Devils fall short

MIAMI -- Disappointment washed over the faces of Duke players whose dreams of a postseason berth were dashed by Miami in a game that presented so many opportunities.

The scratches on their hands and blood on their socks represented the effort Duke players expended in pushing the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Yet it wasn't enough to prevent a 34-16 loss at Land Shark Stadium, one that officially eliminated the Blue Devils from bowl eligibility this season and handed them a third consecutive loss.

The Devils (5-6, 3-4 ACC) needed a victory headed into this week's home game against Wake Forest if they had any chance of becoming eligible for a bowl game for the first time since the 1994 season.

Instead they were left to contemplate the what-ifs of a game in which they held a 16-13 lead at the start of the fourth quarter and watched the Hurricanes (8-3, 5-3) score 21 consecutive points to escape with the victory.

It was enough to bring redness to some players' eyes.

"It's just a frustrating feeling," Duke sophomore wide receiver Donovan Varner said. "When we had the opportunities, we just didn't capitalize."

For the Devils, the stakes were painfully clear as they landed in the Sunshine State. It didn't matter that their roster was reduced by injuries or that senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis returned to his hometown immobilized by a deep thigh bruise.

"If we would have been able to pull off this and pull off next week and go to a bowl game, I would have considered us the No. 1 team in America for accomplishment," said Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who took over a program that went from 1-23 in the two years before he arrived.

To win meant to accomplish something no Duke team had considered for a decade. It was truly heartbreaking for the nine seniors who boarded the plane with thoughts of experiencing something new at the conclusion of the regular season.

"Every team wants to go to a bowl game, and every team wants to win the conference," Duke senior linebacker Vincent Rey said. "We were in the running for both of those throughout the season. ... Honestly it is tough when you know the next game you play isn't for a bowl, but the next game is still important because it's on the schedule."

Still, the odds were against the Devils, a team that had started to slow down offensively after winning three consecutive ACC games midway through the season. And it was that inability to put up points that cost the Devils late in this game.

Headed into the fourth quarter, Duke junior walk-on kicker Will Snyderwine had accounted for nine of his team's 16 points.

The Hurricanes, struggling offensively for much of the game, decided to put the ball on the ground late in the third quarter, and it paid off early in the fourth quarter. Junior running back Damien Berry lowered his shoulders and bowled over the Devils as the Hurricanes proceeded on a 15-play, 90-yard drive capped by his 2-yard touchdown run. The Hurricanes took a 20-16 lead.

Trying to pull back into the game, the Devils put together a long drive into the Hurricanes' red zone, with Lewis mixing in passes to Austin Kelly and Varner, who finished the game with eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.

On second-and-goal from the 6, Lewis was called for intentional grounding penalty as he threw a screen pass at the feet of Jay Hollingsworth, costing the Devils a down and moving the ball back to the 13-yard line.

Cutcliffe reacted to the call by throwing his headset to the ground and questioning officials.

Afterward he said, "Their guy came up and tackled our back who was the target. Everybody in America teaches the quarterback to throw the ball in the ground when the screen is foiled. That's what he did."

On the drive, Lewis attempted another pass that fell short, which brought out Snyderwine for his fourth field goal attempt of the game, a 31-yarder. He missed wide right from the left hash. He had previously made 15 of 16 after missing his first attempt of the season.

That possession proved a setback for the Devils and allowed the Hurricanes to gain sure footing and run away with the contest.

The Hurricanes struck with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 44-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris to junior Leonard Hankerson. On the play, Hankerson beat Duke's Chris Rwabukamba deep and adjusted to an underthrown pass.

The Hurricanes went ahead 27-16 and took full control of the game after Darryl Sharpton intercepted a pass by Lewis and returned it 73 yards for a touchdown.

Lewis, an Opa-Locka, Fla., native, tried to thread a pass through a narrow window. He couldn't and will end his career without a reaching a bowl game.

"You're disappointed," he said. "Trying to get an experience you've never experienced before. These young guys fought their tails off to help us get there. And it kind of hurts."

NO. 21 MIAMI 34, DUKE 16

FIRST QUARTER

Duke--FG Snyderwine 30, 5:50. Mia--FG Bosher 33, 1:25.

SECOND QUARTER

Duke--FG Snyderwine 49, 14:50. Mia--T.Johnson 5 pass from J.Harris (Bosher kick), 4:50. Duke--Varner 24 pass from Lewis (Snyderwine kick), 2:17.

THIRD QUARTER

Duke--FG Snyderwine 26, 11:05. Mia--FG Bosher 20, 6:15.

FOURTH QUARTER

Mia--Berry 2 run (Bosher kick), 13:41. Mia--Hankerson 44 pass from J.Harris (Bosher kick), 7:37. Mia--Sharpton 73 interception return (Bosher kick), 6:06.

Att.--38,200 (at Miami).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Duke, Hollingsworth 10-32, D.Scott 10-27, Lewis 2-(minus 4). Miami, Berry 16-76, Cooper 14-42, J.James 9-33, Benjamin 1-9, Team 1-(minus 1), J.Harris 3-(minus 11).

PASSING--Duke, Lewis 20-37-1-303. Miami, J.Harris 25-43-1-348.

RECEIVING--Duke, Varner 8-165, Kelly 4-31, Vernon 3-52, Hollingsworth 2-24, B.King 1-16, Parker 1-9, D.Scott 1-6. Miami, Hankerson 8-143, Graham 5-73, Benjamin 3-43, J.James 2-19, Epps 2-17, T.Johnson 2-14, A.Johnson 1-20, Byrd 1-17, Cooper 1-2.

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