In late October 2015, Miami had just made its decision to relieve Al Golden of his duties, and Larry Scott was named interim coach. The Hurricanes arrived in Durham for a Coastal Division battle with then-No. 22-ranked Duke, and finished off the Blue Devils with one of the most absurd finishes to a win in program history.
A wild fourth quarter was apparently over when Thomas Sirk scored on a touchdown run with six seconds remaining to put Duke up 27-24, but then Corn Elder turned into the star -- and current star running back Mark Walton would play a role -- in an eight-lateral kickoff return touchdown that took nearly a minute in real time from kickoff to the game-winning score.
It was a game that lingered in the minds of both teams for a while, resulted in plenty of debate regarding the use (or lack thereof) of instant replay and even got a Tecmo Bowl re-enactment.
Another interesting wrinkle in that game: it was the first career start for Miami quarterback Malik Rosier while filling in for the injured Brad Kaaya. Rosier threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Viewing information
Date: Friday, Sept. 29 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Wallace Wade Stadium -- Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN
Storylines
Miami: How Miami defends Daniel Jones. Miami's defensive front is one of the best in the ACC, but a big part of Toledo's success on offense in the 52-30 result was the play on the backside of that Hurricanes defense. Miami's secondary entered the season with question marks because of inexperience, and the two weeks off because of Hurricane Irma means even less live reps for that group heading into conference play. Duke quarterback Daniel Jones is going to put a lot of stress on the cornerbacks and safeties with his ability to extend plays with his legs and connect with a talented group of receivers, so it will take a full team effort (pass rush up front and disciplined play on the back end) to prevent big plays.
Duke: Stopping the run. The Blue Devils have gotten great play from its defensive line this season and done a great job statistically against the run, ranking No. 4 nationally in yards per carry allowed (2.33) and No. 2 in rushing defense (65.25 yards per game), but Miami is a significant upgrade in competition when it comes to defending the run. Mark Walton is coming off a 200-yard performance against Toledo and sophomore running back Travis Homer had a strong showing as the complimentary back in the rotation. These two are a dynamic duo that have to be contained for Duke to have a shot at the upset win.
Prediction
Miami's goals for the season are to reach the ACC Championship Game. Mark Richt has been clear all offseason that this program first needs to win the ACC Coastal Division to reach that ACC title game for the first time before we can start looking ahead to bigger goals for a Hurricanes team with a lot of young talent and a bright future. With the Florida State coming up in less than two weeks, this game is a great test of where they are at right now and a must-win for the division title race -- a race that Duke wants a piece of after its 4-0 start. I think Miami wins, but my pick is to take the Friday night home dog and the points. Daniel Jones definitely keeps the Blue Devils in this game until the end, and there's a chance we see an upset in Bull City under the lights. Pick: Duke +5.5
 |  |  |  |  |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke +5.5 |  | | | | |  | |
| SU | | | | | | |
