DATE: Saturday, November 2, 2024
WHERE: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
TIME/TV: Noon EST/ABC/ESPN+
LIVE AUDIO: 560 WQAM
MIAMI: Official Site | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
DUKE: Official Site | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
The No. 5 ranked Miami Hurricanes (8-0, 4-0 ACC) will host Duke (6-2, ACC 2-2) for the 21st time in school history. Miami leads the series (15-5).
Duke has won three out of the last five matchups. The Canes are 6-3 against the Blue Devils all-time in Miami / Miami Gardens.
The Blue Devils defeated the Hurricanes 45-21 the last time the two teams met in 2022. Duke forced eight turnovers in that contest, with three interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Blue Devils also held Miami to just 48 rushing yards.
Duke has won its last two visits to Miami, triumphing in 2022 and winning 20-12 in 2018.
Storylines and Notables
Miami is off to an 8-0 start for the first time under head coach Mario Cristobal. Last time out, Miami dominated rival Florida State, 36-14, on Homecoming on Oct. 26.
Miami is looking to start the season 9-0 for the first time under Cristobal and the first time since 2017 (10-0).
Cristobal’s highest-ranked team as head coach came in the final 2019 polls when Oregon was No. 5/5.
Following the win over FSU last time out, Miami stayed put at No. 5 in the LBM Coaches Poll and moved up to the No. 5 spot in the Associated Press top 25 on Oct. 27. UM had been No. 6 in last week’s AP poll.
Stats
Miami
QB Cam Ward became the first Hurricanes quarterback to record seven straight performances of 300 passing yards or more; the streak ended last time out vs. Florida State.
No quarterback in Power-4 has thrown for more touchdowns than Cam Ward, who is second in FBS with 24 TDs.
Among active players entering the 2024 season, Cam Ward’s career total yardage of 14,140 at the FBS / FCS level far surpassed No. 2 Will Rogers (11,999), No. 3 Seth Henigan (11,483), No. 4 Grayson McCall (11,118) and No. 5 Shedeur Sanders (10,293). Since 2020, Ward and former Auburn / Oregon QB Bo Nix (14,110) were the only players to have surpassed 14,000 yards of total offense (pass and rush).
WR Xavier Restrepo moved into No. 3 in Miami’s all-time receiving yards list in Miami’s win over Florida State, passing the legendary Michael Irvin (2,423). He now has 2,427 career yards.
With four catches last time out in a win over Florida State, Restrepo moved into second place in career receptions, passing Reggie Wayne (173). Restrepo needs nine more catches to pass Mike Harley (182) for the record.
Defensive end Tyler Baron, who has started all seven games, is 12th in career TFLs among active players with 35.0. Baron has 18.0 career sacks - tied for the 21st-highest active career total among all FBS players.
Notable Team Stats
Miami is the nation’s third down conversion rate leader, capitalizing on 59.8% as an offense.
Miami’s offense has gone three-and-out on just 3.3% of drives this season. That’s the lowest rate by an FBS offense since at least 2004, per TruMediaSports (via Max Olson of The Athletic). Only three of 92 drives have ended with a punt after three plays - two in the season opener. The Canes have one three-and-out in their last 82 drives.
The Hurricanes rank No. 1 in all of FBS in total offense, averaging 560.8 yards per game.
The Hurricanes score points on 62.5% of their offensive possessions, the best mark in the nation. Miami scores touchdowns on 50% of possessions, which is the second-best mark in all FBS.
Miami is ranked No. 1 in FBS in plays of 20 or more yards (65) and No. 1 in plays of ten or more yards (165). Of the 65 plays of 20 or more yards, 50 are passing - most in FBS. Of the 165 plays of ten or more yards, 116 are passing. The Canes had only 48 passing plays of 20 or more yards and 129 of ten or more pass yards in 2023.
While Miami’s offense has been among the most prolific in the country through the first half of the season, the Hurricanes have also methodically controlled the clock this year. Miami is one of just five teams whose average time of possession is more than 34 minutes per game - 34:18, the fourth-highest mark in all of FBS.
The Hurricanes average more than 12 more offensive plays per game than their opponents (72.25 / 60.125).
The Hurricanes’ 16.25% punt percentage on all offensive drives is the nation's lowest mark.
The Hurricanes’ 3.38 points-per-possession average is the second-best mark in the country.
In the “middle eight” rankings—which track the scoring in the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half, considered a critical juncture—UM was No. 16 under Cristobal in 2022-2023.
The Hurricanes have remained steady this year; Miami is ranked No. 16 in FBS in the middle eight this year (+3.8). From 2014 to 2019, teams that won the “middle eight” minutes of the game at the FBS level won 74% of the time.
Through eight games, Miami’s tight ends have totaled 553 yards on 33 catches with seven touchdown catches. Last time out, Elijah Arroyo threw the first touchdown pass of his career on a trick play to Ward. Arroyo ranks fifth on Miami with 16 catches for 310 yards with four touchdowns, which is tied for second-most on Miami.
Miami is ranked No. 1 in FBS in scoring differential in second halves; UM’s +16.50 scoring difference is ahead of Indiana (+16.26), Ohio State (15.00), Penn State (14.00), and Iowa State (12.43) entering Week 10 of 2024.
Miami is one of just seven teams to rank in the top 15 of both total offense (#1) and total defense (#14) entering Week 10 of college football. The Canes rank first in the ACC in both categories - total offense and total defense.
Entering Week 10, the Hurricanes rank No. 12 in the nation in “defensive mayhem” - plays on defense featuring a tackle for loss, an interception, or a gained fumble. Miami has a 14.14% mayhem rate on defense; the Hurricanes have racked up an 8.78% sack rate, an 11.85% tackle-for-loss rate, and a 3.70% interception rate in their 8-0 start.
