovan Varner open all day, yet Duke’s struggles in the red zone were magnified in the fourth quarter against Miami. Lewis’s lone interception of the day, a pick by Darryl Sharpton, sealed the game for the ’Canes.
X's and O's: Settling for two short field goals hurt Duke badly in the end, and kicker Will Snyderwine’s 31-yard miss in the fourth quarter was a huge momentum changer. Still, it’s hard to be too critical: Duke allowed just one sack and moved the ball efficiently for most of the game against a good-but-not-great Hurricane defensive unit.
Defense: B-
Rush: Just like it had against Georgia Tech, the Duke front seven simply could not stop the run, especially in the second half. Although the Blue Devils contained Graig Cooper and Javarris James well enough, they were overrun by Damien Berry in the third quarter. Berry racked up 81 yards and a touchdown, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. In the second half, Miami gained whatever yards it needed on the ground, and then bled the clock with the run to ensure the win.
Pass: Miami quarterback Jacory Harris struggled early, and the Blue Devil secondary made him pay when Vincent Rey intercepted the sophomore in the first quarter. But Harris floated several more balls over the middle that should have been intercepted by Matt Daniels and others—luckily for Miami, those passes instead fell for harmless incompletions, giving the Hurricane offense more chances than it should have had to move down the field. Harris threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns Saturday.
X's and O's: Missed opportunities for turnovers spelled big trouble for Duke’s defense, which spent nearly 40 minutes on the field in Land Shark Stadium. Miami converted on 14-of-21 third downs, and the Blue Devils were worn down in the second half by a tough rushing attack, as they have been several times this year. What doomed Duke’s bowl hopes wasn’t Jacory Harris’s big day through the air, but the Berry-Cooper-James trio’s effectiveness on the ground.
Highest Marks: WR Donovan Varner
Varner exploited giant holes in the center of the Miami defense with crossing route after crossing route against a hesitant Hurricane secondary. The Miami native picked up a game-high 165 yards and Duke’s only touchdown of the day.
Hit the Books: Duke's defensive line
This unit fatigue was obvious in the second half, when a bigger, stronger Miami offensive line was able to open gaps for Damien Berry to run through. The Hurricanes’ 121 yards rushing in the second half was the difference in the game.