The Miami football team has to get back to basics. One positive that came out of the 2018 game against Duke was the Hurricanes’ dominance on the ground. Miami ran for 300 yards against the Blue Devils last season.
Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas each ran for over 120 yards but Miami lost two fumbles against Duke in 2018 during a deluge at Hard Rock Stadium. Homer left after the 2018 Miami football season for the NFL Draft and Dallas was lost for the rest of the year after dislocating his elbow against FIU last week.
Cam’Ron Harris is more than up to the task of carrying the load versus Duke. With Dallas out against Pittsburgh last month Harris ran for 138 yards on 18 carries. Harris has 501 yards rushing and four TDs and 14 receptions for 109 yards and another two TDs this season. Redshirt sophomore Robert Burns will also see an increased role.
Burns had four carries for 31 yards last week and 10 carries for 67 yards this season. Lorenzo Lingard could receive his first carry this season. Duke has been dominated by their opponents during their five-game losing streak. The Blue Devils opponents have outscored them 123 points or 24.6 points per game.
| Player | Pos | |
|---|---|---|
| Jarren Williams | QB | 149/229, 1951 yards, 18 TD, 6 Int |
| Deejay Dallas | RB | 116 att, 694 yds, 8 TD |
| Brevin Jordan | TE | 35 rec, 495 yds, 2 TD |
| Gregory Rousseau | DL | 12 sacks, 40 tackles, 15 tfl |
| DJ Ivey | CB | 3 int, 28 yds, 0 TD |
| Full 2019 Stats » |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/30/2019.
The only close game for Duke during their five-game skid was a 20-17 loss down the road from Durham at North Carolina. Miami tries to win after losing in Chapel Hill. Duke won at Hard Rock Stadium last season despite being outgained 411-290. Miami has won its last two trips to Durham.
The Hurricanes two straight wins in Durham include the Miracle eight lateral victory on Halloween in 2015. The Hurricanes are 7-1 all-time in Durham and lead the all-time series 13-3. Duke ended a five-game losing streak in the series in 2018. Quentin Harris and Deon Jackson are dangerous players with the ball in their hands.
Jackson began last year’s game with a 75-yard touchdown run. He finished the game with 113 yards rushing and 134 total yards. Harris has thrown for 1,922 yards and 15 TDs and run for 461 yards and six TDs. Duke has lacked consistency on offense. The Blue Devils are 113th in total offense, 79th in rushing offense and 108th in passing.
| Player | Pos | |
|---|---|---|
| Quentin Harris | QB | 199/333, 1922 yards, 15 TD, 11 Int |
| Deon Jackson | RB | 158 att, 597 yds, 5 TD |
| Noah Gray | TE | 49 rec, 381 yds, 3 TD |
| Victor Dimukeje | DE | 8 sacks, 41 tackles, 9 tfl |
| Jalen Alexander | CB | 2 int, 42 yds, 0 TD |
| Full 2019 Stats » |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/30/2019.
The Hurricanes need to make sure the turnover chain comes out. Duke is 129th out of 130 FBS teams with 27 turnovers in 11 games this season. The Blue Devils are 124th in turnover margin. Miami is 37th this season in forced turnovers with 18. The Hurricanes are 27th in turnover margin at plus 0.45 per game.
Turnovers, defense and punting will determine field position and potentially the winner. Miami has to limit the big plays for Duke and particular Harris and Jackson. The Blue Devils don’t really have a big-play receiver. Manny Diaz and Blake Baker will likely stack the box and dare Duke and Harris to throw the football.