The Duke Blue Devils went on a 28-3 run midway through Saturday’s game against the Miami Hurricanes, opening up an 11-point lead after halftime, but Miami closed with 35 of the game’s last 38 points for a comfortable 53-31 victory.
After the game, head coach Manny Diaz said the team got in its own way once the Hurricanes started to pull away.
“We didn’t respond well after, I think it was the one touchdown drive that made it eight (an eight-point Miami lead),” Diaz said. “I don’t think we responded very well after that.”
That touchdown Diaz is referring to, a 49-yard catch-and-run from Miami quarterback Cam Ward to wideout Jacolby George, came with 12:56 left in the game. The Duke offense had scored points on five of its previous seven possessions, but the Blue Devils punted three times and turned the ball over twice after that point.
Diaz highlighted how the offense failed to convert a third-and-5 opportunity on the following possession, and even after star defensive back [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag] intercepted Ward to give the Blue Devils another chance to tie the game, they only gained four yards for an instant three-and-out.
When the clock hit triple zeros, Miami won the fourth quarter 21-3 and won the second half 36-10.
“It’s a great lesson for our guys that you have to execute at a high level for 60 minutes against really good football teams, especially in their stadium,” Diaz concluded.