Duke at Miami Spread

Written by Hector Garza

After losing to Georgia Tech handily last week, the Blue Devils need to win their next two games to become bowl eligible. This Saturday will be their first test, as they travel to take on Miami. The football odds have picked Duke as the 19.5 point underdogs, which equates to an uphill climb for them to secure a win. Miami lost all hopes for an ACC coastal championship with their loss to North Carolina last week combined with Georgia Tech’s win. They are, however, looking to win out for a potential 10 win season, their first since 2003. The game is set for noon ET this Saturday at Land Shark Stadium.

Jacoby Harris has won and lost games with his arm, and struggled last week against UNC. The sophomore play caller had 4 interceptions raising his total to 16 on the year. Despite the bad decisions, he still managed to throw for 319 yards and a td, and on the year has completed over 60% of his passes for 2654 yards. He’s also done a good job spreading the ball around, as 9 different receivers have found the end zone. There are 3 different running backs that have contributed with over 60 rushes a piece, and Miami sports a balanced attack, with 20 scores coming in the air and17 on the ground.

Last week against the Tar Heels the defense did their part in limiting their opponent to one touchdown and 329 yards. They weren’t responsible for two of Harris’s int’s being returned for td’s. However, they could be much better in the turnover department. On the year they’ve accumulated 14 through 10 games, which has led to opponents scoring 23.3 ppg in a tough ACC. The good news is that they’re 4-0 against Duke since they joined the conference.

Duke is coming off a demoralizing home loss where they managed only 10 points and 281 yards of offense. Thaddeus Lewis accounted for 1 td and 1 int for 212 yards, and on the season is completing over 62% of his passes for 16 scores and 6 int’s. They’re a much improved team from last year, relying on their passing game for 20 of the 25 td’s scored. 6 different receivers have caught multiple td’s, and Donavan Varner leads the pack with 708 yards on 46 receptions and 5 scores. The problem is that it leaves them with an almost non existent running game, allowing defenses to key in on passing game.

There are some holes in the defense that gave up 519 yards to GT’s option attack last weekend. The Yellow Jackets got over 300 yards on the ground and 5 td’s, and Miami will be looking to take advantage. LB Vincent Rey has been the primary run stopper, adding 82 tackles to his resume. In the secondary Leon Wright has proven himself to be a threat with his 5 picks. Duke must do a better job againts the running game to keep it close with Miami.

There’s a reason the Blue Devils are an almost 20 point underdog this week, as they’re traveling to a hostile environment with almost no running game. While Lewis is one of the most underrated QB’s in the ACC, he doesn’t have the supporting cast to pull off this upset. Miami will easily win but Duke can definitely keep it within the spread.

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