Duke Gets Major Injury Break Ahead of Miami Showdown Next Week

The Duke Blue Devils are preparing for their upcoming game against the NC State Wolfpack this week.

However, Duke has a massive game next week against the Miami Hurricanes that could have big implications. Duke is currently 6-2 on the season, with a lot to still play for, including the ACC title.

Ahead of the game against Miami next week, the Blue Devils have been given a major break, with the Hurricanes best player going down with an injury. Star Malachi Toney suffered a high ankle sprain and he will now have surgery, which could impact his availability next week against Duke.

The normal timeline for an injury of this manner is four weeks, which would push Toney to miss the game against the Blue Devils. Toney is easily the most explosive player on Miami's roster, and this could create an opening for Duke to take advantage.

For the season, Toney has caught 73 passes for 1,027 yards with 13 touchdowns, while going over 100 all-purpose yards in six of eight games. Miami has used Toney in many different ways, giving them a truly explosive offensive attack.

The star sustained the ankle injury in practice on Wednesday, just before the team gets ready to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But this injury could have real ramifications for the rest of the season for the Hurricanes and the ACC as a whole.

Miami is 8-0 on the season, sitting in first place in the ACC right now. But if the Hurricanes were to drop this coming week against Notre Dame, which could happen given that the game is being played on the road, it could open the door for a team like Duke to strike.

There are other teams in the ACC who have the same record or better as the Blue Devils, but Duke still plays Miami. The Blue Devils also will play Wake Forest at the end of the year, a team that is ahead of them record-wise.

This injury to Toney could open the door for the Hurricanes to fall a little, giving other teams a chance to overtake them. But for the Blue Devils, they will need to take care of business against the Wolfpack before focusing on the Hurricanes.

However, this is a massive break for a Duke team that has been trying to get back into the ACC race. If the Blue Devils can run the table, there is a chance for them to get into the College Football Playoff.