The undefeated Duke Blue Devils open their ACC season Saturday night with a trip to struggling Miami. Kickoff from Sun Life Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage on ESPN2 and streaming coverage available on WatchESPN.
How to watch Duke vs. Miami: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Could the ACC Coastal really be up for grabs in late September? We’ll find out Saturday night.
Duke lost its offensive coordinator from one of the most successful teams in program history, but has hardly missed a beat so far this season. Senior quarterback Anthony Boone, who you probably last saw throwing for 427 yards and three touchdowns against Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last season, has seven passing touchdowns through four games this season. Freshman running back Shaun Wilson destroyed Kansas two weeks ago, running for 245 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries. He is averaging 14.4 yards per carry, and added a fourth touchdown last week against Tulane.
Miami, on the other hand, has been unable to establish the running game at all this season. The Hurricanes are currently 103rd nationally in rushing yardage, and the Miami offense in general has struggled against two Power 5 opponents so far this season. Freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya has made a good start to his first season at the helm of the Miami offense, but has already thrown seven interceptions. Halfback Duke Johnson has yet to break 100 yards in any of Miami's four games this season, but his consistent 90+ yard performances have been one of the few bright spots for the Hurricanes so far.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: The Blue Devils enter Saturday night’s game at 4-0 and ranked No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Duke is just outside the Top 25 in the AP Poll. Miami is 2-2 and unranked in both polls.
Vegas: The Hurricanes opened as 5.5-point favorites, but that is up to 7 points, with the over/under set at 61 points.
Weather forecast: Temperatures should be in the low 80s, with a chance for storms.
Two things at stake
Duke beat Miami last year for the first time since the Hurricanes joined the ACC in 2004, and could put together an actual winning streak over the Hurricanes with a win Saturday. A victory would also extend a six-game ACC regular season winning streak for the Blue Devils.
For Miami, a win over an undefeated team -- yes, even Duke -- could wash the taste of losses to Louisville and Nebraska out of the fans’ mouths and set the stage for an October resurgence. The Hurricanes play in a winnable ACC Coastal Division currently devoid of AP-ranked teams, and all would not be lost if they could knock off the defending division champions.
One big matchup
Duke vs. Duke: While the Blue Devils lead the ACC in scoring defense after four weeks, their other defensive stats have not been good. Opponents are averaging 353 yards per game against the Duke defense, including a whopping 182 yards on the ground. And there hasn’t been a running back on Duke’s motley crew non-conference schedule with experience and talent close to that of Duke Johnson. If Miami is going to win, it’s likely going to be on the back of Johnson.
Further reading
State of the U covers the Hurricanes, while Duke Basketball Report has widened its scope to include Blue Devils football.
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