The Miami Hurricanes begin the march toward an ACC Coastal Division championship today with a FRIDAY NIGHT game against the Duke Blue Devils

Here’s our Game Preview by Carter Balderson.

Here’s our Opponent Q&A by Cam Underwood.

Here’s our X’s and O’s Scheme Preview by Justin Dottavio.

Here’s our Matchup of the Week by Matt Washington.

Here’s our picks from around the CFB world for this week by John Pickens.

Here’s a tailgating guide for this week from Donovan Hutchins.

Here’s a 2 game look at Miami’s Freshmen from Mat Scholtec.

The last time Miami played at Duke, this happened:

Here are the game notes from Miami Athletics:

#14/#13 MIAMI BEGINS CONFERENCE PLAY ON TOBACCO ROAD

• #14/#13 Miami (2-0, 0-0 ACC) will open both its road slate and conference slate on Friday, Sept. 29 versus Duke (4-0, 1-0 ACC) at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

• Miami has won three straight head-to-head matchups with Duke and has lost in Durham just twice ever, last in 2013 (30-48). The Hurricanes are 12-2 all-time against the Blue Devils.

• Miami has scored 28 or more points in its last five trips to Duke, including 30+ in the last three.

• UM was scheduled to have played two road games by Sept. 29, but Hurricane Irma forced two changes: a cancellation at Arkansas State (Sept. 9) and a postponement of Florida State (Sept. 16 to Oct. 7).

• In their most recent trip to Durham in 2015, the Hurricanes won, 30-27, on the last play of the game - an eight-lateral kickoff return dubbed “The Miracle in Durham.”

ROAD REGULARS

• Miami is opening ACC play on the road for the eighth time in the past nine seasons.

• Since joining the conference in 2004, the Hurricanes are 7-6 all-time in ACC openers.

• When opening ACC play on the road, Miami has an all-time record of 4-4. Outside of 2013, Miami has opened ACC play on the road each year since 2009 and is 4-3 in those games.

• Miami won its 2016 conference opener, 35-21, over Georgia Tech on the road (Oct. 1, 2016).

LAST TIME OUT: WALTON GOES OFF, CANES OUTSHOOT ROCKETS

• Junior RB Mark Walton was unstoppable against Toledo on Sept. 23, racking up a career-best 204 rushing yards with one touchdown on just 11 carries in a 52-30 win over the Rockets.

• QB Malik Rosier finished with career-high marks in completions (27), attempts (36) and passing yards (333) and tied a career best with three TD passes. He added his first rushing score of 2017.

• WR Braxton Berrios recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, totaling 105 yards on five receptions with one touchdown. WR Dayall Harris also recorded his first career score.

• RB Travis Homer added two rushing scores, as Miami piled up 587 yards of offense in the win.

• Trailing 16-10 at halftime, Miami outscored Toledo 42-14 over the game’s final two quarters and outgained the Rockets 397-133 in the second half. Miami was outgained 296-190 in the first half.

WALTON WATCH: 70 YARDS AWAY FROM JOINING ELITE COMPANY

•The only returning running back in the ACC who posted a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2016, junior RB Mark Walton is off to a sizzling start to 2017 with 352 rush yards in just two games.

• With 1,930 career rush yards, Walton now sits in 14th place all-time at Miami; he entered the season No. 21 in all-time rush yards. His eight 100-yard rush games are tied for eighth-most.

• Walton is 70 yards away from becoming the 11th Hurricane with 2,000 or more yards on the ground; Duke Johnson (2012-14) is Miami’s all-time leader in career rush yards (3,519).

• Despite playing in just two games so far this season, Walton’s 352 rush yards were tied for the 34th-most in the NCAA entering Week 5; his 176 rushing yards-per-game average was the third-best mark nationwide while his 13.04 yards-per-rush average led all FBS players nationwide.

• Walton opened 2017 with a bang, recording 148 yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 1. The Miami native now has 28 career touchdowns in 28 career games and is tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns at Miami (26); Stephen McGuire (1989-1992) is the all-time leader (35).

• In 2016, Walton became just the 10th running back in Miami history to rush for over 1,000 yards.

• The impressive feat marked the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in Miami’s and the third straight year the Hurricanes had a 1,000-yard rusher; Duke Johnson rushed for 1,652 yards in 2014 while Joe Yearby finished with 1,002 yards on the ground in 2015.

• The only player in Miami history with two 1,000-yard seasons is Edgerrin James (1997, 1998).

