After a down-to-the-wire, quadruple overtime victory in Blacksburg, Va., the Blue Devils play host to Miami Saturday at 7 p.m. Although the Hurricanes bested Duke 22-10 last season, the Blue Devils are favorites to come away with a win after Miami suffered its worst loss in school history to Clemson just last week. Ahead of the primetime Halloween contest, here are the three keys to victory for Duke:
Start the game off strong
With Miami reeling after a 58-0 loss a week ago—which was followed by the firing of head coach Al Golden—the Blue Devils are set up nicely for a victory. The Hurricanes enter the game in flux with multiple contributors possibly sidelined with injuries and a new head-man leading from the sideline. Hurricanes starting quarterback Brad Kaaya suffered a concussion a week ago and is questionable for Saturday's contest. Meanwhile, the status of wide receiver Rashawn Scott is also unknown as he deals with a shoulder injury.
Interim head coach Larry Scott will certainly look to rally his troops around the team's recent turmoil and make a statement against a top-25 squad. The Hurricanes will also give maximum effort in support of cornerback Artie Burns, who is dealing with the loss of his mother.
If Duke can start the game off strong, they will have the opportunity to take Miami out of the game. After all the turmoil of the past week, an early deficit for the Hurricanes may be too much for the team to handle.
Ground and pound
Duke’s trio of running backs—as well as quarterback Thomas Sirk—have excelled on the ground thus far, and there is no reason to change the gameplan against the Hurricanes. Miami has given up an average of 274.7 rush yards per game against ACC opponents this season and have struggled to prevent opposing teams from converting third downs. Hurricanes senior defensive tackle and run-stopper Michael Wyche has also been suspended from the team indefinitely, dealing yet another blow to a defensive unit looking for stability.
The Blue Devils can exploit Miami’s defensive weaknesses with a consistent running attack and by sustaining drives Saturday night. A punishing run game will wear down the Hurricanes, and open up passing opportunities for Sirk down the field.
Contain the Hurricane running game
If Kaaya is unable to go, freshman Malik Rosier—who has completed only 32-percent of his passes this season with no touchdowns and two interceptions—will be starting for Miami. In this case, expect the Hurricanes to run the ball early and often. The Hurricanes starting running back Joseph Yearby boasts an impressive average of 5.8 yards per carry in away games, as well as five touchdowns. A year ago, the Hurricanes shredded the Blue Devil defense for 203 yards on the ground and running the ball will once again be the go-to option for Miami Saturday.
The Blue Devils gave up 182 rushing yards to Virginia Tech last week—their second-highest mark of the season—and senior starting defensive end Kyler Brown is still out with a knee injury. Duke must contain the edges against a speedy Yearby or else the outcome of the Halloween affair may be a frightful one for the Blue Devil fans.
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Jacob Weiss is a Trinity senior. His column, "not jumping to any conclusions," runs on alternate Fridays.