The last time Duke beat Miami, gas cost 68 cents and the United States was less than a month away from electing Jimmy Carter President. The year was 1976, and big hair and Volkswagen Buses were all the rage.
Thirty-two years later, the Blue Devils (3-2, 1-1 in the ACC) look to embrace the current spirit of change and apply it to the football field when they take on the Hurricanes (3-3, 0-2) in Wallace Wade Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Miami has won the teams' last four meetings, and all three since it joined the ACC.
Duke enjoyed the benefit of a bye week last weekend, and the players took off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But while the rest of the campus continued to rest Monday and Tuesday, head coach David Cutcliffe and the rest of his staff put their team through the ringer, topped off by an unusual full-pads practice Tuesday.
In fact, the Blue Devils worked so hard that some of the players came out looking like they had lined up against an opponent, not just their own teammates.
"We're a little beat up, oddly enough, coming out of the open date because we had a physical open date," Cutcliffe said. "It was a decision we had to make, so hopefully we get better as the week goes and respond."
Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, a Miami native who is familiar with several faces on the Hurricanes' sideline, said he hoped Duke would be able to enter the game as the fresher team. Miami-a squad that has played each of the previous four weekends-will still be formidable even if they do not come in with a full tank of gas.
"Miami," Lewis said before gathering the rest of his thoughts. "They're a big, fast, athletic football team that's going to get up in your face and say, 'Bring your players on.' Our players are better than your players, and we are going to force you to make plays.'"
One group who is going to have to make plays is Duke's set of running backs. The three-headed corps started off the season strong, averaging 198 yards per game in the first two tilts against James Madison and Northwestern. Over the next three games, though, that average dropped to 66 yards per game and dipped to a season-low 35 yards against Georgia Tech in Duke's 27-0 shutout loss in its last game.
The Hurricanes have the ACC's second-toughest run defense, so senior Clifford Harris, sophomore Tony Jackson and freshman Jay Hollingsworth will face an uphill run the second they touch the ball.
In its win over Central Florida last weekend, Miami limited the Knights to just 78 yards of total offense with only four yards on the ground despite 27 attempts. With the exception of the Hurricanes' loss to Florida State two weeks ago, Cutcliffe called the running totals put up against the Miami defense "anemic" and admitted Duke was in for a physical battle to establish the ground attack.
To compensate, then, Duke will rely on its offensive firepower, guided by Lewis and senior wideout Eron Riley, who leads the ACC in touchdown receptions. The passing game may not come as naturally as usual, though, as freshman wideout Johnny Williams, the team's second-leading receiver, is listed as doubtful with a dental abscess.
"Miami is speed, speed, speed, strength and a tremendous defensive front," Cutcliffe said. "I cannot recall, I'm sure it's happened in my career, but I can't recall getting ready to play a team that gave up 78 yards of total offense the week before we played them. I watched football on Saturday, but I didn't get to watch that one. I'm thankful I didn't see it until Sunday so it didn't ruin my Saturday."
Lewis and Co. want to make sure Cutcliffe's Saturday is not ruined this week, either.
After all, 1976 was the year "Rocky" was released, too.
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