• James Jackson (1,006 in 2000), Clinton Portis (1,200 in 2001) and Willis McGahee (1,753 in 2002) recorded the only other stretch of three straight 1,000-yard rushers in Miami history.

ROSIER TO MAKE SECOND ROAD START OF CAREER

• Redshirt junior QB Malik Rosier was announced as Miami’s starting quarterback by head coach Mark Richt on Aug. 22, during the final week of Hurricanes fall camp.

• Rosier will be making just the fourth start of his career and second road start when he lines up under center versus Duke on Sept. 29; his only other road start came against Duke in 2015.

• The Alabama native, who replaced UM’s all-time passing yards leader Brad Kaaya, finished 20-for-29 for 272 yards with two TDs and one interception in that 30-27 victory on Oct. 31, 2015.

• Rosier won a four-man quarterback race during training camp, besting redshirt sophomore Evan Shirreffs - who was named backup QB - and freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon.

#TIGHTENDU TRADITION ALIVE AND WELL

• The Hurricanes were expecting a big year from senior tight end Christopher Herndon IV, and he has delivered so far, with a career-high eight catches, 65 yards and one score versus Toledo.

• Herndon hauled in 28 receptions for 334 yards and two touchdowns as a junior a season ago.

• In 31 career games, Herndon has made 17 career starts and totaled 55 receptions, 646 yards and four touchdowns. He started 12 of 13 games in 2016 and has started both games so far this year.

• Sophomore Michael Irvin II has added to the mix, with two catches and 28 yards against Toledo.

• Herndon’s tight end partner last season, David Njoku, was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns (No. 29 overall). He has two TDs with the Browns already.

• Njoku became the fifth Hurricane tight end drafted in the first round since 2000, joining Bubba Franks (2000), Jeremy Shockey (2002), Kellen Winslow (2004) and Greg Olsen (2007).

WHO’S ROCKING THE TURNOVER CHAIN?

• The University of Miami “turnover chain” made its debut Sept. 2 against Bethune-Cookman, when sophomore DB Malek Young was rewarded for his interception with an oversized sparkling “U” chain on the sidelines at Hard Rock Stadium.

• Miami has recorded three turnovers on defense so far, and four different student-athletes have worn the chain; Young, DB Amari Carter (forced fumble vs. Bethune-Cookman), DL Ryan Fines (recovered fumble vs. Bethune-Cookman) and DB Sheldrick Redwine (recovered fumble vs. Toledo).

• The chain, which was the brainchild of Miami’s defensive staff in an effort to reward players for creating turnovers, has since inspired an adidas-designed t-shirt and been the source of viral social media posts since making its debut on Sept. 2.

BADG-O-MATIC

• Senior K Michael Badgley, who earned third-team All-ACC honors for the second straight year in 2016, has enjoyed a strong start to 2017, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 12-for-12 on PATs.

• Badgley, who was named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, ranks third in Miami history in career made field goals (65). He hit a Miami-record 25 field goals in 2015.

• Badgley needs just eight field goals to tie Carlos Huerta’s (1988-91) Miami career record of 73.

• Badgley 326 career points are the third-most in UM history; Huerta (397) owns the UM record.

CONSISTENT CANES

• Hurricane returnees OL Kc McDermott, RB Mark Walton, DL R.J. McIntosh, DL Kendrick Norton, LB Shaquille Quarterman and LB Michael Pinckney were the only Miami players to start in every game in 2016.

• McDermott’s 23-game consecutive start streak is the longest on the team.

• Pinckney missed his first start in the opener against Bethune-Cookman due to suspension from a targeting penalty incurred in the second half of Miami’s 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl win.

• OL Navaughn Donaldson and WR Mike Harley are the only freshmen to start a game so far and have started both games; graduate transfer newcomer DB Dee Delaney has also started twice.

SEVEN IN A ROW

• The Miami Hurricanes have won seven games in a row dating back to Nov. 5, 2016, and have not lost since a 27-30 defeat at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. on Oct. 29, 2016.

• The seven-game winning streak is the longest for Miami since the Hurricanes won nine games from Nov. 17, 2012 - Oct. 26, 2013. It is the first seven-game winning streak since Miami started the 2013 season 7-0 (Aug. 30, 2013 - Oct. 26, 2013).

• UM’s average margin of victory during its current seven-game winning streak is 20.4 points.

• Since taking over, Mark Richt has guided Miami to an 11-4 record and Miami’s 11 wins have come by an average of 26.4 points. The four losses have come by an average of 8.0 points.

Our pre-game work is done. Now, it’s time to go win another game in the ACC opener for both teams.

Go Canes