Miami 53-31 Duke (November 2, 2024) Game Recap

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Heisman Trophy hopeful Cam Ward threw for 400 yards and five more touchdown passes, three to Xavier Restrepo on a record day for both, and No. 5 Miami erased a double-digit deficit for the third time this season , that he got past Duke 53:31 on Saturday.

Ward now has 29 touchdown passes, tying Steve Walsh’s Miami single-season record set in 1988. A 66-yard scoring grab with 7:36 remaining was the big history-maker: Restrepo tied Mike Harley’s Miami receiving record with his 182nd and broke Santana Moss’ career receiving yards record with 2,573, and Ward equaled Walsh’s TD pass mark for the Hurricanes (9-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Maalik Murphy threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns for Duke (6-3, 2-3), but was intercepted three times and fumbled the ball once. Sahmir Hagans had nine catches for 139 yards and a score for the Blue Devils, who held a 28-17 lead in the third quarter in Duke coach Manny Diaz’s first game against Miami since his dismissal by the school in 2021.

Duke trailed 14-0 early, then went on a 28-3 run and looked poised for its first win against a top-five opponent since 1960.

Then everything changed when the comeback Canes struck again.

Miami scored five touchdowns in a span of six second-half drives — a 36-3 run in a span of barely more than a quarter — and turned it into a blowout.

Miami trailed by 10 or more points before picking up two of its wins earlier this season. It trailed Virginia Tech by 10 points (three times, including the fourth quarter) before cruising to a 38-34 win. A week later, it trailed by 25 points in the third quarter at California before pulling out a 39-38 win.

Ward and Restrepo led them to another comeback on Saturday.

The takeaway food

Duke: The Blue Devils probably didn’t want to get involved in an offensive exchange. Since the start of the 2018 season, Duke is 31-2 (.939) when teams score 21 or fewer points and is now 10-40 (.200).

Miami: Ward moved to No. 5 on the NCAA’s all-time passing list, passing Landry Fields. He became the first Miami quarterback with a 400-yard game against Duke, and Restrepo’s 146-yard day was the most by a Hurricane ever against the Blue Devils.

Impact on the survey

Miami could move up a spot — it depends on where voters rank Penn State, which was ranked No. 3 this week and lost to No. 4 Ohio State.

Next

Duke travels briefly to Raleigh to face NC State on November 9th.

Miami plays at Georgia Tech on November 9th.

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