DURHAM, N.C. _ There was nothing memorable about any of it for the Miami Hurricanes.
Between the downpour of rain in Durham, the crowd of only 15,913, the fact that Miami was coming off an arguably program-low loss to FIU _ and, oh yeah, the play on the field _ a disappointing season came to a forgetful end.
The Hurricanes, decimated with injuries and devastated by poor quarterback and offensive line play, lost an ugly 27-17 decision at Duke in their regular-season finale on Saturday night at rain-drenched Wallace Wade Stadium.
Miami finishes its first regular season under coach Manny Diaz 6-6 and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes' loss last week to FIU was followed with Saturday's defeat to Duke (5-7). UM will wait to learn its bowl destination a week from Sunday.
After the game Diaz said, while effort was the problem against FIU, it wasn't the issue at Duke.
"Our issues are obvious," Diaz said, "and it's simply our ability to execute that gave us no chance to win this football game."
As Miami nursed a slim fourth-quarter lead in what was turning into a defensive struggle, Duke running back Deon Jackson plunged into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils the lead, 20-17, with 9:37 remaining.
Miami then replaced ineffective starting quarterback Jarren Williams with N'Kosi Perry.
After Perry's first drive went three-and-out, Duke added on with a 49-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quentin Harris to a wide-open Jalon Calhoun to go up, 27-17, with 6:55 left.
Perry strung together a pair of first downs on his next drive, but a fourth-and-18 pass fell incomplete to finish the series. His last drive ended with a lost fumble on Duke's ninth sack of a Miami quarterback.
Williams finished 11 of 26 for 142 yards and a touchdown. Harris wasn't much better passing for Duke, finishing 10 of 24 for 156 yards and a touchdown but with an additional rushing score.
Miami went into halftime leading, 14-13, after redshirt sophomore running back Robert Burns took a screen from Williams 15 yards for a touchdown to the left pylon for his first career touchdown. Earlier in the 11-play, 76-yard drive, Cam'Ron Harris, already starting for injured back DeeJay Dallas, left and was replaced by Burns. Williams had a 32-yard connection with Mallory on third-and-11 earlier in the possession.
The Hurricanes had a prime opportunity to add a touchdown to their 1-point third-quarter lead, but they only came away with a field goal after starting at the Duke 14-yard line following a 43-yard punt return from K.J. Osborn. UM kicker Camden Price nailed the 27-yard field goal to extend UM's lead to, 17-13.
With the rain at Wallace Wade Stadium only falling harder in the second half, it became a defensive struggle until the Blue Devils scored the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Duke had a season-high eight sacks against a Miami offensive line that was shuffling after left guard Navaughn Donaldson and his replacement, John Campbell, made early exits. Chris Rumph had three and a half of them for the Blue Devils.
For the Hurricanes, totaling six sacks, Greg Rousseau had a pair to push his season total to 14. Jonathan Garvin had two of his own, including a strip-sack that resulted in a Nesta Silvera fumble recover in the third quarter.
Starting that drive at the Duke 40-yard line, UM would only go backward and failed to come away with points off the advantageous field position.
The Hurricanes went three-and-out on their first four series on Saturday, but a fake punt and impressive run from punter Lou Hedley sparked Miami's offense. Hedley, with the whole left half of the field open, ran 21 yards on fourth-and-1.
Harris later punched in an 8-yard rushing score on the second play of the second quarter to put UM up, 7-3.
Duke responded with a touchdown of its own to retake a 10-7 lead. Quarterback Quentin Harris ran in a 24-yard score on a third-and-9. He broke an open-field tackle attempt of safety Robert Knowles, who did make an impressive touchdown-saving pass deflection on the previous play.
Duke scored first on a 40-yard field goal from AJ Reed late in the first quarter. The Blue Devils converted a 15-yard pass from Harris to Jalon Calhoun on third-and-12 to keep the drive alive and had a Harris-to-Aaron Young connection go for 27 on the next play.
Reed missed earlier in the opening period, from 46. He also hit from 36 yards out in the second quarter to make the Blue Devils' lead 13-7 before Burns' touchdown late in the first half.
The Hurricanes now await their bowl game fate a week from Sunday, on Dec. 8, after conference championships are played on Dec. 7.
