Duke vs. Miami: Complete Game Preview
The Miami Hurricanes look to rebound from their second loss of the 2014 season when the Duke Blue Devils enter Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Despite a solid performance from freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya, the 'Canes fell 41-31 to Nebraska, while Duke improved to 4-0 after dismantling Tulane 47-13.
Last season, the Blue Devils shredded Miami for 358 yards on the ground, earning an 18-point victory over the Duke Johnson-less Hurricanes.
Opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and ESPN2 will carry the Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. As of this writing, OddsShark lists Miami as a 4.0-point favorite.
Duke Keys to Victory
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Don't Waste the Freshman Mistake
Though Kaaya has noticeably improved under center each week, the freshman is still vulnerable at times. Against Nebraska, he was thrown into a hero position following a poor defensive performance and a costly fumble by Johnson that resulted in a touchdown.
Kaaya faced a critical fourth down and tried to force a pass into double coverage, something he hadn't done all night. The Cornhuskers easily grabbed the interception, sealing a thrilling victory over the 'Canes.
Duke cannot miss an opportunity to capitalize on a poor decision by Kaaya, because the freshman is minimizing errors and not allowing many chances at takeaways.
Dominate the Line of Scrimmage
Miami allowed 343 rushing yards to Nebraska, including 229 by Ameer Adbullah. While the Blue Devils don't have a back of that caliber, their ground attack is quite formidable.
The Hurricanes can't be sure which one will receive the majority of carries, but Josh Snead, Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson are likely to share the load.
Last year, Snead and Powell both ripped up Miami for career-high marks, tallying 138 and 59, respectively. Over the last two weeks, the true freshman Wilson has amassed 315 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries.
Plus, Duke has the offensive line talent to dominate. Laken Tomlinson is one of the nation's top offensive guards, Matt Skura is a top ACC center and left tackle Takoby Cofield has started 33 career games.
Miami Keys to Victory
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Avoid the Game-Changing Turnover
One thing is for certain: The 'Canes are capable of scoring a ton of points against Duke. However, turnovers will decide whether Miami racks them up and earns the victory.
Trailing by eight points during the season opener at Louisville, Kaaya underthrew Phillip Dorsett, and Jason Sample snatched the pass. The Cardinals soon extended their lead to 11 and slammed the door on a Hurricanes comeback.
Last week, Johnson fumbled when his team had an opportunity to take a third-quarter lead. Nebraska's Josh Mitchell returned it to the house, and Miami could not overcome the 10-point deficit.
A handful of other issues aided the shortcomings, but turnovers are what sealed the team's fate. Protecting the football may prove to be the difference between a much-needed conference win or a second straight loss.
Strong Tackling
Abdullah constantly powered through Miami defenders, picking up extra real estate on almost every carry.
According to Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post, head coach Al Golden said Nebraska managed 70 yards after contact. And that doesn't include all the missed tackles.
The Hurricanes must know the Blue Devils want to run the ball, so they must be prepared to make strong stops throughout the night.
Otherwise, Saturday will simply be a repeat of Duke's 2013 physical domination of Miami.
Duke Players to Watch
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Anthony Boone, Quarterback
Besides Johnson's return for the 'Canes, the biggest difference between 2013 and 2014 is that Anthony Boone is the lone Blue Devils quarterback. Brandon Connette entered the game in short-yardage situations and destroyed Miami, powering home four touchdowns and throwing another.
As the full-time starter this year, Boone has thrown seven touchdowns to just one interception, connecting with his receivers 62.4 percent of the time.
Granted, he hasn't really been challenged to this point, since Duke has dispatched outmatched programs in Elon, Troy, Kansas and Tulane.
Boone will be looking for all-ACC target Jamison Crowder and Max McCaffrey, and the senior can wreak some havoc with his legs, too.
Jeremy Cash, Safety
Jeremy Cash is part of a secondary that hasn't allowed more than 70 yards to a single receiver this season. Conversely, three different Miami players have posted 80-plus performances, so the Blue Devils defensive backfield faces its toughest task to date.
The junior isn't a prototypical defender, however. He's a hybrid safety-linebacker that fits perfectly in Duke's 4-2-5 scheme.
Cash already has 35 stops, making four behind the line of scrimmage and one being a sack. He's also tallied one interception, one pass breakup and one quarterback hit.
In other words, Cash is everywhere, and he can do it all.
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Miami Players to Watch
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Duke Johnson, Running Back
As a freshman, the player Duke slashed the program for 176 yards and three touchdowns, something Miami dearly missed in 2013. Johnson had broken his ankle two weeks earlier and was unavailable for a game that decided the Coastal Division champion.
This time around, however, the superstar back is completely healthy. Additionally, Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News & Observer calls the Duke run defense "suspect at best," which is not the type of unit that can shut down Johnson.
The junior has not topped the century mark yet this season, but he's hovered between 90 and 97 yards. Considering the Blue Devils' collective weakness against the run, Johnson has a serious chance to best his 2012 performance.
Deon Bush, Safety
Having tallied the team's fourth-most tackles, Deon Bush is starting to make his presence known each week.
A former 4-star recruit, Bush was expected to become the next great Hurricanes safety. He's far from reaching that status, but the junior is proving to be a defensive leader.
His 19 total stops trail only Denzel Perryman, Thurston Armbrister and Anthony Chickillo, plus Bush has accounted for two forced fumbles and one sack.
Run support will be extremely necessary against Duke's four-headed monster, and Bush will be pivotal in that effort.
What They're Saying
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Duke
Per Johnny Moore of GoDuke, the school's official athletics website, Boone said the 4-0 team has learned to settle down and win.
"No matter what, we find a way to win. We find a way to crunch down in times when we need to crunch down and we find a way when there's a crucial time to get a stop or get points on the board. We do that, whether it's offense or defense or special teams.
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Miami
According to Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Golden is sticking with the defensive scheme despite loud criticism, citing correctable mistakes.
"There's no excuse for not tackling. There's no excuse for not doing better on third down. But we're not giving up in the scheme. We made a lot of progress so far this year. We didn't play well enough tonight, that's it, against a good team on the road. And we turned the ball over three times and we had a lot of selfish penalties, so we helped them.
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Prediction
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The Hurricanes cannot afford to lose this conference meeting, and they'll come out strong. However, Duke won't go down without an enthralling fight to the finish.
Although Snead, Powell and Wilson account for 230 yards on the ground, Miami's offense is too much for the Blue Devils to contain for 60 minutes.
Kaaya throws for 245 yards and two touchdowns, but Johnson slices the Duke defense for 165 yards and two more scores. Most importantly for the 'Canes, they finally knock off an ACC opponent in a must-win scenario.
Prediction: Miami 34, Duke 30
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