2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 9: Duke
Mario Cristobal vs. Manny Diaz. Former coach vs. new coach.
This matchup between the Miami Hurricanes vs. the Duke Blue Devils has extra layers that might have not been noticed before. Manny Diaz led the University of Miami back to being one of the most talked about brands in college sports before sputtering in his last season as the U's head coach and getting fired. Hours later walks in Cristobal to take his place, but he has still had the same impact that Diaz has had, maybe to a lesser extent. This game will be a test of who has left the bigger impact as this is one of the most important seasons in Cristobal's life as the head coach of the Canes.
The teams last faced off against each other in 2022 in a lopsided defensive domination from the Blue Devils causing the Hurricanes to turn the ball over eight times. Diaz is a defensive guru and that will be one of the best things with this Duke football team alongside a new offense. Here is a look at the 2024 Duke Blue Devils.
Offense
One of the many interesting things that happened this offseason was the transfer of Maalik Murphy from Texas to Duke. It is expected for him to start but that is not a guarantee with it being a three-man competition within the quarterback room. Murphy will be able to move the ball through the air compared to how the team played last season. The Blue Devils relied on then-quarterback Riley Leonard being the primary ball-handler under center. Murphy is young but surrounding him can complement many of his advantages.
Jaquez Moore will look to be the number-one back for the Blue Devils after finishing last season with 674 yards and six touchdowns with limited touches out of the backfield due to the crowdedness of the room. Behind a strong offensive line led by veterans Jack Purcell and Justin Pickett, Moore could join the 1000-yard back club this season.
6-0 195 pound Jordan Moore was second-team all ACC last season catching the ball for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns. This room will have the talent as other receivers such as Sahmir Hagans and Javon Harvey will look to get the ball more. Tight end Nicky Dalmolin will look to have a bigger role in the offense this year compared to last
Defense
The defense will be the calling card for the Blue Devils all season. With Diaz leading the charge, he has a history of having some of the best defense in the country over the past two years. With the talent on this side of the ball, there is a chance that he could replicate what helped Penn State be one of the top defenses in the country last season.
The defensive line will prove to be stronger with many players from the line returning from last season. Vincent Anthony Jr, Aaron Hall, Liberty transfer Kendy Charles, and Ryan Smith will lead the charge on the front line.
The linebacking room for Duke is extremely underrated led by second-team All-ACC Tre Freeman who exploded on the scene last year when he combined for a total of 106 tackles on the season (55 solo, 51 assisted). Alongside him was Nick Morris Jr. who also had above 50 tackles on the season (61) and will lead the middle of the field for Diaz and the Blue Devils.
Another one of the key strengths that the Blue Devils have is the team's secondary. Chandler Rivers is one of the best corners in the country, not just the ACC. He has lockdown ability that will likely cut off half of the field if a receiver is not talented enough to get past him or over him. Alongside him is safety Jaylen Stinson who was one of the best tacklers on the team as well. he rounded in 88 total tackles and while his size does cause many people to worry, standing at 5-8 177 pounds, he will still wrap around anyone for Duke. The rest of the room will see a boost with many players returning from last season as they continue to grow.
Schedule
At this point in the season, the Hurricanes will know where they will be trying to finish out the season. This could mean they are somehow still undefeated, lost back-to-back games against Louisville and Florida State, or the whole season has been derailed from the opening tip. The rest of the schedule seems like a cake walk but there are still some opponents like the Duke game that could flip on the team's head. The team still has another bye week in the upcoming weeks of this home game but, with how the schedule is formatted, they will be back on the road to face Georiga Tech.
Outlook
For the Blue Devils, a win against the Hurricanes would show that they are not a "basketball school" but a budding program in the making. The Hurricanes would need to show that they are one of the best teams in the country if they still have bowl contention on their mind. This game will be another home game for the University of Miami but in Hard Rock Stadium, that could mean a home game for the Duke as well.
The Game
Date: November 2
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: Hard Rock Stadium
Series: Miami leads 15-5 against Duke
Last Matchup: In the team's last matchup in 2022, the Hurricanes turned the ball over eight times which led to the Blue Devils defeating Miami 45-21 at Hard Rock Stadium. Duke also rushed for 214 yards led by quarterback Riley Leonard with 72 yards on the ground for three touchdowns.
Miami Hurricanes 2024 Football Schedule
August 31 at Florida
September 7 Florida A&M
September 14 Ball State
September 21 at USF
September 27 Virginia Tech
October 5 at California
October 12 Bye Week
October 19 at Louisville
October 26 Florida State
November 2 Duke
November 9 at Georgia Tech
November 16 Bye Week
November 23 Wake Forest
November 30 at Syracuse
