The No. 5 Hurricanes (9-0) trailed the Blue Devils (6-3) 28-17 early in the third quarter, but Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and company turned up the intensity after that, helped by some timely turnovers by opposing quarterback Maalik Murphy. The final nail in the coffin came via a long touchdown by Xavier Restrepo, which tied the all-time Miami record for receptions held by Mike Harley and broke Santana Moss’s receiving yards record.
Ward ended the day 25 of 41 for 400 yards and five touchdowns, the third time he’s hit that yardage marker this season and the second time he’s had that many TDs. He also fumbled and threw an interception. Restrepo led all receivers with 146 yards on eight catches with three touchdowns.
Damien Martinez had 11 carries for 66 yards, while Mark Fletcher Jr. ran 12 times for 65 yards and a touchdown a day after his father’s funeral.
Murphy had a strong game overall, going 25 of 41 for 325 yards and three touchdowns, but the three interceptions and fumble were costly. Running back Peyton Jones had 132 total yards and two TDs, while Sahmir Hagans led Duke with nine catches for 139 yards and a score.
