Duke Given Unlikely Chance to Take Down Miami This Week

The Duke Blue Devils have a massive battle on their hands this week, as the team travels to face off against the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes.

Duke has quietly been playing much better over the last few weeks, giving the team some extra confidence heading into the game. But the Hurricanes are one of the best teams across college football, which could poise some challenge for the Blue Devils.

Nonetheless, the Blue Devils won't go down without a fight, and this team is ready for this matchup. Duke has been waiting for this game, and the team is set up well to at least heavily compete for the Hurricanes.

The Blue Devils will be coming into the game with a record of 7-2 on the season, going 4-2 in ACC games so far. This team has battled all year long, and this game against Miami offers them a chance to make some noise in the conference.

As for the Hurricanes, they will be entering the contest with a record of 8-1, with them going 6-0 in conference play. Miami finally dropped its first game of the season last week, losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road.

With the game being played in Miami, it gives a slight advantage to the Hurricanes, but this Duke team is gritty. Duke has gone 3-1 on the road this season, showing fight away from Durham.

As the two sides prepare to face off against one another, the Blue Devils are being viewed as clear underdogs against Miami. According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Duke only has a 12 percent chance of upsetting the Hurricanes on the road.

One aspect of the game that could help Duke is that Miami star wide receiver Malachi Toney will miss the contest due to injury. The Hurricanes offense looked a little less explosive last week without the services of Toney, and the Blue Devils may try to take advantage of his absence.

Duke will be relying on star running back Nate Sheppard again this week, with the hope that he can put together a strong outing. Sheppard has been the engine for this Blue Devils team, and they need him to come through this week.

The Blue Devils will be trying for the upset win this week, and if they can grab it, it could help their College Football Playoff case. But for now, the entire focus of this team is on Miami and figuring out how to come away with a victory on the road.