Duke football upsets No. 24 Miami, controls Coastal Division destiny

Duke is on its way to being a ranked football team.

The Blue Devils earned their sixth straight win and matched the team's win total from its last winning season with a 48-30 victory against No. 24 Miami on Senior Day at Wallace Wade Stadium. Seeing significant playing time in the contest, quarterback Brandon Connette lead the way for Duke with five touchdowns—four rushing and one throwing.

The victory was just Duke's second win against Miami in program history, and first since 1976.

"They've earned confidence. They know that we're a good football team," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "Nobody has given it to them, nobody has declared it. No coach has declared it. They have earned that confidence."

With the win, the Blue Devils (8-2, 4-2 in the ACC) control their own destiny in pursuit of the ACC's Coastal Division crown, and could make a trip to the ACC Championship game by posting wins against Wake Forest and North Carolina in their final two contests.

"At the beginning of the season, when we got to Greensboro, one of the reporters asked me what my goals were and I said, 'To go to the ACC Championship,'" redshirt senior cornerback Ross Cockrell said. "At the beginning of the season we were picked last.... We continued to play hard and believe in the process, and now we're in a position where we can go out there and control our destiny."

After struggling offensively in wins against Virginia Tech and N.C. State, the Blue Devils utilized both of their two quarterbacks against the Hurricanes (7-3, 3-3). Duke's duo moved in and out of the offense seamlessly, combining for 18-of-24 passing.

"I don't know whoever said if you've got two quarterbacks it means you don't have one," Cutcliffe said. "I don't think they've ever met Brandon and Anthony."

Despite the play of its two quarterbacks, it was the running game that paced the Blue Devils. Duke picked up 358 yards on the ground for the team's highest single-game rushing total of the 21st century. Redshirt junior Josh Snead led the way with 138 yards, breaking a number of big runs including a 56-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that set up Connette's final touchdown scamper to give the Blue Devils a 38-30 lead.

"We felt like we needed to make a commitment to running the ball," Cutcliffe said. "We felt like our backs were the healthiest they've been going in, and we like our matchup on that side."

Miami scored the game's first 10 points and seized the momentum early when wide receiver Stacy Coley ran back a Will Monday punt 79 yards to the end zone as Duke surrendered a punt return touchdown for the second straight week.

Starter Anthony Boone settled the offense down, completing three passes on the ensuing drive to set up Connette's first touchdown run of the day and get the Blue Devils on the board.

Trailing 17-7, it was another timely turnover that helped get Duke back into the game. Freshman safety Deondre Singleton was the beneficiary of a tipped pass from Miami's Stephen Morris, reeling it in to set up the Blue Devils' second touchdown drive and pull his team within three.

Duke's defense ramped its play in the second quarter as the Blue Devils limited the Hurricanes to just a field goal in the next 20:11. A Shaquille Powell touchdown catch and Connette touchdown runs in that span gave Duke control with a 28-20 lead.

"Even when we have a bad play, you get in the red zone they're competing on the next play," Cutcliffe said. "And we kept them out of the end zone a bunch, and that was huge in that ballgame."

Miami's Herb Waters broke a 50-yard touchdown on a screen as the Hurricanes scored 10 unanswered points to take a 30-28 lead, but Miami would not put points on the board for the remainder of the contest.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke students stormed the field for the second season in a row. Last year's celebration came when the Blue Devils defeated North Carolina to become bowl eligible for the first time in 18 years. This time around, Duke students were celebrating a football team that could be on its way to a division title.

"I'm very grateful to the crowd—the students—in their response to these seniors," Cutcliffe said. "A great tribute to what those guys... have done in their careers."