UM ranks No. 7 in FBS in team sacks (3.25), No. 15 in tackles for loss (7.1) & No. 16 in passes intercepted (10).
UM is the only program in the country with two players with at least 18.0 career sacks each (Akheem Mesidor, 21.0). The Hurricanes have four players in the top 60 in FBS in career sacks entering Week 10 - DL Simeon Barrow (16.0) is tied for 33rd, and LB Francisco Mauigoa (13.0) is tied for 56th.
Kicker Andy Borregales had 12 points vs. Florida State (three field goals, three extra points), moving him to 362 career points. Borregales currently trails only Carlos Huerta (397) & Michael Badgley (403) in career points, ranking third at UM.
His 67 career field goals are third-most in Miami history, trailing only Badgley (77) and Huerta (73). Among active FBS kickers, Borregales is one of just seven in the country who have more than 60 career field goals, joining Jonah Dalmas (Boise State - 90), Alex Raynor (Kentucky - 67), John Hoyland (Wyoming - 67), Tyler Loop (Arizona - 63), Graham Nicholson (Alabama - 64) and Matthew Shipley (Arkansas - 61).
Duke
Duke head coach Manny Diaz is quite familiar with Miami. He spent six seasons with the Hurricanes, three as the head coach (2019-21) and three as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2016-18). While at the helm, he coached Miami to three consecutive bowl appearances and tied for the second most ACC wins in the league, trailing only Clemson.
The Blue Devils are looking for a win versus a ranked opponent for a second consecutive season after opening the 2023 campaign with a 28-7 victory against No. 9 Clemson. Duke has not captured wins in back-to-back seasons versus ranked foes since 2015-16.
Jordan Moore has an active streak of 34 consecutive games with at least one pass reception, tied for the seventh-longest on Duke’s all-time chart.
Eli Pancol, who has caught at least one pass in 23 consecutive games dating back to the 2021 campaign, owns six TD catches this fall. The six are a single-season career high, lead Duke, and rank tied for second in the ACC.
In the six games, all starts, replacing Jacquez Moore, Star Thomas has gained 600 ground yards (100 rushing yards/game), ran for five touchdowns, and added one receiving score. He has surpassed 100 rushing yards three times.
Thomas paces Duke in rushing with 681 yards this season on 151 carries.
Junior DE Vincent Anthony Jr. has booked ten tackles in ACC play, with half coming in the backfield.
The Durham native leads the Blue Devils in tackles for loss in league play with 5.0 and is tied for second on the squad in sacks in ACC competition with 1.5. He is tied for the team lead in quarterback pressures in league action with five.
Notable Team Stats
Against Florida State, Duke became the first FBS team this season to force turnovers on three consecutive offensive plays (interception, fumble, and interception). The Blue Devils converted the three turnovers into 17 points.
The following week against No. 22 SMU, Duke forced six turnovers, two on consecutive plays in the second quarter and three total during the fourth quarter.
The Blue Devil defense has forced ten turnovers in their last two games. Duke is second nationally in turnovers gained with 19, the most among P4 schools. The Blue Devils also rank third nationally in turnover margin at +1.50 per game.
In program history, the Blue Devils own an 11- 62-4 record when taking on a team ranked in the Associated Press top 10.
Duke enters Saturday with a 6-2 record, marking the first time since 2015 that the team has had six wins in its first eight games.
The Blue Devils own three consecutive seasons with six or more victories, a first for the program since a four-year stretch in 2012-13-14-15.
Duke has 14 wins in the last two seasons, approaching the winningest two-year stretch in program history.
Duke has already won three games this season when trailing in the fourth quarter - at Northwestern (down 13-10; win 26-20 2 OT), versus UConn (down 21-17; win 26-21), and against North Carolina (down 20-7; win 21-20). It is tied for the second most fourth-quarter wins in a season in program history.
This season, Duke has four one-score wins (8 points or less), tied for the second most one-score wins in a season in program history.
Duke leads the league in turnover margin in ACC games only at +2.25 per game. >> In all games, Duke ranks tied for third nationally with its +1.50 turnover margin per game.
Duke’s offensive line ranks tied for third in the ACC in fewest sacks allowed per game.
Duke has felt at home in the opposing backfield this season, ranking second among FBS programs in tackles for loss with 71.0 and tackles for loss per game with 8.88.
In the last 12 games, Duke has booked 10.0 or more TFL five times and 6.0 or more 10 times.
Duke’s 11.0 TFL against Florida State marked the most in a league game for Duke since 11.0 versus Miami on November 30, 2019.
Duke’s three sacks per game are fifth in the ACC and 14th nationally.
The Blue Devils’ 6.0 sacks versus Florida State were the most in an ACC game since 6.0 sacks totaled versus Miami on October 22, 2022.
Duke has yielded seven passing touchdowns in eight games, tied for the 21st fewest nationally.
Duke’s pass-efficiency defense (104.93) tops the ACC and is eighth nationally.
Duke (18.6) ranks second in the ACC in scoring defense. In 2023, Duke held four opponents to single digits and led the ACC in scoring defense (19.00).
The Blue Devils have kept 16 of their last 22 foes to 21 or fewer points.
Excluding overtime periods, Duke has kept all eight of its 2024 foes to 24 or fewer points. (SMU reached 28 points with an overtime touchdown.)
Duke has had 65 points off turnovers in the last seven games, ten each against Northwestern and UConn, 28 versus Middle Tennessee, and 17 against Florida State.
Of the 65 points, 51 have been in the first half.
Stats are as of November 1, 2024
Miami Athletics and Duke Athletics contributed to this report.
Line: Miami - 20.5
Over/Under: 54.5
Weather: 84 Degrees, 24 percent chance of rain
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