No. 5 Miami gets Duke at a moment when both teams arrive with something to prove, but the Hurricanes have the bigger picture in front of them. They’re trying to shake off a road loss to Notre Dame and put themselves in position to lock up a spot in the ACC Championship game.
Duke comes in with plenty of momentum of its own after rolling past rival NC State 41-3. The Blue Devils have now allowed just five points over their last two games, and Nate Sheppard has emerged as an all-around superstar weapon in that stretch.
Mario Cristobal made it clear Miami is preparing for a team that has been sharp on both sides of the ball. “I think, especially in their last two games, they've allowed a total of five points, two of them on a returned, you know, extra point that was blocked and run back,” Cristobal said about Duke.
“Just playing really physical. They play really fast and physical on both sides of the ball, and their levels of communication on defense are impressive.
They get there, they get there in a hurry. It's an experienced group.
All those guys have I don't know how many starts we counted up in the secondary but it's tremendous.
“You know a lot of movements and pressures so the communication levels have to be high. I think on the offensive side you know we the running back is obviously a great player.
Um, the offensive line probably doesn't get enough credit. sacks all year. They're physical.
They finish blocks. They run their feet through contact.
Their tight ends are explosive. Big guys, their wide receivers are explosive playmakers.
Their quarterback is one of the best ones in the country as well. Just an extremely well-balanced team, very talented team that's playing at a high level.”
There’s also some extra edge around the matchup because of Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate, and Manny Diaz, among other storylines tied to the two programs. Some view Mensah as a player Miami took from Duke after he helped lead the Blue Devils to the ACC Championship last season, while Diaz is still looking for a win over Miami after his time as the Hurricanes’ head coach before his stop in Cameron, North Carolina.
The recent history between these teams adds another layer. In their last meeting two years ago, Miami put up 53 points at home behind Cam Ward, but Duke still scored 32, a reminder of how dangerous this matchup can get if things open up again.
Miami’s season opener ended with a 31-24 loss to Notre Dame, a game the Hurricanes could not complete a comeback in after a controversial call. Duke, meanwhile, has been on a different kind of run, taking down NC State in convincing fashion and continuing a defensive stretch that has smothered opponents.
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Duke Suddenly Looks Vulnerable After A Marquee Reality Check
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Patrick Ngongba was not at full strength, Dame Sarr had a rough night, and several Duke guards also struggled to find their rhythm from the floor. For a team that had looked like one of the nations early standard-bearers, the defeat leaves a familiar question hanging over the next stretch of the schedule: how much margin does Duke really have when its supporting pieces are not all clicking at once? [Read more 🡒]