After a narrow loss to SMU, Duke football hits the road to face Miami in what may be its toughest matchup yet. The Blue Zone is here with an overview, stats to watch, X-factors and keys to the game:

Overview

Overall record: 8-0

Head coach: Mario Cristobal

Series history: Miami leads 15-5

Last meeting: 45-21 Duke, Oct. 22, 2022

No. 5 Miami, the team once led by Duke head coach Manny Diaz, comes into the meeting after trouncing Florida State 36-14 at home Oct. 26 and looking to continue what has been a scalding hot season so far. Undefeated in the ACC and overall, the 5th-ranked Hurricanes have put up impressive margins, outscoring their opponents 374-172 in the 2024 campaign. Miami’s offense leads the nation in yards per game at 560.8 and points per game at 46.8. Its performance has garnered national attention, and the Miami squad is likely to earn a playoff berth in the new 12-team format while seeking a bye. With fellow ACC undefeated teams SMU, Pittsburgh and Clemson, Miami is hoping to remain in competition for the conference title.

The team’s dominating offense is led by senior quarterback Cam Ward, who is speculated to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy. After two years at Incarnate Word and two more at Washington State, Ward arrived in Miami with ample field experience and a strong offensive roster down the field. His throwing has been impeccable, with 2,746 passing yards on the year and 24 touchdowns against just five interceptions. His offensive leadership has led the Hurricanes to have the second-best passing game in the country with 366.8 passing yards per game, falling short only to North Texas. Otherwise, his ground game is comparable to others in the league. Look for Duke’s defense to be anticipating passing plays as it hopes to neutralize the threat posed by Ward’s arm.

Bolstering the Miami offense are fifth-year senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and junior running back Damien Martinez. Restrepo has been with the Hurricanes since 2020, with his 2023 season becoming one of the strongest of any receiver in program history, recording an all-time record of 85 catches and surpassing 1,000 yards for only the sixth time in Miami history. Martinez, a transfer from Oregon State, is at the top of his game with his new team, fresh off 148 rushing yards last week against Florida State, the second highest of his career. That performance earned him the nod of ACC Running Back of the Week. -Alex Sizemore

Key stat

The Miami passing game — formidable though it may be — has shown cracks recently. In last week’s game against Florida State, quarterback Cam Ward went without earning a touchdown — passing or rushing — for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Duke boasts the best passing defense in the ACC, giving up only 166.6 passing yards per game on the season.

The Blue Devils’ defense against opponents’ rushing game has been sagging this season. But if it can hold back the Hurricanes in the strongest aspect of their game, then Duke has a shot at limiting its losses in the passing game and beating Miami on the ground. -Sizemore

X-Factor

Duke: Jordan Moore

After a scorching start to the 2024 campaign, graduate wide receiver Jordan Moore has struggled to maintain top form. In his first three games, Moore recorded 23 catches, 306 receiving yards and two touchdowns — a pace that would have blown his career highs out of the water. Since Duke’s win over UConn, however, the Sykesville, Md., native has failed to exceed four receptions in a single game as he has battled an undisclosed injury. 

Although head coach Manny Diaz confirmed that the receiver is still working his way back to full health, Moore managed to play 50 snaps in the Blue Devils’ overtime loss to SMU, reminding everyone what makes him such an important piece to this Duke offense. Despite only hauling in three catches, Moore had one of the highlights of the night: a spectacular one-handed touchdown to pull the Blue Devils within a score. But even when he is not making flashy catches or ripping off chunk plays, Moore provides a tremendous boost to Duke offense’s with his presence alone. With Moore on the field, defenses are forced to devote a certain amount of attention to the Blue Devils’ 2023-24 leading receiver — thus creating weaknesses in coverage for fellow receivers like Eli Pancol to exploit. 

Against one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football, Duke will need to match the firepower of Hurricanes star quarterback Cam Ward and his supporting cast. Moore will play a key part in giving the Blue Devils their best shot. 

Miami: Damien Martinez

With a superstar like Ward under center, it is very easy to overlook the rest of the Hurricanes’ offense, but Manny Diaz and Duke football would be wise not to ignore junior running back Damien Martinez. 

Standing at 6-foot, 232 lbs, Martinez brings an agile yet bruising approach very reminiscent of New England Patriots halfback Rhamondre Stevenson. His ability to brush off defenders will present a difficult challenge for a Blue Devil defense that has surrendered over 200 rushing yards in two out of its last three contests. Martinez is also playing his best football of the season: Across his last three games, he has averaged 117 yards from scrimmage while scoring four total touchdowns. 

While Miami’s air attack has propelled it to its undefeated record, the Hurricanes offense still averages nearly 200 rushing yards per game on 5.6 yards per attempt. During Saturday’s matchup, Miami will have the opportunity to fully unleash Martinez and perhaps tire out a Duke defensive unit that prides itself on its physicality and playmaking. -Alex Min

Three keys for Duke

Disrupt the passing game: Miami enters the contest with a Heisman candidate behind the helm in Cam Ward, as the quarterback averages 343.3 passing yards per game and has thrown 24 touchdowns so far this season. The playoff-contending Hurricanes have outpaced every other offense in college football, leading FBS teams in both total offense and points per game, along with coming second to only North Texas in passing yards per game. Brilliant under pressure, Ward has come through when it matters most, delivering clutch plays and winning by a single possession in three of Miami’s last four matchups. Luckily for Blue Devil defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke, the Duke secondary has dazzled this season as one of the most productive units in college football. The squad from Durham has allowed just 166.6 yards per game through the air, coming in at 12th in the nation in the category. The Hurricanes barely escaped Cal, another stronger pass defense in the conference, earlier this month. Duke could take advantage of where the Hurricanes have shown vulnerability in the past.

Ward entered the season with some concerns over turnovers that followed him from Washington State, but the Miami offense has managed to outshine any struggles with maintaining possessions. Having forced an astounding six turnovers this past weekend against SMU, the Duke defense will look to recreate that magic in an even bigger moment on the road against a top-5 team.

Capitalize on drives: It doesn’t take an expert to tell that the Blue Devils’ most glaring struggle is finishing drives. Against the Mustangs this past weekend, Murphy’s offense had opportunity after opportunity to score deep in SMU territory after the aforementioned turnovers. Not one of those drives resulted in a score. Offensive struggles against the Mustangs were not unexpected, but Duke last found a spark on the offensive side of the ball in September when Star Thomas went off for 166 rushing yards against North Carolina; since then, the attack has fallen flat. Thomas may be limited on Saturday because Miami boasts a high-end run defense, so Murphy will have to be at his sharpest throwing the football on Saturday afternoon to overcome both a stout Hurricane defensive unit and a month of dismal productivity.

Remain composed on the road: Duke will enter its third matchup of the season away from home. Visiting Miami will inevitably be an emotionally charged trip for the team coming off a gut-wrenching overtime loss at home. Even playing in Durham, Saturday night’s meeting with SMU appeared at times as though the wheels had fallen off. This was especially visible on special teams, where the Blue Devils missed two field goal attempts and an extra point in the second half. Remaining composed in a rowdy environment will be crucial to regaining momentum after a draining outing last weekend.

There is no shortage of drama on the sidelines, either. Coach Manny Diaz will face his former team for the first time after his tenure as defensive coordinator and later head coach ended in 2018. Diaz, a Miami native, has downplayed the reunion, but there is no doubt that he is a familiar face in Hard Rock Stadium. Over halfway through his debut season and already exceeding expectations, the Blue Devils coach will look to lead his new squad to an upset victory against old friends down in Florida. -Sarah Muir