MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – For the first time this season, the Hurricanes found themselves taking the field needing to bounce back after a loss.
And that – finding ways to go 1-0 on this particular day – was the focus all week long ahead of No. 7 Miami’s homecoming showdown against Duke, the reigning ACC champion.
That approach paid off, with the Hurricanes notching a 36-25 win over the Blue Devils in a key conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
With the win, the Hurricanes remain unbeaten in conference play and will stay atop the ACC standings.
Running back Javian Mallory had a team-high 150 all-purpose yards and finished with three touchdowns to lead Miami, while receiver Cooper Barkate had a team-high 134 receiving yards and quarterback Darian Mensah completed 30 of 41 passes and threw for 382 yards and a touchdown for the Hurricanes.
Entering Saturday’s game, Duke’s defense had made life plenty difficult for its last two opponents, Boston College and NC State.
Neither team managed a touchdown against the Blue Devils and early on, the Hurricanes found themselves in a similar predicament.
Miami (9-1, 5-0 ACC) punted on its first two possessions Saturday and it wasn’t until early in the second quarter that the Hurricanes were able to finally break through – with a field goal.
After driving inside the Blue Devils’ 25-yard line, Miami’s offense stalled and the Hurricanes turned to kicker Jake Weinberg to get them on the board. He did, with a 39-yarder that gave Miami its first lead of the day.
Duke, though, answered.
On their ensuing possession, the Blue Devils (7-3, 5-3) tied the game on a 37-yard field goal from Gavin Strange.
After that, Miami was finally able to find the end zone – in a history-making moment.
Mark Fletcher Jr., who already owns the Hurricanes’ overall career touchdown record, scored the 36th rushing touchdown of his Miami career to give the Hurricanes a 10-3 lead after Weinberg’s extra point.
With that 4-yard scoring run, Fletcher became Miami’s career rushing touchdowns leader. He also became the first player to score a touchdown against the Blue Devil defense in 210 defensive snaps, according to research by the Associated Press.
But just as it did when Miami took its first lead, Duke responded.
Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard – the ACC rushing leader – took a direct snap and split through the Miami defense for a 47-yard touchdown run, tying it at 10 with 3:17 left before the half.
Two more Weinberg field goals – one just before the half, and the other on the Hurricanes’ first possession of the third quarter – pushed Miami’s lead to 16-10.
That lead grew later in the third when Mensah, playing against his former team, tossed a short pass to Mallory, who turned it into a 63-yard touchdown and a 22-10 lead for the Hurricanes.
Mallory would go on to score twice more, with both scores coming in the game’s final eight minutes.
With Miami clinging to a 22-17 lead, the freshman capped a 13-play, 79-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Hurricanes some breathing room.
On Duke’s ensuing possession, Xavier Lucas picked off Duke quarterback Walker Eget and five plays later, Mallory scored again, this time on a 39-yard run that pushed Miami’s lead to 36-17 after the extra point.
The Blue Devils added a touchdown in the game’s final seconds, but it wasn’t enough and the Hurricanes notched another crucial conference win.
This story will be updated.