Darian Mensah threw for 382 yards and a touchdown against his former team, and Javian Mallory ran for two scores to help No. 7 Miami rebound at home with a 36-25 win over Duke on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes (9-1, 7-0 ACC) can clinch a berth in the conference championship game with a Louisville loss later Saturday or one more conference victory.
Duke (7-3, 4-3) had its three-game winning streak snapped despite another all-around performance from Heisman Trophy candidate Nate Sheppard, who totaled 240 yards of offense.
Sheppard rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and added a two-point conversion run. He also caught 12 passes for 93 yards and completed two passes for 16 yards.
Sheppard broke the program’s single-season rushing record with a 47-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He now has 1,320 rushing yards through 10 games.
Mensah completed 30 of 41 passes and recorded his fifth 300-yard passing game despite being limited to one touchdown pass for the second time this season. Duke quarterback Walter Eget completed 26 of 42 passes for 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
With Heisman candidate Malachi Toney sidelined for the second consecutive game, another former Duke standout, Cooper Barkate, led Miami in receiving with 134 yards on eight catches.
Mallory rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries and put Miami ahead 22-10 with 2:43 left in the third quarter on a spectacular 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Duke defensive back Kyon Loud left the game with an injury after the play.
Sheppard answered with a 5-yard touchdown run around the corner to cut the Hurricanes’ lead to 22-17 with 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Mallory struck again, diving into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown to cap a 13-play, 79-yard drive that consumed 7:31 and extended Miami’s lead to 29-17 with 8:06 left.
Xavier Lucas intercepted an underthrown pass by Eget on Duke’s ensuing possession for the game’s lone turnover.
Mark Fletcher Jr. scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to break Miami’s career rushing touchdown record with 36 and put the Hurricanes ahead 10-3. However, he exited the game in the third quarter with a right lower-body injury.
–Field Level Media
