Making the grade: Duke football vs. Miami

Duke is ranked for the first time in nearly 20 years after a statement victory against then-No. 24 Miami Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium. The No. 25 Blue Devils ran the ball with great success to earn the victory, and made the necessary defensive stops to hold the Hurricanes in check late in the game, winning by a score of 48-30. Here are the grades for Duke's play this weekend.

Offense: A

Rush: The rushing attack was fantastic and central to Duke's win. As quarterback Brandon Connette described, the Blue Devils did not even need to pass the ball that much because the ground game was so successful. Connette rushed for four touchdowns, all in goal-line situations in which he often broke through tacklers to dive into the end zone. More important than Connette were the players that set up his touchdown opportunities—specifically running backs Jela Duncan, Josh Snead and Shaquille Powell. Snead accounted for the majority of Duke's 358 yards gained on the ground. A pivotal play occured with around six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter with Duke up eight points in a one possession game. On fourth down, Powell took the handoff and broke through the line for a 33-yard touchdown. Not only did the Blue Devils rely on the run but also it worked to their advantage for the first game in quite a long time.

Pass: The aerial attack was not Duke's focus during the game, and it wasn't spectacular. Playing time was split between Connette and Anthony Boone who combined for 185 yards through the air on 24 pass attempts. There were some bright spots—like when Connette hooked up with Powell on a wheel route into the end zone in the second quarter, which pulled Duke within three points of Miami. Connette was also the quarterback who delivered a beautiful 43-yard pass to wide receiver Max McCaffrey in the third quarter to ignite the Blue Devil offense. The drive ended in a field goal that put Duke up 31-30, a lead they would not relinquish. The passing game was not as strong as fans have become accustomed to seeing, but it was enough to win the game for Duke.

X's and O's: The offense looked good, especially because they managed to run over a Miami defense that appeared more physically imposing than Duke. When the Blue Devils put up 48 points in a game and the defense plays decently well, Duke should expect to win. This team has the ability to put points on the board through both the air and ground, which shows the kind of depth and precision it now runs with. The offensive line deserves recognition for opening up the running lanes that the backs took advantage of—especially in the goal-line sets. The Blue Devils committed no turnovers in the game and found ways to drive down the field in crucial moments to keep Duke in the game.

Defense: B+

Rush: Duke allowed 186 yards on the ground which was a solid day from a numbers perspective, yet the most revealing fact was the 6.4 average yards per carry. Miami certainly had their way with the Blue Devils undersized defense for most of the night. Were it not for crucial plays in the secondary—including the game's sole turnover on an interception by Deondre Singleton—the Blue Devils would not have had a chance against the Hurricanes. The defensive line was unable to stop many runs at the source, relying on clutch tackles from corners and linebackers to keep the Hurricane rushers under control.

Pass: Because the defensive line was unable to get consistent pressure on Miami quarterback Stephen Morris throughout the night, Morris was able to pick apart the secondary at times. The key for the defense, however, was when it made plays, and that was in the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils did not allow the Hurricanes to score in the final quarter of play due to multiple pass breakups that if missed would have cost Duke the game. Beyond Singleton's interception, the overall game performance from a pass defense perspective was average at best, as the Blue Devils allowed two Miami receivers to accrue more than 100 yards through the air.

X's and O's: The defense looked as solid against Miami. Hurricane wide receiver Herb Waters certainly proved to be a challenge to corral, as he mustered two touchdowns on the day. It was not Duke's best defensive game, but with the offense largely functional, all the defense needed to do was restrict the Hurricanes toward the end of the game. Especially in the red zone and in Duke territory, the Blue Devils kicked into another gear altogether, allowing them to halt Miami drives prior to the endzone. If the defense can continue to give the offense even an opportunity to win the game, head coach David Cutcliffe will surely have his quarterbacks poised to seize the opportunity.

Special Teams: B

Saturday night was not the best night for special teams, but it was certainly a lucky one. Kicker Ross Martin hit both of his field goal attempts—including a 48-yard attempt that bounced off the upright of the goal post and through to put the Blue Devils up 31-30 in the third quarter. Besides Martin and punter Will Monday, who are consistently good, the special teams unit allowed an early punt return for a touchdown and failed to break out any major returns of their own. Duke was more conservative with special teams play and the lack of aggressive running allowed the Blue Devils to stay in the game and earn the win.