This is the 10th edition of Miami Hurricanes on SI's breakdown of each team on the 2026-27 Miami Hurricanes football schedule.One of the more underrated parts of the transfer portal process is its innate ability to create grudge matches where they never existed before. Make no mistake about it, that's exactly what is going to happen when Duke and Miami square up after the Hurricanes wooed their man under center. Former Blue Devil Darian Mensah can't be happy with how he's been treated since his exit and will be looking for some payback against his old team in what could be a bit of a trap game for Miami. The OffenseDuke football players warm up before facing Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectThere are a few things one needs to have a great football team, starting with the big bodies up front. Duke is covered in that regard, despite losing two spectacular offensive linemen from last year's weird-but-good ACC Championship season. Next is a solid run game. Check for the Blue Devils. Nate Sheppard, who carried the rock for over 1,100 yards last year and 11 scores, is back, and more will be expected of him. Why? Every Miami fan should know that answer. Darian Mensah is a Hurricane, and so is Duke's leading wide receiver from last year, Cooper Barkate. To boot, both the second- and third-leading receivers bolted for new programs as well. That leaves the biggest question mark as the passing game. There are realistically three quarterbacks on the roster that could suit up for the Blue Devils this year, and all of them may start at least once before it's said and done. First, there's San Jose State transfer Walter Eget, who has the experience. He's tossed for over 5,000 yards over the last two years, but has been a bit turnover prone, which doesn't play well into Duke's favor. Then, there's the young up-and-comer, Dan Mahan. The freshman North Carolina native is a player that the whole staff is excited about, but he's as raw as they come. Finally, there's the unlikely candidate of former Stanford and North Alabama quarterback Ari Patu. He's a senior who hasn't seen the field much, but at 6'4 and 230 lbs, he's eye-catching for sure. All of this is fine and dandy, but it's not the hallmark of a Manny Diaz-coached team, is it?DefenseDec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on after the game against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAny Diaz-coached team will have a solid defense. Last year's was suspect at times, but they forced 24 turnovers as a unit, so they did some things right. They were effective in the pass rush if not so much in the secondary, and it forced a lot of incompletions. Where this unit has to improve this year, though, is on third downs. They found it difficult to get off the field in 2025, and because of that, the offense had to be leaps and bounds better than it had been in years past. The 4-2-5 is gaining rapid popularity in the college ranks, but the most important part of that defense tends to be the "2" stuck in the middle of the field, and luckily for Duke, they're fine in that category. Between Luke Mergott, Kendall Johnson and Nick Morris, that trio should be a headache across the middle of the field, provided they all stay healthy. Miami will have to force the Duke secondary to beat them. Luckily, they've got a Weapon X to rely on in Malachi Toney. ScheduleNov 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Sahmir Hagans (2) catches the football against Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jadais Richard (25) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectI called this a trap game earlier, and that's exactly what it is. If the Notre Dame game goes as I predicted, though, Miami should come off a painful loss in South Bend and be absolutely P.O.'d before coming home to face the Blue Devils. That's a plus. The good news? It's the start of a three-week home stand to close out the season before facing off against the new-look Virginia Tech Hokies and Boston College, the latter of whom could probably be considered a buy game. What trips me up here is the revenge angle. Diaz and crew have this one circled on their calendar this year, whether they openly admit to it or not. And the rest of that roster will, too. More than likely, this Duke team will have seen its share of losses by this point, but might already be bowl-eligible. That'll save a job if you're Diaz and crew, no matter what last season looked like, and they could look to play spoilers for Miami's CFP seeding, especially with an ND loss in the mix.However, with this one being at home, I like the Hurricanes' odds, even if it is a close one. OutlookOne loss to Notre Dame on the road, especially if it's close, isn't going to doom Miami's CFP odds, especially if they close the season out on a three-game win streak. That streak, though, has to start against the Blue Devils, and Miami will need to fend off the revenge bug to do it. That being said, I think the talent gap here is too wide to ignore. Duke lost its A-listers from last year's roster and opted to replace them with strength in numbers. That may work against most ACC opponents, but not the U. Miami wins and improves to 9-1. The GameDate: November 14Time: TBATV: TBALocation: Hard Rock StadiumSeries History: Miami leads 16-5Last Meeting: 2024The TeamThe Coach: Manny DiazOffensive Coordinator: Jonathan BrewerDefensive Coordinator: Jonathan Patke2025 Record: 7-52025 Rankings: 16th Total Offense, 98th Total DefensePlayers to Watch: Walter Eget, QB, SrTop Newcomer: Brandon Miller, OT, CalBiggest Question: Did they do enough to replace A-list transfer losses?The SchoolLocation: Durham, North CarolinaFounded: December 1924 (Formerly Union Institute Academy, Trinity College)Enrollment: ~17,500 studentsNickname: Blue DevilsColors: Duke Blue, WhiteMascot (Symbols): The Blue DevilThe ProgramLast Win in the Series: 2022Last ACC Title: 2025National Championships: NPlayoff Appearances: NALast missed bowl season: 2021Heisman Trophies: 0The ScheduleNovember 14, Time TBA, Duke Blue Devils @ Miami HurricanesThis is the tenth story in Miami Hurricanes on SI's early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes-related: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and BlueSky.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow