Miami's offense came alive on Saturday, going for close to 500 total yards. Junior running back Damien Berry ignited the offense in the second half, carrying the ball 16 times for 76 yards and a touchdown. It was the seventh straight game in which Berry scored a touchdown on the ground. Graig Cooper added 42 yards on the ground and Javarris James 33.
Quarterback Jacory Harris threw an early interception and struggled finding consistency throughout the day but two big plays to Leonard Hankerson in the second half really helped the Canes pull away.
Harris finished the game 25-of-43 for 368 yards, two touchdowns, and that one pick. Hankerson led all receivers with a career day. He finished with eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Senior tight end Jimmy Graham caught a career-high five passes for 73 yards, including a couple key third down receptions.
Miami's defense played a bend-but-don't-break style today. Duke had two drives go inside Miami's 10 yard line in the second half before they tightened up to hold the Blue Devils to field goal attempts on both drives. Duke connected on one and missed on another.
Duke's rushing attack, which came into the game ranked last in Div 1 football, finished with just 55 yards on 22 carries.
Senior linebacker Darryl Sharpton had one of his best games of the season, finishing with 12 tackles, two for loss, a pass breakup, and an interception that he returned for a long touchdown.
After trailing by three heading into the fourth quarter, Miami scored 21 straight points in the final 15 minutes to seal the victory.
The win pushes Miami to 8-3 on the season and they will travel to Tampa next weekend to take on the South Florida Bulls in the regular season finale.