Duke Blue Devils: Five must-win football games for 2015

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4. Saturday, October 31: Duke vs. Miami (FL)

An intra-division game against Miami on Halloween night! Duke does have the homefield advantage in this must-watch game, but will have to face a difficult Miami squad.

Though Miami lost a lot of weapons on offense including running back Duke Johnson and receivers Phillip Dorsett and Clive Walford. However, quarterback Brad Kaaya is returning for his sophomore year and ready to improve upon their weak 6-7 record. In 2014, Kaaya finished with 3,198 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Kaaya proved he is a reliable quarterback in the pocket and if given proper weapons, can thrive in Miami’s system.

On the flip side, Miami’s defense is unproven but has a lot of raw talent. Senior Deon Bush leads a talented secondary that also consists of two developing corners in Corn Elder and Artie Burns. However, as you move towards the linebackers and defensive line, there remains little-to-no depth.

Miami does have two solid options on the defensive line in Chad Thomas and Al-Quadin Muhammad as well as a talented linebacker in Jermaine Grace. If all the pieces align correctly and the players reach their potential early on, Miami’s defense may be among the best in the ACC.

Duke has a slight advantage, as Miami finished under .500 and lost many player makers on offense to the NFL. They still need to put it all together and could do so in the middle of the season when they travel to Duke.

Next: North Carolina