Duke converting Miami football turnovers to touchdowns critical

The eight Miami football turnovers on Saturday in its 45-21 loss to Duke were the most in College Football since 2017 per Hurricanes’ play-by-play announcer Joe Zagacki during the broadcast on Saturday. Duke scored 31 points off of five of the Miami turnovers, two ended each half and the eighth resulted in a Blue Devils’ punt.

Duke entered Saturday’s game tied with Western Kentucky forcing the most fumbles at 10 through seven weeks. The Blue Devils capitalizing on its opportunities in the red zone was critical. Miami had control of the game early. The Hurricanes scored a TD on their first drive following a James Williams strip and a fumble recovery.

Miami culminated the following drive with a five-yard TD pass from Tyler Van Dyke to Colbie Young. The Hurricanes had a chance to take a two-score lead but chose to go for it on fourth down instead of attempting a 40-yard Andres Borregales field goal. Walkon running back Lucius Stanley was stopped on fourth and one.

The Miami football team forced Duke to punt on the next drive. The Hurricanes drove to the Blue Devils’ 40 before Jaylan Knighton lost a fumble for the second straight game and Shaka Heyward returned it to the Miami 23-yard line. Duke scored five plays later on a nine-yard Riley Leonard TD run on third down and goal.

The Miami football team didn’t get a chance to answer on offense when Duke recovered a Key’Shawn Smith fumble on the Miami 22 yardline on the kickoff. Duke took four plays to score when Leonard had a five-yard run on third and goal. The Miami defense put itself one play away from forcing field goals on each drive.

Miami could not make the big plays defensively in the first half after the Duke opening drive. After the Duke TD, the third fumble might have been the most critical. Van Dyke lost the ball on a sack and suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game and maybe longer. Duke recovered at the Miami 10 yardline.

The Miami football team forced Duke into a three-and-out and finally a field goal. Duke took a 17-7 lead with 6:53 remaining in the second quarter. Miami drove to the Duke 30 on their final drive of the half. Duke sacked Jake Garcia taking Miami out of field goal range at the Duke 38 and then threw an interception on the next play.

Four turnovers, three in their own red zone put Duke in an ideal position to convert them into 17 points. The sack and fourth first-half turnover potentially cost Miami a chance at three more points. Miami started the second half similarly to the first. A 71-yard TD pass from Garcia to Young cut the deficit to 17-14.

Miami forced a Duke fumble and a Garcia to Will Mallory TD pass put the Hurricanes ahead. Miami seemed to have put the first-half turnovers behind them and taken control of the game. An 18-play 79-yard drive in 9:22 gave Duke the lead back at 24-21. Miami drove to the Duke and turned the ball over on downs instead of punting.

Duke scored again on their next drive to retake a two-score lead. The Blue Devils had their second strip sack on the next Miami drive and took over at the Hurricanes’ 25 yardline. Duke scored their third TD of the game on less than a 30-yard drive and on third down for a 38-21 lead with 28 points from Miami turnovers.

Garcia threw an interception on the next drive that was the only time in the game Duke failed to convert a Miami turnover into points that was not the end of the halftime. Following a Duke punt, Garcia threw a pick six for the fifth Blue Devils’ score of the game following or the result of a Miami turnover.

After another strip-sack of Garcia with just under three minutes left Duke ran out the clock. Following the two TDs to begin the second half, Miami had a turnover own downs and four turnovers on the final four drives of the game. Miami made it too easy for Duke to score in its 45-21 win, its biggest ever over the Hurricanes.