Duke still has shot at an ACC title despite Miami mess

The aftermath of the Duke-Miami football game was predictable.

The winning Hurricanes wildly celebrated Saturday after the madcap, eight-lateral kickoff return that was ruled a touchdown and gave Miami a 30-27 victory. The Blue Devils, stunned losers, were left to try to make sense of what happened.

“It’s like your stomach dropped, like you can’t believe it happened,” safety DeVon Edwards said.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe put it another way: “It was a very stinging feeling for our people.”

But how long will it sting?

It didn’t help when the ACC ruled Sunday that the officials working the game – on the field and in the replay booth – made errors and that the Miami touchdown should not have stood after review. It was frustrating to Cutcliffe that, as he put it, there is no mechanism within the NCAA rules for reversing the outcome of the game when such mistakes are made.

“I’m disappointed in the process,” he said Sunday.

The loss damaged but did not end the Blue Devils’ hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division and advancing to the ACC Championship game. There’s still a lot of football to be played.

Coastal leader North Carolina is 4-0 in the ACC; Pittsburgh is 4-1 and Duke 3-1. The Blue Devils (6-2 overall) have the opportunity to hand both UNC and Pitt losses, facing the Tar Heels this week in Chapel Hill (noon) and then hosting the Panthers on Nov. 14.

Duke, No. 22 in the AP poll last week, fell out of the rankings after the Miami loss, but the Blue Devils could rise again with a string of wins to close out the season. Their final two games are against Virginia and Wake Forest.

“Nothing defines our program but us,” Edwards said. “It’s not about how you take a loss but how you bounce back.”

Should Duke fall short of the ACC title game, the loss could affect the Devils’ bowl selection. Or not.

“Duke’s already bowl eligible and is high on our radar,” said Will Webb, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation and the Belk Bowl. “I’m not sure (the loss) would make much difference to us. Duke has a very good football team.

“A bigger impact from it could be whether Duke gets in the (ACC) championship game. But if they’re on the table for us to select, I doubt winning or losing that game would have that big an impact. Duke is a very deserving football team.”

Cutcliffe said he got little sleep Saturday night, then met with the team on Sunday. He again talked to the players about “recharging batteries” and getting into their usual game-week rhythm and routines and preparing for the Tar Heels, who have moved into the rankings.

“Out of adversity, people do get stronger,” Cutcliffe said. “That’s the path I hope our team takes.”

A year ago, North Carolina came into Durham and handed the Blue Devils a 45-20 loss that also was stinging. That kind of thumping – not to mention the locker-room damage done by some UNC players after the game – would have been on the Devils’ minds, with or without the Miami debacle.

Not to be overlooked from Saturday’s game is how the Devils reacted to adversity before the crazy, controversial runback. They trailed 24-12 in the fourth quarter, but maintained their poise and put together two touchdown drives to take a 27-24 lead with six seconds left in the game.

“We can’t hang our heads,” quarterback Thomas Sirk said. “Our team fought hard and showed resiliency. We need to get ready for North Carolina, not look back and regret anything.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Duke still has shot at an ACC title despite Miami mess."