Undefeated Duke poses challenge for Miami in ACC Coastal showdown
Although the Miami Hurricanes (2-2) have dropped a pair of road games to open the 2014 season, they return to Sun Life Stadium this Saturday with plenty at stake. The Duke Blue Devils (4-0) visit for the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division opener for both teams.
Miami is 0-1 in the ACC after losing to Louisville on Sept. 1. Following back-to-back wins, the Hurricanes went to Nebraska and fell this past Saturday. Duke won four non-conference games by a combined score of 174-46.
When they last met Nov. 16, 2013, the Blue Devils beat the Hurricanes 48-30 with 358 yards rushing (6.9 per carry) and five touchdowns. Duke would win the Coastal crown and head to the ACC championship game. The program then nearly upset Texas A&M at the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
The Hurricanes lead the all-time series 9-2, which includes a 4-1 record in South Florida.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Miami's defense vs. Duke's rushing attack
Duke averages 261 yards on the ground per game and has run for a touchdown in 20 of its last 21 games. Four backs -- redshirt senior Josh Snead, junior Shaquille Powell, true freshman Shaun Wilson and redshirt freshman Joseph Ajeigbe -- average at least four yards per carry. Wilson leads the nation with 14.4.
The Hurricanes will need to make adjustments after a disastrous showing last Saturday when the Nebraska Cornhuskers ran for 343 yards and two touchdowns.
Until the 41-31 loss, Miami had allowed just 82.7 rushing yards per game (15th in the nation) and 2.0 yards per carry (fourth). After recording 11 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss through the first three games, they didn't collect a sack or TFL in Lincoln.
In 2013, the defense surrendered an average of 217 rushing yards over the final seven games with 18 touchdowns. Miami cannot lose focus in its discipline. The Blue Devils are just one of seven offenses averaging 230-plus passing yards and 260-plus rushing yards per game.
Redshirt senior Anthony Boone is 14-2 as the quarterback since 2011. He is a dual threat. Junior Max McCaffrey (20 catches, 200 yards) and senior Jamison Crowder offer options on the outside. Crawford ranks fifth in ACC history with 220 receptions. There are seven returners on offense, and the offensive line has permitted just three sacks.
"Pass-rush helps a ton," head coach Al Golden said. "Obviously last week we were playing an option team. It would have been great to get there a couple of times. On Tracy (Howard)'s interception, Thurston (Armbrister) hit him, I think, or at least hurried him. I don't think there's any question it's going to help on the back end. As it relates to Duke, we're going to have to get more negatives -- both sacks and TFLs -- to keep him off balance and behind the sticks."
TRENDING UP
Duke: The Blue Devils have won 12 straight regular-season games â the second-longest active streak in the nation behind No. 1 Florida State (15). Duke has outscored opponents 83-16 in the second half through four games. The defense ranks seventh in the nation with 11.5 points allowed per game.
Miami: The Hurricanes are 10-1 in their last 11 home games at Sun Life Stadium. True freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya has set the true freshman record for passing yards in consecutive games. Sophomore walk-on Justin Vogel tops the ACC and ranks ninth nationally in net punting with 43.5 yards per kick.
TRENDING DOWN
Duke: Although the Blue Devils have gone 11 consecutive regular-season games holding the opponent to 30 or fewer points, Miami was the last to score that many. Opponents have been successful on 90 percent of their red-zone opportunities, going nine of 10. Duke's first four 2014 opponents are a combined 4-10.
Miami: The Hurricanes rank 107th of 128 teams in the nation with 73.7 penalty yards per game. On kickoff returns, they are averaging just 18.9 yards. Miami converts 25 percent of its third downs.
INJURY REPORT
Duke: Out -- TE Dan Beilinson, CB Johnathan Lloyd, DL Dezmond Johnson, OL Trip McNiell; Questionable -- QB Thomas Sirk; Out for Season -- LB Kelby Brown, TE Braxton Deaver, DE Taariq Shabazz (according to dukereport.com)
Miami: Out -- OL Alex Gall (lower extremity), K Matt Goudis (lower extremity), WR Rashawn Scott (upper extremity); Surgery/Out For Season -- DB Rayshawn Jenkins (lower extremity)
DID YOU KNOW?
-- Kaaya is one of just 16 quarterbacks in the nation with more than 1,000 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.
-- Junior running back Duke Johnson ranks sixth in program history in rushing yards (2,237).
-- For the first time since 1994, the Blue Devils started a season 4-0. That team opened with seven straight victories.
-- Since 1960, Duke has begun 4-0 or better just five times (1965, 1971, 1988, 1994 and 2014).
QUOTE BOARD
"If I have to tell them something then, I'm going to always have to tell them something. I don't really get involved in that. I will answer your question this way -- there were a lot of people who watched the Chick-fil-A Bowl and said, 'Wait a minute, they're doing it versus Texas A&M.' That has nothing to do with the Miami Hurricanes -- the Miami Hurricanes have to take care of what the Miami Hurricanes have to do. We have to play better on defense -- based both on last week and last year against this team -- in order to be successful. Duke has made a lot of progress. They're the champions right now in our division, and that's the way it stands. Period." -- Golden on people talking down on Duke's program
"You can't dwell on past mistakes because that's just going to cause more mistakes to happen. You've got to keep moving. The same thing with blocking the crowd noise out. You have to keep moving and not focus on the bad stuff and keep playing." -- Kaaya on his ability to bounce back from turnovers
"Every game I challenge our guys (and) say, 'Hey, every game is our floor. We're just getting better from there.'" -- Offensive coordinator James Coley
"I remember losing. That's all I remember from that game. It was a great game the whole time, but the thing I really remember is losing. I wouldn't say revenge. They're in our Coastal, so it's like the start of a new season for us." -- Senior linebacker Denzel Perryman on last year's loss to Duke
"We had numbers where we needed to have numbers, we just didn't have execution." -- Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio on Saturday's struggles against Nebraska
LOOKING AHEAD
Miami continues its Coastal schedule by visiting Georgia Tech on Oct. 4. The Hurricanes have won five straight in the series, averaging 35.8 points per game.
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
