MIAMI (AP) _ Kyle Wright returned from an injury to throw a
game-sealing touchdown pass to DajLeon Farr with 2:15 left, and
Miami escaped an upset bid by Duke for the second straight year by
beating the Blue Devils 24-14 on Saturday.
Wright was 19-of-23 for 230 yards and two touchdowns for the
Hurricanes (4-1, 1-0), who won their Atlantic Coast Conference
opener for the first time in three years.
Thad Lewis completed 18 of 27 passes for 241 yards and two
touchdowns for Duke, which dropped a 20-15 decision to the
Hurricanes last year _ and gave Miami fits again, all the way to the
final minutes.
His 31-yard pass to Eron Riley got Duke (1-4, 0-2) within 17-14
with 9:46 left, and Duke was driving deep in Miami territory later
in the final quarter. But Eric Moncur's sack _ one of nine by Miami
_ ended a drive with three minutes left, and two plays later, the
Hurricanes' offence sealed the win.
Graig Cooper, who had a two-yard TD run earlier in the fourth
after a contested pass interference call, opened the drive with a
27-yard run. Wright, who left at the start of the fourth quarter
with a cut inside his mouth, then found Farr with a 33-yard scoring
pass on the next play.
Cooper had 101 yards on 12 carries for Miami, which lost to
Florida State each of the past two years to open league play, but
hardly found things easy against lowly Duke.
Leon Wright had two interceptions and Ronnie Drummond caught a
screen pass and ran 40 yards for a touchdown for Duke, which is now
1-24 in its last 25 games _ and has dropped 19 straight against ACC
foes.
Miami outgained Duke 430-302.
The Hurricanes led 10-0 at halftime, meaning Miami still hasn't
allowed a first-half point in four home games this season.
Antonio Dixon sacked Lewis for a 12-yard loss on the game's first
play, setting up a three-and-out, and Miami got the ball for the
first time at the Duke 46. The Hurricanes needed eight plays to
score from there, with Wright finding Kayne Farquharson for a
five-yard touchdown pass with 8:34 left in the opening quarter.
It was only the second catch of the season for Farquharson, and
it was a good one: He found a seam near the back of the end zone and
stretched his six-foot-two frame high to grab Wright's hard-thrown
pass.
Francesco Zampogna's 47-yard field goal five minutes later made
it 10-0, but the Hurricanes didn't score again in the half, even
though Wright was 10-for-11 in the opening two quarters and Miami
held a 200-112 lead in total offence.
