Above Image Credit: The Miami Herald
When: Saturday, Nov. 14th, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
How to Watch: ABC (check your listings)
After a shocking loss to Notre Dame last Saturday night, the Miami Hurricanes look to bounce back against the Duke Blue Devils.
Darian Mensah and Manny Diaz Return to the Past
It’s said that you can’t escape your past, and on Saturday morning, Duke head coach Manny Diaz and Miami QB Darian Mensah will be having some flashbacks.
Diaz was head coach in Miami from 2018-2021. He was first a defensive coordinator under Mark Richt before spending a brief time as head coach in Temple. He returned to Miami and became the new head coach when Richt abruptly retired. Diaz had two out of three winning seasons in the Canes before being succeeded by current coach Mario Cristobal.
On the other hand, Mensah played with Duke last season before entering the transfer portal for the second time in his college career (He played with Tulane in 2024). However, his journey there was met with legal obstacles when Duke sued him back in January to block the transfer. Things between Mensah and the university were settled a week later, and he signed with Miami.
Duke vs. Miami: Final Thoughts and Prediction
Miami wants to bounce back from their shocking first loss of the season to Notre Dame. They are still in the running as the #7 team in the CFP standings, but that loss caused them to fall hard from the #1 spot. With only three games left for Miami, losing again is not an option.
It’s possible that Malachi Toney’s absence last week is one of the reasons they lost last week. The star wide receiver is still recovering from ankle surgery, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season. It’s still too soon to tell if he will be fully recovered by the start of the CFP postseason, if they make it first.
Duke’s defense will be the challenging factor for Miami because they are the top scoring defense in the ACC. They haven’t given up a touchdown in nearly 200 defensive snaps and lead the conference with 27 sacks. Mensah has been sacked 11 times so far, so imagine that number growing if he isn’t careful.
With only three games left, Miami can’t afford to make one more major mistake. They will face Virginia Tech next week, and they’re looking to make a point too.
