After suffering their worst loss in program history to Clemson and firing their head coach, the Miami Hurricanes defeated Duke Saturday evening 30-27 at Wallace Wade Stadium, but not without controversy. Miami returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown following what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown drive for the Blue Devils, making use of eight laterals and some questionable blocks. With the defeat, Duke fell to 6-2 on the season and 3-1 in the ACC.
Offense: B
Pass: Sirk completed 31-of-52 passes, racking up 258 yards without a touchdown. Sirk led the final drive through the air to put the Blue Devils on top with six seconds remaining on the clock. The quarterback threw for 51 yards before running in the go-ahead touchdown to complete the 10-play, 80-yard effort. The passing game featured a balanced array of receivers, with nine different players tallying a reception. Wide receiver Max McCaffrey continued his exceptional senior season by leading the bunch with nine receptions for 90 yards.
Rush: Duke rushed 39 times for 182 yards including a gritty 24-yard touchdown run by Jela Duncan to get the Blue Devil offense going. Early on, Duke was having a hard time finding lanes up the middle, but the second half was a different story as Sirk, Duncan and sophomore Shaun Wilson all broke free for runs greater than 10 yards. Sirk had arguably the biggest run of the game when put the Blue Devils on top for the first time in the game, lowering his shoulder and bullying his way into the end zone. For the second-straight game, the quarterback found himself going for the two-point conversion and once again the quarterback keeper worked in converting the extra points.
X’s and O’s: Offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery favored the passing game calling 52 passes to 39 runs. Duke finished strong on offense after a slow start with 15 fourth-quarter points. But Duke left points on the board on two red-zone trips due to a run stopped short on fourth-and-one and a missed Ross Martin field goal.
Defense: C+
Pass: The Duke defense was not as sharp as it has been thus far this season. The Blue Devils allowed five different Miami receivers to contribute more than 20 yards, including three plays for 30-plus yards through the air. The Blue Devils allowed Hurricanes quarterback Malik Rozier to complete 20 of his 29 passes for 272 yards, but an interception and 25-yard return by freshman Jeremy McDuffie boosted Duke's momentum in the second half. The defense demonstrated good discipline down the stretch, forcing a Miami punt to put the ball back in Sirk’s hands in the final minutes. The Blue Devils managed to keep the Hurricanes scoreless in the first and third quarters, but Miami put up 16 points in the fourth quarter with the help of its passing game.
Rush: The rush defense fell victim to a series of unfortunate events in Miami's favor. After forcing a fumble on the goal line, the ball popped out directly at the feet of an offensive lineman, who quickly jumped on the ball for a Hurricanes touchdown. Redshirt senior Jeremy Cash was a force to be reckoned with for Duke, totaling 12 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Miami running back Joseph Yearby led the Hurricanes rushing attack with 89 yards on 21 attempts, but the Blue Devils limited the Hurricanes to 119 rushing yards overall.
X’s and O’s: The Duke defense stayed disciplined, limiting its penalties and making impressive stops when it counted. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles might not be as happy with his defense as in past weeks, but the Blue Devils made key stops when the offense needed the ball most. A safety in the third quarter provided a much needed boost for the squad after they allowed 14 points before the half. Duke will need to make some adjustments in the secondary before next week’s rivalry game against North Carolina.
Special Teams: D
The Blue Devils called a fake punt on a fourth-and-six, but punter Will Monday ran straight up the middle and was stopped well short of the first down. Earlier in the game, Monday shanked an 11-yard punt that set Miami up for an easy touchdown. But the biggest special teams blunder of the day was the final play of the game when Duke missed multiple tackles that could've ended the game and kept the team undefeated in conference play.
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