Duke Football: Miami Game Preview
· Yahoo Sports
Duke (7-2, 4-2) travels to Coral Gables to take on Miami (8-1, 6-0) on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EST. Television coverage will be provided by ABC. Miami is ranked number seven in the College Football Playoff Rankings and the ‘Canes are currently favored by 13.5 points. Duke is riding a three-game win streak and has outscored their last two opponents 88-5, while Miami is coming off a 31-24 loss at Notre Dame.
Duke and Miami have played one common opponent. Miami defeated North Carolina 38-35, while Duke lost to North Carolina 24-20. Both games were played in Chapel Hill.
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This is the third consecutive meeting in the series where the game will be played in Miami. Miami beat Duke 53-31 in 2024, while Duke beat Miami 45-21 in 2022.
Injury Report: There are no unexpected additions to the injury report for Duke. Safety Patrick Smith-Young and offensive lineman Cole Allen underwent surgery, after suffering injuries in the N.C. State game, and are out for the season.
The main injury for Miami is wide receiver Malachi Toney who remains out with an ankle injury. Toney is a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of, if not the, most explosive players in college football.
Offense: Miami’s offense is a juggernaut, ranked number one in the ACC in scoring, total and passing offense, and number two in rushing offense. Quarterback Darian Mensah is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and even without Toney the ‘Canes have an abundance of playmakers.
Duke Coach Manny Diaz on Miami’s offense without star wide receiver Malachi Toney: “Anytime you play Miami it still comes down to stopping the run, big physical offensive line, backs that fall forward. If you don’t stop that everything else becomes much, much more complicated.”
Mensah has completed 212 of 276 pass attempts (76.8%) for 2,694 yards and 28 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Mensah has been sacked 11 times for a loss of 64 yards.
Running backs Mark Fletcher, Jr., (107 carries for 514 yards and nine touchdowns), and Javian Mallory. (74 carries for 509 yards and seven touchdowns), spearhead the rushing attack.
Wide receiver Cooper Bracket (37 receptions for 447 yards and six touchdowns), and tight end Elija Lofton (27 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns), spearhead the passing attack.
Duke’s defense will have two top priorities Saturday afternoon. First and foremost, the Blue Devils must stop the run, and second, they must pressure Mensah. If Mensah has time to stand in the pocket and survey the field, his accuracy will carve up the secondary. The defense is capable of accomplishing both priorities. Duke leads the ACC in scoring, total and rushing defense, and is fourth in passing defense. Duke has sacked the opponent’s quarterback 26 times. Coach Diaz is aggressive with the blitz package.
Players to Watch: Darian Mensah, Mark Fletcher, Jr., Cooper Barkate, Javian Mallory
Defense: Miami is ranked number one in the ACC in rushing defense,but number 16 in passing defense. While opponents average only 64.3 rushing yards per game, they pass for 259.3 yards per game.
The Blue Devils pass game has really started to click the past few weeks and it will need to click on Saturday in Miami. Quarterback Walker Eget is becoming more and more comfortable in the offense and with the receivers.
Offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer: “I can feel the flow of the offense, especially the passing game, something we have been slowly building toward the last three weeks. We’ve been moving the ball up and down the field, throwing the football, which opens things up for us, especially … the run game, really lightened the box.”
Forcing defenses to lighten the box is critical when your running back is the explosive Nate Sheppard who leads the nation in total touchdowns and total points scored, at 21 and 126 respectively. Look for Duke to be creative in getting Sheppard the ball for opportunities to impact the game.
Linebacker Mohamed Toure leads the ‘Canes with 56 tackles and defensive lineman Marquise Lightfoot has recorded seven sacks. Miami has intercepted four passes this season and recovered six fumbles. Miami also has a plus five turnover margin, which is tied for 23rd in the nation.
Miami’s defense will try to utilize their big defensive line to shut down the run game and make Duke one dimensional, but that is easier planned than accomplished.
Players to Watch: Marquise Lightfoot, Mohamed Toure, Justin Scott
Prediction: The Blue Devils defense steps up with another big performance and controls Miami’s run game as Duke pulls off the big upset. Duke 21, Miami 17.
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