The Sports Xchange
Nov 26, 2016
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Quarterback Brad Kaaya threw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes, one covering 76 yards to tight end David Njoku, to break the game open as Miami defeated Duke 40-21 here Saturday afternoon.
Kaaya, who also set up Michael Badgley's fourth field game with a 42-yard strike to wide receiver Stacy Coley late in the period, finished the game 22-of-35 passing for 396 yards and four touchdowns as the Hurricanes (8-4, 5-3 ACC) ended the regular season the way they started it -- with a four-game winning streak.
The Blue Devils (4-8, 1-7 ACC) saw their last hope to get into postseason thwarted with a second consecutive loss and fifth defeat in the last six games. Though unable to get to the six-win level for automatic bowl eligibility, the Blue Devils were hoping their academic standing would get them in if they could get to 5-7.
Freshman quarterback Daniel Jones passed for 316 yards and three touchdowns but couldn't get the Blue Devils into the end zone in the second half until the issue had been long decided.
Miami went to the locker room at halftime up only 16-14 after Badgley was good on three field goal attempts, the longest from 47 yards, and running back Mark Walton hauled in a 30-yard touchdown reception.
Duke scored on its first two possessions, both on touchdown passes from Jones. His second, a 13-yarder to wide receiver Aaron Young, put the Blue Devils up 14-13 just six seconds into the second quarter.
Neither team scored again until Miami scored on Badgley's 33-yard field goal with 38 seconds left in the period.
The Hurricanes then scored 26 unanswered points in the second half before Duke scored again with just 2:41 remaining.