Miami Gardens, Fla. – Duke forced Miami into eight turnovers, the most by any team in a Power 5 conference game since 2009 and rolled past the Hurricanes 45-21 on Saturday.
Quarterback Riley Leonard ran for three touchdowns and threw for another for Duke (5-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which scored the game’s final 28 points. The Blue Devils gave up two touchdowns in the first 1:54 of the third quarter to lose the lead, but the rest of the way was all Duke.
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Even worse for Miami, potentially, was this development: quarterback Tyler Van Dyke left in the second quarter with an apparent injury to his shoulder region and did not return. Van Dyke was hit, remained down face-first for a few moments, then walked off flanked by Hurricanes medical personnel as he held his arm to his chest — often a telltale sign of a shoulder issue.
The last team with eight turnovers in a Power 5 conference game was Nebraska, which had that many in a 9-7 loss to Iowa State in 2008.
Jake Garcia relieved Van Dyke and went 13 for 21 for 198 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Van Dyke was 11 for 16 for 81 yards and a score before he exited.
Colbie Young had two touchdown catches for Miami (3-4, 1-2) and Will Mallory had the other.
Duke outgained Miami by only nine yards, 336-327. With the turnovers, it didn’t matter. Duke turned the turnovers into 24 points, the last of those coming on Brandon Johnson’s 29-yard return for a touchdown with 5:16 left.
THE TAKEAWAY
Duke: Miami had outscored the Blue Devils 95-10 in the team’s last two meetings, both of which came on Duke’s home field. But with this win, Duke has now won back-to-back games at Miami for the first time in program history.
Miami: The Hurricanes put the ball on the ground five times, losing all five fumbles. And now with five games left, Miami has to find a way to go 3-2 just to be bowl-eligible — no easy feat with Clemson and Florida State among those left on the schedule.
CLOSING IN
Duke is now one win from bowl eligibility with four games remaining — at Boston College, home for Virginia Tech, at Pittsburgh and then the regular season finale at home against Wake Forest.
UP NEXT
Duke: After a bye, visits Boston College on Nov. 4.
Miami: Visits Virginia on Oct. 29.
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